20 Lessons from 20 Months of Entrepreneurship

By August 20th, it’d have been 20 months since I quit my job. 20 months since I submitted my laptop and signed papers. 20 months since I walked out of my tech park to never return.

And gosh, what a wild ride it has been!

I’ve reached a point in my business that I never imagined I would. I’m making a full-time income from my coaching business now. And I’m serving clients I could only dream of before!

To be honest, when I quit my job, I kept telling myself, “If things don’t work out, I’m gonna go back.” again and again until that voice faded without even me realizing it.

While doing my morning journal this week, I saw the date and had to take some time to process how far I’ve come. It’s ridiculous to see how much healing work I’ve done, how my self-confidence has grown exponentially, and how I’ve become highly mature.

And that’s when I realized it’s the right time for me to spew out some lessons if you’re on a similar path. So here you go! I truly hope it helps you as a reminder along your beautiful journey. 🧡🥹

1. Entrepreneurship is a looonnng, winding path—and not a get-rich-quick scheme. You’ll experiment a lot, fail a lot, succeed a lot, and learn a lot. Get ready for this rollercoaster of a journey.

2. At a particular moment, you’ll think you’re failing. You’ll think of quitting. You’ll think you cannot do this anymore. But you’ll realize how far you’ve come if you pause and look back. And that’ll give you the energy to go ahead.

3. You HAVE to do the deep inner work and heal. And most of us have never done it before. Again, it’s going to be fucking hard. But worth it. Also, you can only take your clients as far & deep as you’ve gone.

4. Do not block your negative emotions and feelings. They do not make you weak. They are a part of you and make you who you are. Whenever you get negative thoughts, feel them entirely in your body, process them, and heal them. Even cry if you need to. And let them go with a lot of love and warmth.

5. When you put love, faith, and service before everything and surrender…all your fears vanish.

6. GET A COACH: I would NOT have been here without my mentors, healers, and coaches. I know that for sure now. It is okay to seek help. Even when you don’t think there’s a problem…even to go to the next level.

7. Keep questioning all your beliefs, fears, and thoughts. You might be right in your assumptions. But you might also be wrong. The more flexible you become in your thoughts, the farther you go.

8. You do not have to figure out everything at first. Hell, it’s gonna change anyway. So why bother?😅

9. Focus on one step at a time for the first 1.5 to 2 years of business. Don’t start making yearly or even quarterly goals. There’s a 100% chance that what you plan is not gonna work out (for good or bad)

10. Desperation stinks. And your potential clients can smell it from far, far away, even if your words say otherwise. Your energy will translate whether you realize it or not. This is where deep inner work is necessary.

11. Focus on up-leveling in these 3 parts of your business: Doing deep inner work, coaching skills, and your business skills. All 3 need to move in parallel (almost at least)

12. Entrepreneurship puts you in a constant phase of being uncomfortable, terrified, excited, purposeful, and in service. It’s weird, but you’ll get what I mean in a few months.

13. If you feel uncomfortable with your next steps (investing in a coach/course, releasing a new offer, pitching, etc.), you are going in the right direction. Take it as a positive sign.

14. Again, feeling uncomfortable is different from feeling internal friction. Listen to your heart and intuition. That’s your biggest friend here. Your first job should be strengthening it and listening to it.

15. Listen to your heart even if you have to say no sometimes. Once, I had a potential client who was ready to pay in full. But I said no…because I had a strong feeling that he wasn’t the right person for me. It was so fucking difficult. But the best decision I ever made because it led me to 2 perfect clients just weeks after.

16. The amount of money you earn is NOT directly proportional to the amount of work you put in. That’s a load of bullshit our parents & society told us.

17. Optimize your business for joy, purpose, and curiosity. If a part of your business doesn’t bring either of them, chuck it. You don’t need that.

18. Not everyone would understand what you do. Sometimes even your family. And that’s okay. Do YOU know why you’re doing what you’re doing? That’s all that matters. Stop trying to explain to people who don’t want to understand. If they’re coming with curiosity…go ahead!

19. Listen to your body. It’s constantly sending you messages. Do you feel tightness in any part while making a decision? Do you feel open, full, and inspired? Do you feel tired and drained? Positively or negatively? Keep tuning into how your body feels.

20. Most importantly, remind yourself of your WHY constantly. Sometimes, it’s easy to go off the rails amidst the constant circus in our lives. We need to center ourselves and remind ourselves of our vision and mission. Whatever it might be!

I genuinely hope these lessons serve as good reminders to you in the upcoming months. I specifically say reminders because, depending on your journey, you might understand some points but not realize them until you go through the phase. And probably some points also bring friction in you! Welcome the friction, though, because there lie answers to questioning your beliefs:)

I had a blast writing this! Thank you so so much for being there with me on this beautiful journey! Means a ton!

With lots of love,Until next time,Shruthi

Want to transition from your soul-sucking, possibly toxic 9-5 job to a passionate, mission-driven, thriving coaching business that feels fucking right to your soul, taking your life to the next level? Are you at a place where you can clearly see your future self and CANNOT wait to quit?

I just have ONE coaching spot available until September end. Book a free 60-min discovery call below!