Mistakes are only lessons learned in business

I’ve made quite a few wrong turns since 2014. If you want to know a little more about my journey, I wrote a blog post about how I started my marketing and copywriting business in a different blog post. This one focuses on the mistakes I made because I want to help you avoid them.

If I know anything, it’s that we’re all just figuring this out and when we share our experiences we go farther, faster, and for longer. I hope you find this helpful!

Mistake 1: Doubting my skills and value.

Repeat after me: I am qualified. I am worthy. I provide huge value to people.⁠

Say that to yourself at least once a day for a week. Now, doesn’t that feel good?

Doubting yourself will only make you feel worse and if you aren’t going to advocate for your worth, nobody else will. Entrepreneurship is a confidence game more than anything. Play on your strengths, remind yourself of them often, and just keep moving forward.

Mistake 2: Comparing myself without context.

The idea that we can’t compare our beginning to someone else’s middle was game changing for my mindset. Even if that person shares a lot of their story online, we never know everything. We see the highlights, not just because that’s what people tend to share, but it’s what we often see when we fall into the comparison trap.

Remember that wherever you are, you’re exactly where you need to be.⁠

Mistake 3: Thinking perfectionism is a good thing (it’s not).

My husband says: “If Jill could get an A+ in life, she would try.” While I was in school, that perfectionism came in handy. Now that I’m running a business, not so much. I’ve learned that aiming for perfection only slows you down, causes major stress over minor things, and leaves everyone feeling a little off.

Every day I try to practice the mentality that “done is better than perfect.”⁠ You might see some less-than content on my social pages some days, but I’m trying my best and we can’t win every day.

What would you add to this list? Share your mistakes made and lessons learned below!