8 Women Share the Moment Their Business Felt Real
Photo by Jess Fredericks Photography // Babe Crafted’s ‘Self Care Night’ for members in February 2019
Hey, babe! Long time no see. Kidding! We know you were here recently checking out our blog on how to define & own your niche. ;)
Starting a business is embarking on a special journey filled with good days, bad days, and great lessons. The specific day I want to talk about includes the moment that you first felt your business was legit, AKA the real flippin’. deal. It’s different for every boss babe. We’ve asked 8 fantastic entrepreneurs to share theirs. Take a peek below!
When was yours? Was it the day you got you employer identification number? Or the day you closed on your first paid project? Tell us in the comments!
Photo by The Dashing Ginger
Sheila Vaske | V’Enza Creations // IG
“I would have to say that about 2 years ago when I created packaging. When my products came in with their packaging I designed, it began to feel real to me! It was like I could finally picture them being sold in stores and how others would perceive them when they saw them.
It was my core bracelets, for example, the positivity, the abundance, the in memory of… as well as the Carma Clips… these creations were even more powerful, because they were created off of scrap paper as a simple sketch, and then designed on the computer, so to see themas a final product in and real life was really awesome!”
Tampa, FL
Robyn Sayles | Launching Your Success // IG
“Working with so many entrepreneurs and small business owners, I know the statistics: most businesses fail in the first 2 years. So when my business hit 3 years, I took a big sigh of relief; I was past the fail point! I made a few pivots (or seismic shifts) along the way, but now that I am about to hit the 5-year mark I really "feel" like a business.”
St. Petersburg, FL
Photo by Ashlee Hamon Photography
Rana Tierney | Roohi Photography // IG
“I remember it was the summer of 2011. I was busier than I ever was before, and I couldn't handle doing both my "job" and my passion. I made an appointment with a financial advisor; told him I had saved up 6 months salary, had a steady book of clientele and I felt I was ready to make the leap. He reviewed everything and said "What are you waiting for?". In that moment I knew that what started with picking up a camera would turn into a career. I quit my job a few months later and have never looked back. I knew having my LIFE in order, both emotionally and financially was the key to starting this business the RIGHT way. And here we are– 10 years later and I know hard work, succeeding and failing, never giving up and a huge support team has landed me in this place.”
Tampa, FL
Kelly Pederson | 7th House Interiors // IG
“There were two moments when I felt like a “real” business. The first one is when my website was up and running and the second one was when my first invoice was paid!”
Tampa, FL
Jessica Brightman | Bright Thoughts // IG
“I felt like it was a "real business" when I finally finished all the paperwork to become an LLC. That's when I realized that I was ready to take my graphic design work from just an interest / hobby / side hustle to my full-time pursuit and build an established business from it. There's nothing that makes something feel quite real like good ol' legal documents!”
Seattle, WA
Heather Saunders | Ameriprise Financial // FB
“I was originally hired as an employee of the practice, and later my role shifted to what I do now, so there was never a feeling that this wasn’t a “real business,” so to speak. But I definitely had a moment that stopped me in my tracks and I thought to myself, “Wow…people actually believe and put value in my advice.” That happened the day after a meeting with one of my financial planning clients. We’d had a very real, straightforward conversation where I expressed my deep concern over her expenses directly related to her very large home and its maintenance, and what it could end up costing her down the line. She called back the next day to tell me that she had been thinking about it all night and had decided to put the house on the market. That was a very real moment for me as an advisor. It was a little scary at the same time as being very fulfilling and empowering.”
Tampa, FL
Photo by Stephen Zane
Gina Moccio | Babe Crafted // IG
“I’m lucky to have had a lot of proud moments since starting my business, but I would have to say the moment I felt like my business was “real” was in February of 2019. I decided it was time for me to let the contract of my last social media client end without renewal so I could focus 100% of my energy on Babe Crafted.
The moment I realized this was possible was exciting with a capital ‘E’. As much as I loved working with my client, we both knew it was the right time for me to step away.
So the Monday of the first week I was 100% full time was invigorating. I’ll never forget the freedom and confidence I felt.”
Tampa, FL
Alyssa Gay | Alyssa Gay Consulting // IG
“I think the first time I really felt like it was real was when I registered my LLC, met with my CPA, and created my business plan - then when I got my first client... then when I quit my day job to take my business full time. Even now at over a year old, I still feel like I have moments where it seems more real than it has before! Most recently when I was featured in SRQ Magazine and even last week when I had to pay taxes! Ha! Sometimes it's definitely easy to get caught up in the day to day maintenance and forget just how awesome it is that I/we created and are running a successful business!”
Sarasota, FL
