ep. 008 • 10 Pieces of Advice for the New Henna Artist

Click here to instantly download a PDF version of the transcript.

Chelsea Stevenson: Welcome to the Hennapreneur podcast. The exclusive podcast of its kind, dedicated to giving you an honest look at the reality of making a living as a henna professional. I'm your host, Chelsea Stevenson, professional henna artist and business strategist. I teach budding henna artists and seasoned henna pros alike how to build vibrant, profitable businesses doing what they love. I went from being the girl who could barely piece together a fluid design to being owner of the most celebrated henna boutique in my city. And with years of experience growing my own business and helping others to do the same, I'm here to spill all the tea on what it takes to be a bonafide hennapreneur. Our show starts in just under 60 seconds, but first, here's a quick shout out to my sponsors.

This episode is sponsored by the Hennapreneur eMagazine! Whether you're just getting started, you're ready to go pro, you've got a solid business, or you're ready to scale, Hennapreneur has a free downloadable e-magazine that's ready just for you with insights on how you can better build your business in that phase of the game. Each volume features articles specifically for that particular part of the henna journey. So head on over to hennapreneur.com and download your free copy today! All right, let's get to the show!

Hey, hey hennapreneurs! Today I am stuck inside. Actually it is raining. It is pouring cats and dogs here in the Baltimore area. But you know what? It is okay, because I'm here to share a little bit of insight with you on something that's kind been on my mind for a while and I thought, "Perhaps this is something that would benefit other hennapreneurs!" Those of you who are just starting out in your business, those of you who are looking to grow your business, those of you who are like in that place right now where you're like, "I know that there's more out there for me and my business, but like, I just don't even know where to start," perhaps. And so to that end, today I want to share ten pieces of advice that I wish, like if I could go back and tell my baby henna business self, um, uh, you know, just a little- just little tidbits, just little golden nuggets. These would be the words that I would say these would be,the pieces of advice that I would give. Um, and so if that interests you, then I invite you to, to, you know, hang on with me and um, and enjoy some of, of what I'm to share I suppose.

So this all came up because I was- I've- well if you don't know, right now I am in deep with members of the Accelerator. Now, if you don't know what the Accelerator is, the Accelerator is a very rigorous business program that I run. And um, through that program I take henna artists through the journey of mapping out all the things from the foundations of their business through completing their branding. We build their websites together. We get them set up with their back-end operations. And when they graduate, they have a just- I mean, when I say, mean business model behind them, they have a mean business model behind them. They have their business plan completed and they have all of the things. And so, right now I'm in the middle of the Accelerator and I'm working with a phenomenal group of hennapreneurs who- they've been seeing results from the beginning! And I just- I'm so hype about that!

But I was reflecting the other day about, you know, my own journey with henna. You know, I've been in the henna world doing henna since - phew! - too long now, since 2011. And so as I go into, you know, this next year, I was thinking about, you know, what that experience was like for me when I, when I first started and how things perhaps would have been different if I would have had the mentor, um, you know, a mentor to be able to provide me with feedback. A mentor who would be able to provide me with advice and things as I grew, both as an entrepreneur, and also just as an artist, right? As an artist in general. And, um, one of the things inside of the Accelerator is that I'm, I, uh, I find myself often sharing, um, you know, just little tidbits of my experience as a hennapreneur with my students, both one-on-one and inside of group coaching calls, and so forth. And so I thought that it would be kind of cool to come and share with you guys, you know, just a little bit of the insights that I, um, that I would, if I could get in a time machine and go back and give myself, um, these would be those things. So I've got ten things for you. So let's jump right in, right? So the first thing for sure, for sure, and this is like going straight to the jugular of business and marketing and all things business success. I wish that I could have gone- that I could go back and tell my, you know, my new, my new henna business owning self to take the time to get to know my ideal client.

This is something that is, I mean, when I say fundamental, it is fundamental. One of the things that you have to know when you're starting your business and when you're operating a business, and it really doesn't matter what type of business it is, is that you need to know who your ideal client is. You need to know who your target market is. You need to know the demographic, um, that you're trying to serve. And it's not just the demographics, right? Of course there's the demographics: 'they live in this area, they're of this age, they have this particular income. They have, you know, these sorts of, um, traits about them.' But also to get to know their psychographics, to get to really understand the inner workings of their, um, their value system, their lifestyle, the way that they think about things, the things that motivate them.

And so, if I could go back, this would be the first piece of advice that I would give myself, um, when I started my business because, you know, when I started, when I- you know, the first thing that I wanted to do was just do henna for everyone. Like, I wanted to be the henna artists for everybody. I wanted to be that henna artist who did the bridal,, and the prenatal and the corporate event, and the, uh, you know, private appointment. And I wanted to serve anyone and everyone under the sun and that's fine! Like, that's great! Wonderful enthusiasm and all those things. And I see this a lot with new henna artists. Like, I see this a lot. This will come up. It's like, "Oh, I just want to build a business. I just want to henna everyone. And I want to do all the things, and I want to sell candles with henna and I want to um, you know, go and do henna things over there!" And like, there's all sorts of just, just disarray, honestly. Um, because we- we are, that enthusiasm is there. We're excited and we want to jump in and build our business from the ground, um, quickly. And, there is something to be said about that rigor. Um, there's something to be said about that excitement, but if all of that excitement is misguided, if it's not pointed in the right direction, it falls, it falls on deaf ears and it ultimately it goes to waste. Um, while on the flip side, if you know exactly who it is you're trying to serve, how you're going to serve them and what ways you're going to connect with them and so forth, then your marketing efforts are significantly more effective and you're able to be so much more strategic with all of your things in your business. Everything from the way you set things up, the way you talk about things, the way that you establish your brand voice, the way that you create your brand aesthetic, the way that you, you know, connect with your, with your audience on social media, the way that you do all the things, everything becomes so much easier when you know who your ideal client is.

And so, if I could like my first piece of advice, would 100% be know who that ideal client is. Take the time to, to find out who that person is, get to know them, get to know them intimately so that your business can grow and flourish in a more, um, just in a more healthy and a more sustainable and, and a more fast way. Like, let's just cut to the chase; If you want to grow fast, you have to know who you're serving. So that would've been for sure my first piece of advice for baby hennapreneur Chelsea, the second thing that I would definitely go back and tell myself is, "You know what? Not everyone is worth listening to." And I know that sounds a little bit shady, but you know, there is some truth to that notion of considering the source, right? So there are many times when you go into business and suddenly you have like this plethora of people who just come out of the woodwork who are willing to give you advice, and who are willing to give you feedback, and who want to tell you how- what, what a great idea this thing is or that thing is.

And um -- again -- that's, you know, they get an A-plus for their enthusiasm and for their excitement and for their willingness to help. But that doesn't necessarily mean that those people are qualified to speak into what you're doing in your business. For me, for sure, one of the things that I experienced as a new henna artist --and even today, I witness this a lot -- I'll see, you know, henna artists who will have questions and they'll, they'll ask questions of, you know, about their business. They'll ask questions regarding their business, how to, how to run their business, how to do a certain thing in their business. And they may receive feedback from, uh, from people who are genuinely wanting to help. But if that person who is offering advice isn't qualified, then the advice that you're receiving isn't solid, right? And so I know for me and my own experience, I remember being a very, you know, early business owner and getting feedback from people who they did want to see me succeed, but the insights that they provided or the advice that they provided, perhaps didn't apply to me or perhaps didn't make sense or perhaps wasn't the most sustainable. You'll find all sorts of people who are willing to provide you with business advice. And especially when it comes time to provide business advice in exchange for something monetary. There are tons of people who are happy to take your money, to give you business advice. And the sad part is, many times when that sort of exchange takes place, we make the assumption that because I'm paying this person what they're going to tell me is good or what they're going to tell me is of high quality or what they're going to share with me is going to work. And that's not always true.

So you know, even, you know, from the, from that person, and it might be like a family member or a friend, it could be that person who's just, you know, giving you business advice, you know, on the fly, just off cuff for free. Um, just because they're there and they're present in your life, those people, you know, it could be someone like that who, uh, is just wanting to see you succeed and perhaps is coming from a really a good place in their heart. Um, or it can be those people who are monetizing. And this happened- you know, it happened to me as well. Those people who are monetizing on, um, the idea of, you know, business coaching and things like this. But if those people aren't qualified, be it that family member or that friend, that business coach, whatever, if those people aren't qualified to provide you with feedback, if those people haven't walked the walk of what it is to be a hennapreneur, if that's someone who's never owned a business, if that's someone with a brand new business, like, I can't even tell you how many times as a new business owner, I was approached by other business owners who had tons and tons of advice. And then when I'd ask questions about their own businesses, I'd come to find that there were like six months in. And it's like, "Really? What sort of an expert are you? You, you barely even, you don't even have a year under your belt," you know? Um, so that's one thing that I would, I would certainly go back and tell myself, um, you know, is not everyone is worth listening to. Not everyone is worth believing the hype about. Not everyone is worth giving, you know, giving a piece of your ear.

Um, and if you can avoid bad advice, I'd say that that's just as good as receiving great advice is avoiding that bad advice because when you don't know the ropes, when you allow someone else to define those ropes for you, you can really create limiting belief systems. You can create, um, challenges in your business. You can create, um, issues that really can destabilize the foundation of your business early on. And when you're brand new, or when you're in the place where you're ready to scale your business, if you make those sorts of mistakes, they really can be costly in the long run. So if I could go back, that would be another piece of advice that I would definitely give to myself.

The next thing is I would advise myself to have, um, been willing to invest in the business that I want versus investing in the business that I had like, and this is like- obviously, I'm talking, like numbers here, I'm talking monetary investment. I know that for me, um, when I- I've shared with you guys, you know, when I first started working with henna, it really did, it came from a place of necessity. I had to be profitable like now, right? And so I've always run my business very lean. Um, I never took out any loans. I never went into debt. That was one thing that I was like, I, I won't go into debt for my business. I couldn't, I literally, I could not, that was not an option for me. Um, but as my business grew, and certainly in the first couple of years, I found myself kind of holding back even though my business had become successful. I mean, I was full time after just over two years, um, working as a henna artist. I was full time and I was working, you know, just- I- I- that was it! I had left my office job. And so for me, I found that even though I was experiencing success, I was still really reluctant to invest in the business that, um, that I was growing. Because I kind of felt like one, I kind of felt like all of this- the success that I was having was, like, by chance or, like, it was going to go away. I had a lot of thoughts about that. Um, and like those, those sorts of hindrances of sorts of mental blocks kept me from being willing to invest in my business and really going all the way in because I just wasn't sure if things were really going to work out. Like, I had a sense of disbelief about my own success. But, I will say since treating my business- now, today, right?

Today, when I look at my business and the way that I treat my business, I make investments in my business based on the business that I want to have, not necessarily the business that I have presently, right? And when I started to make that shift, when I started to change my habits and began to invest in my business in that way versus investing in my business from a place of, "Oh, I can't do that right now."

I started to see all sorts of changes. Um, a lot of it came with mindset and, um, you know, I talk about mindset quite a bit, but for me, I- giving myself permission to invest in my business in the way that was more well-aligned with the business that I wanted to grow, and what I wanted to have, meant that I was taking action towards those goals. And in treating my business in that way, I was finding that I would receive results from my- from those investments and results from both from the time that I was putting in, the money that I was putting in, the effort that I was putting in, all of those things. I had better results in that space versus, you know, being frugal with my business, both financially and in terms of time and in terms of effort, all of those things.

When I, when I was being frugal in those ways, I wasn't receiving the same return. And I think it had a lot to do with the fact that I was limiting myself, um, from the possibilities that could exist out of fear. Um, so if I could, you know, if I could go back and say, you know, "Chelsea, do this- you know, do the thing differently" I definitely, definitely, would encourage myself to invest in the business that I wanted and treating my business like it was already the business that I wanted versus investing in the business that I had at the time, which was limiting. Um, and which kind of- it kept me from certain opportunities out of, you know- because of that place of fear and because of that, um, that sense of-of disbelief that it could work out. That things would work out in my favor.

Another thing that I would definitely tell myself is I would just like encouragement. I would go back and encourage myself and remind baby henna business owner Chelsea that it's okay to be a beginner. I think that it's so common and it's so prevalent, I think in many business circles, but certainly in the henna community, I see this, um, very, very often, is that, you know, we come into the community, many times artists will come into the community and they realize that they want to start a business and, um, suddenly they just like, they have to put on this -- I see this and this is how I perceive it -- I perceive it as though they feel that immediately they have to put on this air of I know everything. "Nope. I know." "Nope, I know!" I" got it!" "I can do that." "I'm a professional." And that's fine.

But you know what? We- none of us were born knowing how to prepare henna. None of us were born knowing how to hold the cone properly. None of us were born knowing how to the perfect paisley. None of us were born knowing how to complete, you know, a brand board, or how to have an effective social media marketing campaign, or how to, you know, connect with business- local business owners who are going to serve as a solid collaborators for our business. None of us were born knowing all of those things. And so you have to learn them, right? It comes over a period of time. And honestly, it's very frustrating for me to look and, and see some of, um, those newer henna artists or even intermediate level henna artists struggle because instead of just saying, "Hey, I need to learn this skill." or, "Hey, I need to learn this concept." or, "I need help." Instead of just saying, "I need help. I need to learn this thing." We put on this front, like, "Oh, I've got it! I've got it. I've got it. It's all good." And I don't know why this is like, I don't know why it is, we have to come to accept that it's okay to be a beginner. And I think that the beauty of business ownership, the beauty of even just developing as an artist, right, is that there's that journey. Like, the journey of going from not knowing a thing to having incredible confidence in your ability to, uh, to tackle, you know, that same thing later on after acquiring the knowledge, after acquiring the experience and the insight that it takes to become an expert. I mean, the journey that that requires? That's where the beauty is. Like, that's where the transformation happens and that's where the evolution happens for us.

Um, as individuals, as business owners, of course, as hennapreneurs, of course, but as individuals, um, that's where we start to see a change in ourselves and a change in our personal growth and just the way that we view ourselves and the world around us. And so, if I could go back and, and you know, just affirm the old me when I was, you know, just starting, I would say, "Chelsea, it is fine to be- it's okay to be a beginner." And if you're in that space, if you're in that space where you're a newer henna artist, or you're a henna artist who may have been doing henna for a long time, but you're just now getting serious about your business. Like, I want you to know that it's okay to be in that space. It's okay not to know all the things. There is no shame in not knowing. Everything can be learned. Everything can be taught. And this is something that I tell my students all the time. "Everything can be learned. Everything is teachable."

So if you, you know, are in that space where you're like, you know, I lack knowledge in this particular arena, or I just started, I'm just a beginner, know that that's okay, and that the beauty of the journey is what's ahead of you and you only have up from here, right? You only, you only have now the opportunity to learn and grow. So once you, you know, experience that sort of transformation and once you experience that, um, that evolution and that growth, that is where you start to see yourself as, um, just as a person, and as an hennapreneur, you start to see yourself, um, develop into, um, a new iteration. And in one that- you know, into one that's better and into one that's more whole, one that's more confident, one that's more capable, and all of those things. So, um, but it's, you have to go through that journey. So, you know, it's, it's okay to be a beginner. It is okay to be a beginner. Bask in the experience of being a beginner and in, you know, having the opportunity to know that every single day you can grow and you can learn something new and develop something new inside of yourself, inside of your art, and inside of your business.

The next thing that I would definitely go back and tell myself is, "Chelsea! Keep your eyes on your own paper!" And listen, I'm talking about all the paper, okay? I cannot tell you how challenging it can be when you are in business and you are trying to do the things and, and you know, get your brand off of the ground, and build your client list, and get your calendar booked out, and all of those things. And then you're distracted by what somebody else is doing over there? I mean, guys! Guys, we only have so many hours in the day, right? So if I could go back, if I could go back, I would tell myself, "Chelsea, keep your eyes on your own paper."

I recall, you know, there would be instances where I would, I would look around and, like, see competitors and sometimes it was a local competitor at sometime. It was just someone who like I happened to see in the online space, right? Like, you know, within the henna community online, I would come across someone and be like, "Oh, you know, like, this is what so-and-so is doing. We have a similar skill set. Let me check out what they're doing." And all of that effort is honestly- I feel like it was just wasted. Um, when you, I mean, of course there's something to be said about going and like completing competitor analyses and things like this where you are when you're looking at your competitors for the purpose of growing your business.

But, just in general, like having tabs on what so-and-so is doing just for the sake of knowing or just for the sake of, um, you know, feeling like you were keeping up with the Joneses? It's such a waste. Such a waste! And honestly, if all you're doing is focusing on what that person is doing, then you're not focusing on what you need to be doing in the present, which means that you're probably not converting sales, which means that you probably don't have a lot of cash flow happening in your business. So if I could, if I could go back, I'd tell the old me, "Chelsea, just keep your eyes on your own paper. It's totally fine. You don't have to do what everyone else is doing. You don't have to show up in the same way that everyone else is showing up."

I'll tell you, once I made that shift -- and it was a very significant shift --and I recall it like it was yesterday. Literally one day I was just like, I'm done. I'm not looking at my competition anymore. I'm not going to do it. And I went on Instagram and I unfollowed approximately 6 million different henna accounts. Because even from a design perspective, I was like, "I'm done! I don't want to be influenced by what anyone else is doing anymore. I'm going to find what works for me. I'm going to find my authentic voice. I'm going to find what it is about me as a person. Um, as an individual, as a business owner, as an artist, that sets me apart from everyone else." I wanted to find that ME factor, that YOU factor, right? And so, um, once I made that change, that year was the most profitable year of my business, ever.

Like that, I saw a monetary change in my business. I saw a revenue change in my business, and it was significant enough for me to say, "Yeah, my eyes need to be on my own paper." So I don't mean just, you know, just looking at what so-and-so is doing; I mean, literally keep your eyes on your own dollar, dollar bills, y'all! Keep your eyes on your own paper. Keep your eyes focused on what you need to be doing to grow your business, not what so-and-so is doing over there; it's useless. The next thing that I would definitely tell myself is, "You know what? Best is relative." And that- I'm going to tie that to my last point, okay? There's something to be said, for sure, about receiving an accolade, for example, my business has been recognized by publications in my city as being the best in my city, right?

So there's something to be said when you are acknowledged as being 'the best' in a particular space, but when it comes down to like dollars and cents, right? When it comes down to actually just connecting with the right people, to actually attracting the right clients? You don't need those things. You don't need the accolades. You don't need the hype man. You don't need any of that! All you need is to be the best option in the eyes of your ideal client, ayyy! Right? So when it comes to, you know, considering like, "What am I doing and how can I do it better?" and "How can I show up?" and "How can I make more sales?" And "How can I fill up my calendar with bookings?" and so forth. You just have to realize that 'best' is relative.

So how are you going to be the best for your people? How are you going to be the best for your audience? In what ways are you going to show up, and because that prospective client, that Instagram follower, that Facebook follower, that person who sees your henna at the grocery store, how are you going to cause that person to realize that you are, hands down, the best option for them? And it comes down to really knowing what you have to offer. There's something that's called a value proposition. And that is literally where you propose a particular value. You propose a particular worth to your audience. And so as you're building your business, it's so important for you to know what your value proposition is. What is it about you that makes you great? And when you lean into that -- one, you have to identify it -- but once you have that, once you really understand it, you can lean into it. And in that space, that's really where your power is. And so there you can say, relentlessly and unapologetically, "I'm the best at 'X', I'm the best for 'Y'." And when you can say that confidently, people hear that, and they receive it. And it's- at that point they get to choose also whether or not they agree. And so anything you know from, are you the best, you know, are you the best with the design technique? Are you the best with operating your business? Are you the best with customer service? All of those things, they're all relative, and they're relative to the person who's receiving it. They're relative to that person who's actually putting the money- um, you know, who's actually making that monetary exchange with you for those services.

So all you have to do is be the best for your ideal client. Of course, you're gonna have to know who that is, right? But once you've got that clear, all you have to do is continue to align yourself, and align your business, with them in the best ways. Right? And so, um, you know, I feel like many times we fall into the game of comparison inside of, um, inside of our industry, and just in general, right? And that's just- I feel like that's a life lesson. Um, and for me, for sure, I found that one of the easiest ways for me to kind of refocus and reshift and re- um, just, reposition the idea of, um, my own excellence, my own performance, my own power in my business is by reminding myself that 'the best' is relative and that I will always be the best option for the right people. And those people are the best clients for me as well. So if I could- if I would have learned that lesson a little earlier, I think I could have saved myself a lot of heartache. I could have saved myself a lot of headache as well. Um, and just a lot of struggle, you know, especially when you're first starting, it's like, "Man, I want to be known for this thing" or "I want to be the best at that thing." And we look at it through a lens that, um, that minimizes us and that causes us to feel less than versus looking at it from the lens that matters. And that's the lens of the person who's actually choosing to do business with you. So, um, definitely that would be a piece of advice that I would not skimp on at all.

Definitely remember: best is relative, and you're the best for the right people. Another thing that I would do, and this is something that, you know, truthfully, I still kind of struggle with this. I still kind of struggle with this. I struggled with it a lot, um, when I first started. And that is to keep your circle inspiring and aspiring. So, one of the things, you know, when I first started my business, I really wanted to connect with other business owners because I felt like in doing that, I would find, um, like, camaraderie. I really wanted to have the sense of community. I really wanted to have, um, you know, people around me who understood this world of business ownership, and so forth. And, um, in doing that, I, you know, I joined some networking groups. I would attend things and, like, functions and I was trying, just trying, you know, just trying to get in front of other people who I felt like, um, could understand me. Because I didn't have in my- in my personal life, you know, within my family, with my friends, I didn't have anyone who knew what business ownership was, who was doing it as well, and who I felt like would understand me, right? Um, and so, in seeking those spaces out, I quickly learned that not all spaces are created the same. Definitely not all communities are created the same. I learned, um, I learned very fast. I learned very fast that you can find yourself mixed up with people who, um, who like the idea of business ownership, but who aren't necessarily willing and ready to put the work in to do- to do the things to have a successful business. And so when you find yourself in those sorts of circles, it's very easy for you to, um, to find yourself not performing at your best because there's just- there's not- you're not surrounded by others who are also performing at their best, right?

Um, and so for me, like today, even today, I am very, very particular about who it is that I allow in my inner circle, specifically when it comes to my business. My- those people who are, um, working closely with me and my business or those people who I partner with, those people who, um, who I seek, uh, seek out for advice, those people whose advice I'm willing to listen to at all, right? It's a very short list. It's a very short list. And those people have to prove, um, prove themselves to me also, if you will, in that I want to see the longevity of their own business. I want to see that they, you know, set their own goals, and that they actually are taking action to achieve those goals. Like, I don't have anyone in my circle who I allow access to my business, who I allow access to me to give me business advice who isn't delivering like a 'savage' in their own business as well. Like, that's just not possible. Because I understand the value of having a circle that is equally motivated, that's equally inspired, and equally devoted to the success of their business.

So, um, if I could, I would, I would go back and I would tell myself, "Listen, all of those circles,- like, all of those people that you want to befriend, all of those people who you're like, 'Oh yeah, you know, this is someone who also has a business like mine or who also has a business and who's going to understand me?' That doesn't necessarily mean that they will. And it doesn't necessarily mean that even if they do that they're the right people to surround yourself with." Definitely when you're looking to build a community around your business, um, and when you're looking to establish those people who are going to support you through the journey of business ownership, you're going to always, always, always want to be sure that you are keeping a circle that is both motivated and full of action takers.

There's one thing that, um, I kind of laughed because I came across this quote recently and I shared it with one of one of my business friends and I just, I found it so fun because it was true and so I want to share it with you. It was just a little quote and it said, "Ironically, you're dumb if you're always the smartest person in the room." And I just thought, "How true is that, right? Like, How true is that?" For me, I look and I want- I don't want to be the smartest person in the room when it's time for me to have conversations about my business. I want to be in the room with those people who have far surpassed where I am, and where I- even perhaps where I hope to go. Like I want to be in the room with those people who have the knowledge under their belt and who have a level of perception that I can't even fathom yet because I'm not that close. I'm not close enough to see it, touch it, smell it, none of that, right? And so, to- for me, if I could go back and tell young, you know, business owner, Chelsea, like, "Hey, like, don't waste your time at that, at that networking meeting with women who don't like, they don't know, they're struggling. They, you know, barely have sales themselves and they're offering sales advice. That's not the people that you want to be with or you know, there, there's that person who is saying like, "Oh yeah, let's, let's, you know, I'm going to have my business," but then wouldn't be willing to show up and actually do the work to grow the business. Like, that's not someone that you want to have in your inner circle. You want to have your inner circle be full of people who bring value to you and who can provide you with insight, um, and a level of perception that, that you simply don't have access to yet." Um, so that would definitely be another piece of advice.

Now for my next piece of advice, I do want to kind of tie into that because this was also a lesson that I learned, um, it's also a lesson that I learned, and I wish I would have learned it sooner. And that is: not all of your friends are in your corner. So the sad thing is, many times, you know, we go into business and the first thing that we think is like, "Oh, our friends and family are going to support us." And sometimes those are, you know, friends -friends from childhood, it can be friends from, um, you know, just just, like, friends that you had before business ownership, before becoming an entrepreneur. And sometimes it's family and you know, obviously family, there's just always there. And then sometimes it's people who are within the industry as well. Like, you come into the industry as a henna artist and you make new henna friends, everyone- like, you know, you come in and that's the first thing you want to do. You want to make friends who do what you do, who know how it works, who you know, they get you. And, um, and it's great! And it's great! But I have come to learn, and it's very sad, it's very disheartening, but it also, it's- it's just truth and it's a part of life. And I think as business owners we do have to be very aware of the fact that there is, there's a lot of hardship. There's a lot of, um, there is a lot of loneliness also in the journey of entrepreneurship, um, in the journey of owning one's business and operating one's business. There can be a lot of loneliness there.

And for me, one of the huge lessons that I learned is that not all of your friends are in your corner. Um, there are friends, and family, and industry colleagues, and so forth that you would befriend and you, you might, um, come to, you know, feel yourself very- you know, be very fond of and, um, feel a great sense of endearment towards. And, um, and in one side, you know, on one side you might hear all of the supportive words from them, but when it's time for, you know, actions to actually play out, that's where you find out who really is on your side. And so those moments can be really challenging. Um, it can be anywhere from, you know, you experience a loss of some sort, you lose a contract or, or something goes wrong in your business and you don't find support from those people? That's a good indication that that's someone who's not in your corner.

Alternatively, look, and this is something that has happened for me a lot, a lot, is that when things go well, you always notice who didn't clap for you, right? Like when you have a, uh, an amazing win in your business, something is going really well, you have- you meet a new milestone, you, you know, crush another goal. It's really easy for you to notice who didn't clap, who didn't, you know, who didn't support you, who didn't cheer you on, who didn't,-who didn't care, who didn't care, right? And those people are not in your corner. They're just not! And um, that can be really, really challenging. I think that that, um, is the most challenging because it's hurtful, um, on a personal level, right? Like, just being honest, it's hurtful on a personal level.

Um, especially when it's someone who, um, you've perhaps felt close with or felt an affinity for and um, you know, to find that, uh, perhaps they don't feel the same, or to find that they don't support you in the ways that you would support them. That can be really hard. Um, and there have been multiple instances in my business where this has happened, where I've come to this place of realizing that, um, you know, uh, friend wasn't really in my corner and it was always devastating. Like, there was never an instance where it wasn't devastating to me. Um, and I know that might be hard to believe. I know I've got like a strong personality and so it might be, it might be hard to believe, but it's true. And I can tell you like for each of those instances exactly how I felt and exactly what made me feel that way. And, um, and you know, many of those, those instances I carried with, I've carried them with me for, you know, in some instances, years. Just because the hurt that I felt was, um, was deep. But I'll tell you, I wish that I could go back and, and tell the young me like, "Chelsea, this is something that's coming and prepare yourself for it," because that was something that I genuinely was not prepared for. I didn't expect to have, um, those sorts of emotions come around my business and come around, you know, the growth of my business and the success of my business. And, um, just the, the realization that, that those people who you thought would be there for you wouldn't. Um, and so because I didn't, I didn't expect that it hit me like twice as hard.

And so if I could give any- you know, if I could give that advice to the old me -- if I could give that advice to you -- If you're just starting out and, like, you're still in the honeymoon phase of your business and everything is great. Know that those times are coming. They will come. They will come. Um, but when they come, just know that it has- those, those behaviors, those tendencies, those traits, they have nothing to do with you. It has everything to do with that person. And so if that person, for whatever reason, can't support you, um, know that hat's their deficit, right? That's their deficit. That has nothing to do with you. And it's your obligation to just continue to keep pushing and doing what you're doing and doing those things well and serving your clients and just being the best entrepreneur that you possibly can. Um, and then, you know, hopefully in time those people, um, they come to the realization that they missed out, you know, they missed out. Um, and yeah, hopefully they find change and they find peace in themselves so that they can celebrate others wins without, you know, with- without whatever it is that they feel. Whatever it is that they feel that keeps them from doing it otherwise.

The next thing that I would recommend is to -- and this is totally shifting gears by the way -- the next thing I would recommend is to address money mindset early. This one is like a little bit, it's a little bit woo, it's a little bit woo. But one of the lessons that I've learned in my business, for sure, is that I needed to be aware of my money mindset and I- when I talk about money mindset, I- there- this is a very wide umbrella and I'm not going to go super in depth about it in this, in this particular episode, but, um, I would have addressed money mindset in a couple of different ways. One, I would have definitely done some work around my thought system, my belief system about my worthiness for making money. I definitely also would advise myself to, you know, to take the time to really consider and assess what my time was worth. Um, and what value I was bringing the world through my art. And then assessing that value, like ascribing that value a dollar amount that was worth it. Um, definitely I would have conversations with myself about, um, about abundance. Like, I know that it sounds super woo, but I genuinely believe that what we put out is what we are going to receive. And there are so many times in my business, especially when I first started, where I just was like, "I don't see how I'm going to be able to do this. I don't see how I'm going to be able to do this full time. I don't see how I'm going to be able to make ends meet with henna. I don't see how I'm going to be able to, um, you know, put food on the table with this work." And there was just so much doubt, like there was so much doubt around my ability to be a thriving artist, right? And I think that that comes down to- it comes down to many different things. But if I were to unpack it, a lot of it does come down to the culture of the starving artist and the fact that, you know, the arts aren't as highly recognized here, um, in our society. And just the value of artists typically is that there is none until you're dead, right? And then, all of a sudden, your art is incredibly valuable. And those sorts of thought processes, they affect the way that we think of ourselves and they affect the way that we think about money, um, as business owners.

And, um, I wish that I would have had the wherewithal to understand that back then. Um, and I was very good about, um, setting goals, setting revenue goals- my background, I- you know, I have an extensive, um, background prior to henna and part of that included, you know, being able to track milestones, tracking goals, tracking performance metrics, and so forth. And so I always, from the jump, I always, uh, made it a point to have revenue goals. I knew what I needed to make, and by when I needed to make it and so forth, just so I could keep my household, you know, operating and keep a roof over myself and my son's head. But I didn't think about money beyond that. I definitely wasn't thinking about the possibility of, um, you know, of taking this skill set and really genuinely harnessing it and um, and taking advantage of all of the abundance that's out there.

And, um, if I could go back, I would, I would talk to the old me, I would talk to that early business owner and tell her, "Listen, the world is your oyster here and if you just so much as can believe it's possible, then it is." And so I didn't need to limit myself to just enough to get the bills paid. I needed to open up my frame of mind much, much wider, um, to allow myself the opportunity to, um, to seek out, and to imagine, and to give myself permission to chase, um, those goals that were far and beyond, um, what, you know, what I thought possible back then. And so, um, definitely if you are, you know, if you're just starting, I hundred percent recommend that you take time working on your money mindset, thinking about things in terms of abundance, thinking about, um, just, you know, when you get the money, what will you do with it?

Like, even just being intentional around your money in that way and not only from my perspective of where would you spend the money, but even just the perspective of, "Okay, what does this look like for my business? Where am I going to invest this? Where am I going to place this?" Like, every dollar should have a place, every penny should have a home. It should have, um, somewhere where it belongs. Um, and so when you begin to work on your money mindset, um, those are things that come up and those are things that you have to address. Um, and it really does change your perspective as a business owner. So the final thing that I would go back and recommend to that baby business owner me, is just a reminder that perfect is never done.

I know myself, and one of the things that has consistently caught me up, um, and been a hindrance for me and me moving forward in my business has always been the con- that constant, um, want, that constant desire for perfection. I am so motivated by excellence. I am so motivated by making sure that things are just so, and I've had to come to learn, in all of these years of business, I've had to come to learn that perfect is never done. And the reason for that, it's- it's that you're always learning. You're always growing. So the thing that was perfect to you two months ago is not perfect to you anymore. You've grown. You've developed. You've, um, you've evolved. You have new skills. You have new perception. You have new thoughts. You have new ideas. And you have new experience. And when you really consider that, I think that it takes all opportunity for excuse, and for procrastination off of the table.

I find sometimes that, you know, artists as they start building their businesses, as they -- even if they're just working on their design composition -- like, I find them very like nit-picky, like, "Oh, I can't, I can't charge until I've done this. I can't, like, I can't take, I can't take that booking until I have the perfect bridal bumps." Like, "I can't, I can't put my website up because, you know, it's just not 'so', it's not perfect." And there is that- like, I understand and I appreciate the want for excellence, and I appreciate the want for, um, you know, for perfection. I do, I 100%- I get it. It resonates with me; I totally understand. But the thing is, when you're chasing perfection, you also are- you limit yourself. You limit yourself because perfection doesn't exist. Um, it can be- you know, that thing can- you might reach perfection, um, for that thing within, you know, the time frame or whatever of your goal of, of, um, of actually executing it. And you can, you can push, and push, and push, and push until you reach what you find is perfection, and all it takes, literally, all it takes is that you finished that project, then you go on and you happen to learn something new. And once you learn something new, that project that was once perfect in your eyes now totally looks like trash. Because you understand something new.

Like, I'll just use the website for example, you know, inside of the Accelerator, one of the tasks that I take my students through is that they build their website and it's a fun exercise. It's a fun activity. They have, you know, time through which they are building out their, you know, building up their sites, and working on their branding, and all of these things that they've taken the time to really flesh out. And it starts to come to life on a web page. And when that happens, I see, uh, like I see sometimes, like, frustration, or I see doubt, or I see, um, like the want for perfection and um, and I push. I'm like, "You know, it doesn't have to be- it doesn't have to be perfect. It doesn't have to be y- like, this is great work now." Because I realize that, you know, in six months time, in a year, that website is going to require updating, and that website is going to require new information. Because in a year they're going to be in a totally different place in their business. Like, their business is going t- it will have grown in such leaps and bounds that it's going to require them going back and making updates.

And I think about myself even like even in my own experience building my first website and wanting it to be perfect because I wanted my clients to, you know, think I was the most professional, and the best option, and all of those things. And I remember building it and I- I wish, I wish that I had screenshots of that website, because looking back it was absolute trash, but I loved it so much when I made it that during every single appointment that I had, I would actually have it screencasted onto the television in the room where I used to serve my clients so that they could see the homepage of the website and then if they had questions about my services and whatnot, I would use my laptop and I would move around on the website so that they could check out the website with me. Like, I was so proud of it. Isn't that crazy? But- and now, you know, now I think back to that site and it was horrible. It was absolutely horrendous. It was dark. It was like, this deep red color. It was like, moody. It just, it was not good. It was not good at all. The pictures were horrible. Everything about it was horrible, but I was so proud of it back then. Back then it, it felt great. And um, and that's just it.

As a, you know, as a business owner, as a hennapreneur if you're going to, honestly, if you are going to be in it for the long run, you have to get really comfortable with the idea that perfect is never done. It's never going to be exactly how you want it to be. It's never going to be 'just so' as much as you'd like it to be that way. It's never going to be that way, because you are always growing. You're always evolving. You're always coming into new information, new knowledge, new insight that changes the way that you perceive the world around you and changes the way that you perceive your business.

And so, um, if I could leave you with that advice, I will. I think that for us, and just for business business owners in general, and not just as business owners, honestly, again, this is one of those things I feel like is a life lesson. It's better for you to go all in, do the thing, you know, book that client, build your website, create your brand, like, do those things, do the things and understand that you will grow. And so long as you're growing, you'll never meet perfection, right? Now, of course, if you- if you're stagnant, what looked perfect, is going to look perfect to you for a really long time. But as, as business owners who are serious, who are looking to be in this for the long haul, that's not how we operate, right? We're always learning. We're always growing. We're not stagnant, right? So perfection is never is never done. So don't even get yourself caught up on it.

So those would be my ten pieces of advice. I'll just give you a quick rundown one more time. The first is, know your ideal client. Number two, not everyone is worth listening to. Number three is, invest in the business that you want, not the business that you have. Number four, it's okay to be a beginner. Number five, keep your eyes on your own paper. Number six, know that the best is relative. Number seven, keep an inspiring and aspiring circle. Number eight, not all of your friends will be in your corner. Number nine, address money mindset early. And number ten, perfect is never done.

I hope these little pieces of advice serve you well and I hope that you're able to take away a little something from my experiences that I've shared with you here. And if you have any questions like, or if you have feedback or if you'd like to share one of your tips that you'd give yourself when you first started your business, I would love, love, love to hear it. You would be so welcome to join me inside of the Hennapreneur community on Facebook! It's a free community. We talk all things henna, business, and lifestyle as hennapreneurs there in that space, and I'd love to see you there. So if you click the link in the show notes, you can go and join us inside of the group. I'd love to hear what, um, what advice you would share with the old you. All right, I'll talk to you guys next time.

Hey babe! I wanted to give you a quick thank you for tuning into the show today. That was super cool of you to hang with me all the way until the end. Of course, I've got all the links that you might need from this episode inside of the show notes that you can find at hennapreneur.com/podcast.

If you enjoyed the show and want to stay in the loop with Hennapreneur, be sure to subscribe to the podcast too. You'll get all of the new episodes as soon as they come out. I'd be so grateful if you'd take the time to rate or leave a review on Apple Podcasts while you're there. That tells iTunes that, "Hey! Hennapreneur is about something good!" and it helps us to reach more artists who would love the show. All right, that's all for today. I'll be back soon with another episode but for now, let's get back to work, hennapreneurs!