5 Hard Lessons I’ve Learned from 30+ Years as an Entrepreneur

Are you ready? Here we go!

#1. It’s from our struggles that we grow the most

So if I learned anything, it’s that there’s no wrong or right path to starting a successful business. There is just trial and error. The most important thing is to follow your heart and intuition. If you have this idea in your head that you can’t let go, if your heart keeps whispering that you should start your own business – then do it. Start. Take the jump. Life is too short to not follow your dreams!

The worst thing that can happen is that you fail… but if you fail, you will learn some valuable lessons that will propel you faster toward success in the future. Failing is a gift. It might be a gift in ugly wrapping paper – but it’s still a gift. It’s from our struggles that we grow the most, so knowing that, we shouldn’t be so afraid to take chances.

I think you can divide most startup entrepreneurs into two categories; those who overthink things and, therefore, have a hard time taking action and those who take action and jump without thinking too much about their strategy.

I’m definitely in that last category myself. In my younger days, I was like a bull running forward with my head under my arm. Why? Because I was excited and didn’t know anything about running a business. So, needless to say, I’ve hit a few walls in my entrepreneurial life – but I got stronger because of it.

Don’t be afraid to take the leap and start something new, even if you don’t have everything figured out. Don’t hold back because you are afraid of not being able to do it. You will figure it out as you go.

Maybe my most important point here is this: No business success comes without set-backs and struggles. So never take it personally. Take it as feedback and go do better with your new hard-earned knowledge. It will help you become excellent at what you do.

#2. Self-Discipline is how you get things done

Business success doesn’t happen without effort and pushing through. That’s why we need to train our self-discipline. Without self-discipline, we won’t be able to create the changes we desire in our lives.

Unfortunately, self-discipline is not something that we’re born with, but rather a skill that we can develop and strengthen over time. Self-discipline allows us to align our actions with our goals and push through the challenges and distractions that inevitably arise on the path to achieving them.

People who struggle with self-discipline often blame themselves for being weak or lazy, but the truth is that we all face moments of temptation and doubt. It’s how we respond to these challenges that determines our success. When we give in to excuses and laziness, we allow our excuses to dominate and shape our lives. On the other hand, when we push through even when we don’t feel like it, our bodies and minds start to cooperate and adapt.

I clearly remember a period of my life I’d like to call; the “lazy days of my entrepreneurial life”. I felt I had all the time in the world. I would get up late, meet for coffee with other self-employed friends, I would do some research online to try to get new inspiration, watch some TV, look through social media, and think of new ideas that I would rarely execute. I wasted so MUCH time thinking and talking, but I rarely got things done. I’ll do it tomorrow….I promised myself...but it was a lie!

Self-discipline isn’t easy, and it requires effort and determination. It’s about doing the hard things that we know are good for us, even when they’re outside of our comfort zone. It’s about taking action and being willing to learn and possibly even fail along the way.

Self-discipline helps us stay on track despite temptations, push through obstacles and self-doubt, and overcome challenges such as pain, boredom, distraction, fear, insecurity, and doubt. It allows us to feel strong, brave, capable, and in control. In a world full of distractions, self-discipline is what keeps us focused on our goals and helps us push through moments of boredom that can kill our dreams.

And it was actually boredom, that eventually lead me to change my “I’ll do it tomorrow attitude”. I felt I needed a BIG shift in my business. I wanted to get more serious and I wanted to help more people. That’s when I decided to make my first online course. That was back in 2009 and my three kids were little. I quickly discovered how time demanding it was to create a course and I struggled to find the time between my paid photography jobs, chores and motherhood.

I realized I had to change behaviour to reach my goal. I had to be very disciplined about HOW I spend my time. I started getting up at 5 in the morning to get work done before the kids got up. I skipped watching TV and meeting friends for coffee during the day. I was fully focused and I got so much done.

I learned that the key to achieving your goals is to take action and move forward. So, next time you’re faced with a challenge or temptation, remember the power of self-discipline and use it to propel you towards success.

#3. Don’t give up because you meet rejections

Every successful business owner have a lot of no’s, failures and rejections behind them. Now I’m not saying this to take your courage away; I’m saying it to remind you that rejection is normal and you can’t take it personally. When you get a no, it doesn’t mean there’s something wrong with you or your offerings. A rejection is valuable feedback, telling you that you either tried to work with the wrong person or need to change your strategy. It doesn’t mean that you are incompetent, stupid, or a failure.

Every no is feedback. Every rejection is feedback. And every failure is feedback teaching you to look at new ways to do things. Your job as a business owner is to find the strategies that work for your business.

Don’t give up because a few people don’t like what you offer. Don’t give up because you meet rejections. It’s all part of the road to success. For every no, you are one step closer to getting a yes. And when you get your first yes, you gain momentum.

#4. Invest in your GROWTH and your SKILLS

My next tip is to invest in yourself – not your business. This takes a bit of explanation. One of the biggest mistakes I see creatives make is that they invest all their time and money into their business right from the start but not always in the right way.

They want the perfect website, logo, workspace, and more tools and equipment than they actually need. The truth is that this rarely brings in customers. So when you finally have the perfect setup, the customers and clients are a no-show.

I’ve been there too. This is a normal first-move strategy when you are new to business. But often, all these investments are covering up for the business owners’ insecurities.

I cannot tell you how much money I have wasted in my time as an entrepreneur on expensive web design, business cards, flyers, logos, workspaces and strange gadgets to impress my clients, like pens and coffee cups with my logo on.

Not to mention all the camera equipment I bought that I never use, but I bought it because I thought it would help me look more professional. I’m not saying that all those things are not important. But it’s not the best place to put your savings in the first few months of your business.

The truth is that your customers and clients don’t care about those things. They only care about how you can help them. They care about how you serve them and how you make them feel. They want to know if you can make a difference in their lives with your service and products.

So the best place to invest your money and valuable time are to invest in YOU and your skills. Invest in learning the right skills.

Learn HOW to communicate what your offer in the most attractive way possible. Learn how to ask your customers questions that open up conversations that lead to a sale. Learn how to connect with people and inspire them with what you offer.

Invest in courses that help you become so good at your craft that you can’t be ignored. Invest in coaching so you can get support and overcome your struggles faster than your competition.

Invest your time in networking online and offline. Talk about what you do with passion to everyone you meet. That’s one of the best ways to get real customers.

Yes, the website matters and you should have a good profile photo of yourself too – but you can start with a single page website that you build yourself. Even a Facebook page or an Instagram page will do the job. And then when you have the ball rolling and money is coming in, you can begin to invest more into your business.

#5. Learn to LOVE selling

How do you feel about selling your products or offerings? Perhaps you know that nagging fear of putting yourself out there, the fear of becoming a sleazy salesperson, the fear of stepping outside of your comfort zone and ask for the sale. The fear of no one wants to buy your products.

It saddens me to see how many creatives give up on their dream because they struggle to sell. They blame themselves, lose confidence and doubt if they are good enough – when really, what they lack is effective key strategies for selling their products and services.

So if you recognize yourself in the above – do NOT feel like a failure! I bet about 95% of all creative business owners deal with the fear of selling and putting their offerings out there.

As I said earlier, no one starting ballet today will dance professionally on stage tomorrow. How can you be a world-class sales queen when no one never taught you how?

If this is your first time running a business in your life how on earth should you know how to sell and make profit successfully?

I know the feeling. I ́ve been there. It took a huge shift in my focus and a major shift in my thinking to understand that selling was the key to not only business survival but to business thriving.

Selling is, without a doubt, the most challenging part of running a business. After all, we got into this business for the love of our craft, not because we love selling. But then we realize that in order to survive, we need to make offers to people. We need to sell to make money otherwise, we just have a really expensive hobby, right?

And when we start out as newbies, we are so happy just to make a little money and we tend to charge small fees – only to find out that small fees hardly cover our expenses.

We realize that we need to opt our game, raise our prices and start selling more professionally to hit the big income goals.

Selling is much more about relationships, compassion and inspiration than it’s about hard-core sales strategies because selling is all about connecting with your perfect audience and showing them that you are the best fit to serve them.

And let me just remove one of the biggest misconceptions many creatives have about selling; that it takes confidence to sell. I often hear this “I don’t have the confidence to sell my products” or “if only I had more confidence, I would promote my offerings.” The good news is that you don’t need confidence to sell.

The number one reason why so many struggle to make money in their business is that they don’t show up. They hide, thinking it’s so much easier to play safe and color so far inside the lines that they don’t stand out as being too much. As humans… we crave safety. It’s one of the top human needs. We need to feel safe. So when presented with the idea of getting out from our hiding place to sell… it can feel terrifying!!!!!

Perhaps you know the feeling. You want success with your creative passion, but you avoid showing yourself to the world – hoping that one day will be your lucky day and someone will discover you.

And you wait around, hiding in the shadows, hoping your confidence will magically appear someday…

Someday, I will put myself out there…
Someday, I will promote my products…
Someday, I will ask for the sale…
Someday, I will show the world how great I am…

But here’s the truth; visibility is critical to the success of your business: people can’t pay you if they can’t find you.

“Someday”, will not make you a profitable + successful business.
“Someday”, is an excuse to hide and play small. YOU are better than that! YOU deserve more!

You have SO MUCH to offer. And it doesn’t do anybody any good if you keep it to yourself. You got to decide that you’re done with disappearing into the background. You got to step out into the light.

But don’t worry; you don’t have to be a sleazy salesperson! There’s no need for icky sales pitches! Instead, talk about the experience customers will get from working with you. Tell them how it will make them FEEL. Explain ALL the benefits of your service or product. Explain the process of working with you and show your passion for what you do. Nothing sells better than passion and excitement! Customers will be drawn to you like a magnet when you show up to inspire, serve and spark meaningful conversations.

Shift your thinking from believing you are an annoying salesperson to thinking you are a helper. Believe that you can make a difference with your products or offerings. Think of ways you can HELP and serve your clients and make their life better. From that state of mind, it is easier to sell from the heart.

Selling is not about being annoying or forcing your products on someone. Selling is LOVE. If you love what you do, all you sell is LOVE.

Selling is sharing inspiration. If you feel inspired to inspire others, all you sell is an inspiration.

Selling is storytelling. Forget icky sales emails. Talk about your journey. Share how you got from where you were to where you are today.

Share how you overcame your struggles and how you are now ready to help people in a similar situation as you once were.

Be passionate about what you do and what you offer and share your excitement.

That’s it. This blog post got a bit long, but I hope it was helpful and inspiring to you.

With love, Christina

PS. If you want to get my help turning your creative passion into a thriving business empire join Optimize Your Creative Life. See more here >>

Join Optimize Your Creative Life

Are ready to turn your creative passion into a thriving business? Do you want to work independently, being able to work from anywhere and serve an international audience? ⁣Then my online program OPTIMIZE YOUR CREATIVE LIFE is exactly what you need.

This course is a business blueprint for ambitious + motivated women ready to kick-start and supercharge their creative empire. The program is a mix of business + branding strategies, profit strategies, and personal development. Everything you need to set 2023 on fire and make your best year ever.⁣

With OYCL you discover:⁣

✅ EVERYTHING it takes to create, launch and profit a creative heart-driven business.⁣

✅ How to uncover your unique brand, your voice, the SOUL of your creative business, so you can stand out from the crowd.⁣

✅ How to grow your creative business significantly by creating unique offerings, digital products, and online courses.⁣

✅ How to find + connect with your target audience + dream clients, and get them to notice you too.⁣

✅ How to heal your relationship with money and achieve a high-performance mindset.⁣

✅ How to price your service and products the right way, raise your prices and charge what you are worth.⁣

✅ How to finally leave fear behind, grow your confidence and get out of your own way.⁣

✅ High quality training; videos, audios, transcripts, cheat sheets, and workbooks.⁣

✅ Professional mindset training and psychology-driven business know-how.⁣

Optimize Your Creative Life is about being more LOYAL to your DREAMS than your fears, AND finally be FREE to live LIFE on your terms!⁣

⭐️ Learn more about this unique program here >>

As much as I love a fresh start and the “New Year, New Me” idea, let’s be real; Happiness doesn’t start with new year’s resolutions, setting big goals, or a re-invent myself make-over.

It starts with your daily FOCUS and what you give attention moment by moment.

Focus helps you control your mood, your energy and choose what you are thinking, feeling and doing. Where focus goes energy flows.

It’s time to make changes for the right reasons. It’s time to make positive changes that support your mental health and align with your true values.

So let’s commit to focus on all the good stuff in 2023, day by day, moment by moment. And let your focus naturally guide you to living a joyful creative life.

Yes, you are indeed worthy! Your ideas are worthy. Your feelings are worthy. Your needs are worthy. And without everyone else’s constant validation, you must be who you are and live your truth. Even if it makes people turn their heads. Even if it means walking alone down the path less traveled for awhile.

It’s time to focus on:

• More Self-compassion, less critically examining yourself.
• More rest, less stress, less pressure to do it all.
• More peace of mind, no drama.
• More playfulness, more fun and laughter, less seriousness.
• More movement, more dancing like no one is watching.
• More mindful about the little things that matters. Less focus on what’s missing.
• More self-care, less pleasing.
• More creativity, more bravery, more optimism, less living inside the box.

12 Things to dump as you walk into 2023:⁣⁣

#1. Caring about what other people think and allowing them to dictate your life.⁣⁣

⁣⁣#2. Keeping negative people around and wasting energy on people who don’t deserve it.⁣⁣

⁣⁣#3. Criticizing and pressuring yourself. (Only through self-compassion and self-love will you find true happiness).⁣⁣

⁣⁣#4. Saying yes to things you don’t want to do and always putting the needs of others before your own.⁣⁣

#5. Clutter and things you’ve outgrown that takes up space. (A clean space = more energy and clarity).

⁣⁣#6. Playing it safe and settling for less. (Raise your standards because you deserve it).⁣⁣

⁣⁣#7. Worrying about things that are out of your control. (Exhale and let go).⁣⁣

#8. The pressure to perform and be accepted. (Your job is to be yourself, not who everyone else wants you to be).

#9. Trying to make other people understand you. (You don’t need approval to be you).

⁣⁣#10. Allowing others to bring you down. (No one is more than you or better than you).⁣⁣

⁣⁣#11. Focusing on what you “lack” and fear. (Celebrate your strength and talents instead).⁣⁣

⁣⁣#12. Proving your worth. (You are already ENOUGH).⁣⁣

🎉🎉Happy New Year Lovelies and thanks for all your support and kindness this year❤️

Wow! Can you believe it? Today is the first day of 2023! I jumped out of bed early this morning excited to get started. I love new beginnings and I’m grateful for the chance to start fresh and make the most of every day. I am determined to be ready, prepared, and empowered to face whatever challenges and opportunities come my way.

Today, I set my intentions for the year ahead and I design a plan for manifesting a fabulous, productive, and joyful year. An important part of preparing for a new year is to to cleanse, detox and declutter.

I firmly believe that decluttering and letting go of what no longer serves us is essential for creating space for what we truly desire in life. By getting rid of the excess, we are able to focus on what matters most and make room for new and exciting opportunities to come our way.

And yes, I do have things I want to change in my life, habits to let go of, relationships to improve, healing and worries to cope with. As beautiful and amazing 2022 has been to me, it’s not been perfect. A couple of people very close to me have struggled with mental health and my dog Bowie has been sick and in need of intensive care for a big part of the year. And then there’s all the things going on in the world around us that affects us but we can’t do anything about it. The key is to know what you can change and what you cannot change. Finding that balance is not always easy.

2022 will be a year I will never forget because of some big AMAZING milestones. We started the year renovating and restoring a historic building from 1909 and in March we moved into our new home. My husband and I celebrated 30 years together and my oldest daughter graduated from The Royal Academy of Fine Art in Copenhagen and won several awards for her work.

I made some big lifestyle changes in 2022. I sold my car because I wanted to push myself to move more and be more outdoor. I used to be a person who would drive even if I just had to go up the street, so this was a huge change for me. Today, I walk and bike as much as I can and I love it.

I started doing daily yoga in July. This started as a 30-day challenge I gave myself. I’ve always done yoga on and off at home. But nothing serious and nothing consistently. So I signed up for some yoga classes in town and the 30-day challenge turned into a 100-day challenge and then became a daily routine I treasure with my heart and soul. I secretly dream of taking a yoga teacher education during 2023 though I’m still very much a yoga novice.

2022 was also the year I could finally host live workshops again and that was a lot of FUN! I cannot wait to welcome even more amazing people into my home in the new year for some creative photography workshops, coaching sessions and mentoring. You can see more about my 2023 courses and workshops here >>

Every year around this time, I take some time out to reflect and re-view my life. I check-in with myself to make sure I’m on the right track. I have a set of things I do to prepare and plan the new year in the best way possible.

In short, this is my strategy:

#1. I set my ONE word for the year. This word is like a headline for my year – a leading star helping me navigate and stick to my goals and values. It’s super helpful. You can listen to my podcast episode about it here >>

#2. I make a simplistic business plan based on my core values. I decided exactly what I will focus on for the coming year. I know from more than 30 years experience as a business owner that I tend to overestimate what I can do in a month. Good things takes time, focus and dedication. I also know that I underestimate what I can do in a year – by taking small daily actions on my bigger goals I can get so much important stuff done.

#3. I Detox and declutter my life. For me January is the perfect months to do a reset. I clean out my physical spaces, clean up my diet, and decide what to let go off that is no longer serving me. Which is the process I will share with you in this post.

Declutter Your Life In One Week & Get Ready For 2023

Decluttering isn’t just about getting rid of physical clutter, it’s about letting go of anything that isn’t serving you. This could be old clothes that no longer fit, outdated work routines, unhealthy habits, or even toxic relationships. By decluttering, you’re making a conscious choice to create more space and clarity in your life.

It’s about making room for new and exciting opportunities. When you let go of what no longer serves you, you open yourself up to new possibilities and a fresh start. Imagine all the exciting things that could come your way in the new year if you make room for them.

Detoxing your life doesn’t have to be a daunting task. With a little bit of focus and determination, you can make significant progress in just one week. Whether you’re looking to declutter your physical space, improve your mental and emotional well-being, or strengthen your relationships, this guide will give you the tools you need to get started. I promise; you’ll be amazed at how much better you’ll feel when you are done.

Decluttering your life can have many benefits, including:

1. Reduced stress and anxiety: A cluttered space can be overwhelming and contribute to feelings of stress and anxiety. By decluttering, you can create a sense of order and calm in your environment.
2. Improved organization: Decluttering can help you better organize your possessions, making it easier to find things and saving time and energy searching for them.
3. Increased productivity: A cluttered space can be distracting and make it difficult to focus on tasks. By decluttering, you can create a more streamlined and efficient workspace, leading to increased productivity.
4. Better physical health: A cluttered space can lead to unhealthy habits, such as not exercising or not cooking at home because there is no room to do so. Decluttering can help create a healthier living environment.
5. Improved mental health: In addition to reducing stress and anxiety, decluttering can also boost self-esteem and improve overall mental well-being.
6. Better relationships: A cluttered space can be a source of conflict in relationships, particularly when one person is more organized than the other. Decluttering can help improve communication and create a more harmonious living environment.

Here are seven steps to help you detox your life in just one week:

1. Set your intention. Before you start decluttering, it’s important to have a clear idea of what you want to accomplish. Do you want to create more space in your home? Improve your diet? Let go of toxic relationships? Whatever it is, make sure to set a specific and achievable goal for the week.
2. Declutter your physical space. A cluttered space can be overwhelming and stressful. Take some time each day to get rid of anything you no longer need, use, or love. Start with the areas of your home that cause you the most frustration, such as your closet or your kitchen.
3. Detox your mind and body. Our minds and bodies are closely connected, and when one is unhealthy, it can have a negative impact on the other. Take steps to nourish your body with healthy foods and hydration, and spend some time each day practicing mindfulness or meditation to clear your mind.
4. Address emotional baggage. We all have emotional baggage from our past experiences, and it can be difficult to let go. Take some time each day to journal or speak with a trusted friend or therapist about your feelings. This will help you process and release any emotions that may be holding you back.
5. Strengthen your relationships. Our relationships have a huge impact on our well-being, so it’s important to surround ourselves with positive and supportive people. Take some time this week to reach out to friends and loved ones, and consider letting go of any relationships that are not serving you.
6. Practice self-care. Make time each day for activities that nourish your mind, body, and soul. This could be anything from a bubble bath to a yoga class to a hike in nature. Remember to be kind to yourself and give yourself permission to relax and recharge.
7. Reflect and set new goals. At the end of the week, take some time to reflect on your progress and set new goals for the future. Remember that detoxing your life is a continuous process, and it’s okay to take things one step at a time.

Christina’s 1-Week DECLUTTER To-Do List

If you want a more specific detox and declutter list to work with I will share my own personal to-do list with you. I will work on the list every day for the entire week until I’m satisfied and ready for a fresh start.

Before we go into the list I want to share how I sort my things. I always divide stuff into four groups: throw away, give-away, sell and store. I try not to store to many things because they will just collect dust and take up space. But of course some things that has emotional value is worth storing. Most of my stuff I gave away to a local Red Cross shop or homeless charity near me. Make an effort to transport the clutter you collect out of your home daily. Doing so will free up instant energy.

• Day 1: Closet, jewellery and makeup clean-out (Remove everything empty, old and not used).
• Day 2: Kitchen and diet clean-out (out with all the unhealthy drinks and food from the holiday season. Clean fridge and fill it with healthy energy food).
• Day 3: Bedroom & workspace clean-out (Out with all the clutter and make the room inviting and inspiring).
• Day 4: Digital cleanse: Clean out your Phone, Apps, Files, Photos, Computer clean-out
• Day 5: Website and Inbox clean-out (Remove old blog posts, re-write your “about me” info, change your profile photo, add new products, get your inbox down to 0 emails).
• Day 6: Review your finances (Organise payments, papers, and unsubscribe from paid Subscriptions you have that you don’t use or need).
• Day 7: Negative energy cleanse (look at everything that drains your energy. It can be habits, beliefs, thinking patterns, people, chores, work related stuff and routines. Decide what needs to go and make a plan for inviting positive energy into your life).

Detoxing your life can be a challenging but rewarding journey. By following these steps, you’ll be well on your way to a happier, healthier, and more fulfilling life. Remember to be patient with yourself and celebrate every small victory along the way.

Take action now: Listen to the podcast episode One Word Of The Year. It’s a game-changer and makes goal-setting a mindful and simplistic process. Then start the 7-day declutter plan and enjoy the result at the end of the week.