Lessons I'm Still Learning as a Small Business Owner in my 20s

I started my small business in July 2022, and over the last four years I have learned a lot about myself, owning a business, and how perspective changes everything!

These are a few of the most important lessons that I still have to remind myself of!

#1

You can’t compare your day 1 someone else’s day 100, but you also shouldn’t compare your day 100 to their day 100!

It took me over four years to reach more than 2,000 followers on Instagram, and I still don’t make a sale online every day (or even every week)!

Comparison is truly the theif of joy! Keep growing at your own pace.

#2

You don’t have to feel prepared for every opportunity before you say “yes” to figuring it out!

Some of my greatest milestones, including my first pop up market event and my first wholesale order, have come from deciding I was going to put myself in a position where I would have to figure out how to make it happen!

These were great learning opportunities, and I’m glad I didn’t say “no” just because I felt unprepared in the moment.

#3

It’s important to encourage yourself the way you would encourage a friend!

I have spent a lot of time over the last few years trying to encourage and inspire others, and I’ve been pushing myself more to take my own advice!

We can be our biggest critics sometimes, but we should really be our own biggest fans!

Ask yourself: What's the best that could happen?

#4

Your success or failure does not determine your worth!

And honestly, it doesn’t always mean you had a bad idea either!

I have put a lot of pressure on myself to have successful launches for products I put a lot of effort into, but end up selling nothing on launch day!

It doesn’t mean I’m less proud of my work or that the message behind it is suddenly meaningless. Don’t take the failures personally!

#5

Social media is just a snapshot!

It’s really easy for me to see people who are having more success or living a more aesthetic life than I am and think, “Wow, I’m behind,” but I have to remember that social media is often a highly curated depiction of someone else’s lived experiences!

People may make assumptions based on what they see online, but whether or not it’s true, it shouldn’t determine how you feel about yourself!

#6

Failure means you tried, and that’s something to be proud of!

When things don’t work out, I often remind myself that trying was the best thing I could do, because it teaches me what works and what doesn’t! Every failure is a lesson and experience I can carry with me and keep in mind for next time!

If you have the opportunity to try something new and fail, congratulations, because some people wouldn’t try at all!

The big takeaway

There will always be more to learn, no matter how old I am or how much business experience I have! I am so excited to see how much I can learn and grow on my small business journey as I figure it out along the way!