The best advice I’d give myself when I first started my business
If I could go back and give myself one piece of advice when I first started my business, it would be this: Progress over perfection.
I remember my first blog post - it wasn't great. My first Instagram Story? Pretty cringey. But you know what? Every post, every story, every new thing I tried helped me improve. The more I did, the more confident I became.
I'd also remind myself to stop comparing my beginning to someone else's middle (or their years-in, well-established success). Every business starts somewhere. The brands and entrepreneurs I look up to now? They were once in my shoes, figuring things out, making mistakes, and learning along the way.
Of course, I've also found tools that make growing my business a little easier. Here are a few I wish I'd known about sooner:
✨ Granola – You've secured a discovery call—amazing! But now you're frantically trying to take notes, remember everything, and still come across cool, calm, and confident. I use Granola to take notes while I'm on Zoom calls, and at the end, it gives me an overview of what we talked about and the next steps. Game changer!
📅 Calendly – Stop the endless back-and-forth emails trying to schedule a call. Use Calendly's free plan to create a 'Let's Chat' appointment type, link it to your preferred video call software (Zoom, Google Meet, Teams, etc.), sync it with your calendar, and add the link to your email signature and website. It saves so much time!
🎨 Canva – We all know and love it, right? But try not to fall victim to shiny object syndrome and start using all the different templates and designs. Stick to a couple and reuse them to keep your overall look and feel consistent. And yes, it's totally okay to start your business with a logo you put together in Canva. Progress over perfection! Once you feel more confident in your brand, your audience, and your services, that's the time to consider working with a brand designer.
📸 Professional headshots – Stock images from Unsplash or Pexels are great, but nothing replaces a real picture of you! A professional headshot makes a world of difference in how polished and trustworthy your brand looks. If you're on a budget, I highly recommend booking a mini shoot (typically 30–60 minutes long). If you're London-based, check out Pauliina Roots or Carin Thakrar—they're fab!
So if you're in the messy middle of starting your business, give yourself grace. Keep showing up. Keep taking action. And remember—every expert was once a beginner.
What's something you're working on right now that feels a little uncomfortable? Drop me a message and let me know—I'd love to cheer you on!
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