Hamsters are the spirit animal of most entrepreneurs. They spin their wheels, trying to hustle, but never seem to make any progress. They end up burned out. But here's the truth: pursuing a passion requires more than hustle.
“Hustle” is one of those trendy terms used as a rallying cry to work hard on a dream and make it happen — as if we can summon a dream into reality by mere blood, sweat, and tears. Although building a business requires elements of hustle, there comes a point when we need to stop hustling.
This week on The Portfolio Life, Amy Porterfield and I talk about her transition from working for Harley Davidson and Tony Robbins to becoming the go-to guru for all things Facebook and what's next for her.
Listen in as Amy shares her journey from corporate content developer to full-time entrepreneur and online marketing expert.
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Pack a parachute while you pivot
Too many people are inspired to chase a dream and decide to quit their job with zero preparation. Taking this leap into entrepreneurship before preparing financially and emotionally is like jumping out of a plane without a parachute.
I made this mistake when I quit my job to become a full-time writer. I prepared financially for the transition, but failed to recognize the emotional implications. I got depressed because I was used to working hard around the clock and didn’t know how to spend the extra time. I needed to discover a new rhythm.
One of the things I found most interesting about Amy’s journey was her preparedness. Instead of blindly stepping off the cliff into the unknown, she took baby steps and built the foundation of her business one block at a time.
Amy's “leap” took a full-year, but the lessons she learned during an internal pivot at Tony Robbins provided the perfect parachute.
Show highlights
In this episode, Amy and I discuss:
- Why vision is a prerequisite for success
- The dangers of a “go big or go home” mentality
- Three hurdles Amy overcame to become an entrepreneur
- Essential baby steps to accomplishing big dreams
- How to build a bridge between day job and dream job
- Using your current context as a practice ring to acquire new skills
- Getting paid to obtain an education and start your own business
- Know when to quit your job and pursue a passion full-time
- How to make an internal pivot and get closer to your dream
- What it takes to become a Facebook expert
- The right way to leverage Facebook to grow your business
- Why hustle is bad for building a business
Quotes and Takeaways
- “Everybody has something they can eventually turn into something bigger on their own.” –Amy Porterfield (Tweet)
- Build a business to fit your life, not become your life
- Massive progress doesn’t happen overnight
- “If you don’t know what you want, you’ll never get there.” –Amy Porterfield (Tweet)
- You can design the life you want to live and the work you want to do
- Quit trying to hustle
- “Make an impact for those you serve.” —Amy Porterfield (Tweet)
- Spend time building a bridge between where you are and where you want to be
Resources
- Online Marketing Made Easy (Amy’s podcast)
- The Profit Lab
How can you pivot at your current job? What can you learn at work to prepare for a big leap? Share in the comments