Everything I Wish I Knew Before Starting a Business

If I could go back and tell my younger self what I know now, I would tell her one thing first: figure out your WHY.

Not the polished answer.

Not the answer that sounds good when someone asks you at a networking event.

Your real WHY.

Why are you doing this?

Why do you want to start?

Why this business and not another?

Why do you want more?

Why. Why. Why.

Because when things get hard—and they will—your WHY is what keeps you going.

It Starts With Your Why

If it wasn't for my husband introducing me to my mentors, I honestly don't know where I would be today.

I might have followed the same path I grew up hearing about.

Get a job.

Work hard.

Save money.

Keep your family safe.

Don't take too many risks.

And while there is absolutely nothing wrong with choosing that path, I eventually realized something:

That path wasn't enough for me.

I wanted more.

I wanted the house.

I wanted a happy and loving marriage.

I wanted a library and an art room.

I wanted a home filled with laughter, where my children would always feel welcome—even when they were grown.

I wanted to travel.

I wanted to be close to my family.

I wanted to be myself.

And I wanted to have the freedom to spend time doing things I actually loved.

For a long time, I listened to people who told me what was considered the “safe” way to live.

And eventually, I realized that safe and fulfilling aren't always the same thing.

My WHY became wanting more—not just financially, but for my life.

That became the motivation I needed to start.

Social Media Is a Tool—Not Your Life

One of the biggest things I wish I understood before starting a business was how easy it is to get caught up in social media.

You can spend hours scrolling.

Looking at what everyone else is doing.

Comparing your beginning to someone else's middle.

Wondering why their business looks bigger.

Wondering why their posts get more likes.

Wondering why they seem to have everything figured out.

And before you know it, you're no longer building your business.

You're watching everyone else build theirs.

I had to remind myself:

Social media is a tool.

That's it.

Your phone is a tool.

Transportation is a tool.

Advertising is a tool.

Technology is a tool.

Even the clothes we wear can be connected to businesses and companies that someone built.

The tools aren't the problem.

The question is:

How are you using them?

Instead of letting social media consume me, I want to learn how to use it intentionally.

Create.

Connect.

Teach.

Share.

Build relationships.

Tell my story.

And then put the phone down and go live my actual life.

Because what's the point of building a business that takes you away from the life you're trying to create?

Your Circle Matters More Than You Think

Another thing I wish I understood earlier is the importance of the people you surround yourself with.

There is an old saying:

“Show me your friends, and I'll tell you who you are.”

Another version is:

“You are who your friends are.”

I don't believe that means you should abandon everyone who thinks differently from you.

But I do believe your environment matters.

Who do you talk to every day?

Who do you go to when you're discouraged?

Who encourages your dreams?

Who tells you to keep going?

Who challenges you to grow?

And who constantly reminds you why you shouldn't even try?

Your inner circle can influence the way you think about yourself, your possibilities, your money, your goals, and your future.

I've heard the idea that if you take the income of the five people closest to you, average it together, and look at that number, it can give you an idea of the financial environment you're surrounded by.

Whether or not you take that idea literally, the bigger lesson stayed with me:

Your environment can shape your expectations.

That's why mentors became so important to me.

Sometimes you need people who have already walked a road you're just beginning.

I Wish Someone Had Told Me Earlier

I often wish there had been someone who didn't give up on me when I was younger.

Someone who could have sat down with me and said:

“You have more options than you think.”

“You can make mistakes and still recover.”

“You don't have to have everything figured out right now.”

“You're allowed to want more.”

I made a lot of mistakes.

Some of those mistakes were painful.

Some of them changed my life.

And somehow, some of the biggest mistakes I made eventually led me to two of the greatest blessings in my life.

My children.

And then, with my husband, three blessings in our family.

Life doesn't always make sense while you're living it.

Sometimes you only understand the lesson when you look backward.

And when I look backward now, I realize that my mistakes weren't the end of my story.

They were part of it.

Don't Be Afraid to Say YES

After everything I had experienced, I kept looking.

I kept searching.

I kept wondering if there was something more.

Then someone asked me a question that stayed with me:

“Do you want more?”

My answer was simple.

Yes.

That YES became bigger than just agreeing to an opportunity.

It became a commitment.

A commitment to myself.

A commitment to stop automatically accepting the life I thought I was supposed to live.

A commitment to learn.

A commitment to grow.

A commitment to become someone I hadn't yet become.

And most importantly, a commitment to keep going even when I don't know exactly what the next step looks like.

You Are Going to Make Mistakes

Here's another thing I wish someone had told me before I started a business:

You're going to mess up.

You're going to make the wrong decision.

You're going to post something that nobody cares about.

You're going to say something awkward.

You're going to try something that doesn't work.

You're going to waste money sometimes.

You're going to trust the wrong person sometimes.

You're going to question yourself.

And you're probably going to have days when you wonder:

“What am I even doing?”

That's normal.

We're human.

We're supposed to learn.

The goal isn't to avoid every mistake.

The goal is to learn from the mistakes you make.

Adjust.

Try again.

Keep moving.

You're Never Too Old to Start

This may be one of the biggest lessons of all.

You are never too old to start.

Look around you.

Many of the businesses, products, technologies, advertisements, transportation systems, clothing brands, and platforms we interact with every day were created or built by people who weren't teenagers.

They were people who learned.

People who took risks.

People who failed.

People who started businesses when they were older.

People who kept going when nobody knew their name.

Some of them eventually built companies that influenced millions of people.

They had to start somewhere.

So why do we convince ourselves that we're too old?

Why do we think we missed our opportunity?

Why do we believe everyone else started earlier, so we shouldn't bother?

Your starting point doesn't determine your ending point.

Starting late is still starting.

I Don't Have Everything Figured Out

And maybe that's the most honest part of this entire story.

I don't have everything figured out.

I'm still learning.

I'm still making mistakes.

I'm still figuring out how to balance family, life, personal growth, and business.

I'm still learning how to use social media without letting it use me.

I'm still learning how to build relationships.

I'm still learning how to communicate.

I'm still learning how to become the person I need to become.

But I'm no longer waiting until I know everything before I begin.

Because if I wait for that day, I may never start.

So, What Do I Wish I Knew Before Starting a Business?

If I could sit down with the younger version of myself, here's what I would tell her:

1. Figure out your WHY.
When the excitement disappears, your WHY will keep you moving.

2. Don't compare your beginning to someone else's success.
You don't know how long they worked before you found them.

3. Use social media as a tool.
Don't allow it to become your entire life.

4. Be careful about who you allow to influence you.
Your environment matters.

5. Find mentors and people who believe in growth.
You don't have to figure everything out alone.

6. Expect mistakes.
They are part of learning.

7. Don't let your past define your future.
Your mistakes are experiences, not your identity.

8. Don't be afraid to want more.
Wanting more doesn't mean you're ungrateful for what you already have.

9. Stop waiting until you're ready.
You become ready by doing.

10. Remember that you're never too old to start.

Your WHY Will Help You Figure Out the Rest

Starting a business isn't just about creating a logo, opening an Instagram account, building a website, or making your first sale.

Those things are pieces of the puzzle.

The deeper question is:

What are you building, and why does it matter to you?

For me, it's about creating a life that feels like mine.

A life where family matters.

Where dreams still matter.

Where there is room for creativity.

Where my children know they can come home.

Where my husband and I can continue growing together.

Where I can travel, learn, create, build, and become more.

And maybe my WHY will continue to evolve.

Maybe yours will too.

That's okay.

You don't need to have the entire road mapped out.

You just need to know why you're willing to take the first step.

Figure out your WHY, and you'll start figuring out the rest—with the right people beside you, the willingness to learn, and the courage to keep going.

And if you're reading this because you're thinking about starting something of your own, I want you to remember something I am still learning myself:

You are not too late.

You are not too old.

You are not too inexperienced.

And you don't have to have it all figured out.

Sometimes, all you need is the courage to say:

YES.

And then take the next step.

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