Monday morning was rough. Like wake up at 4 am to catch a 7 am flight and an unpacked checked bag rough. I am a travelling Management Consultant and side hustler who focuses on building lean, mean, Agile machines by day and #girlbosses by night. Any travelling Management Consultant will tell you every Monday morning is rough. And every travelling Management Consultant will tell you to NEVER check a bag. I missed the flight. And I questioned every choice I’ve ever made in life.
I was one well-crafted email from a drastic move. I was resolved that I needed to quit my job and risk it all for my side hustle that barely breaks even. When in reality, I needed to get a little perspective, a whole lot of focus, and keep driving forward. By Tuesday, @Thinkandgrowchick and @Myleik hit me with the words of wisdom.
Listen To The Podcast HERE!
Let’s be clear, I actually do love my job 1) I have a pretty dope project working with a growing line of business and an awesome client. 2) I get to think about Agile and User Experience all day long in a really impactful way.
Sometimes I get so motivated by queensbrunch.com, I can barely stand still. I started doing Queens brunches in Chicago as a response to male dominated panels at entrepreneurship networking events that were always downtown. Motivated by my mother’s entrepreneurship journey, it has turned into a women’s community driven by gender representation and the inequities that come with the Boy’s club and the women’s pay gap. And I am ready to do something about it. Right. Now. As women we need to run our own profitable businesses as well as self-promote within the organizations we work in.
But chile, I’m a very real case of sleepy.
5 Reasons Why I Reeled Myself In and Didn’t Quit My Job
5. I have the desire to develop self-discipline as a habit to grow into aNo Excuses Woman.
“Discipline starts with desire” — Awesomely Luvvie
I want it bad enough to invest in my personal development and self-discipline a little bit more. .
“Drill down on what you want. And be honest with yourself. Do you want it bad enough” @thinkandgrowchick
Myleik Teele and Think and Grow Chick wake up at 4:30. They have self-care routines which includes health and spirituality. They make a to do list everyday. They visualize the lifestyle they despite to stay motivated.
4 . There are some bad habits that need to be broken. The “I Deserve” syndrome is real
I have been overusing the “I Deserve”. I am a side-hustler and the little things have been throwing me off. See missed flight above. When every bone in my body wants to get work done, I may go to a networking event or start 4 different things or spend all of my time cleaning my home. With only 3 days per week spent in my home before I’m on the road again, my grind is real but not sustainable.
3. Follow through on the 3 year rule
“No matter what you start professionally, it takes 3 years to see it through.”Myleik Teele
Year 1- The discovery period. What and How? — THIS IS ROUGH!!!!
Year 2- Getting confident on what I do and cleaning up the time it takes / the customers you engage— — I just made it past year 1. THIS IS MEEE!!!!!
Year 3- When you become a well oiled machine — — I can’t wait for this. It’s gone be crackin!!!!!
2. I need to embrace the pain and prioritize.
In my personal experience, being a founder and Management Consultant at the same time makes me a better founder AND Management Consultant. I have a deeper appreciation for what my clients go through cause low key I go through a microscopic version of the same thing. I also have a better appreciation for my main hustle learnings. So the pain of the 4 am flights, the long nights, the continuous weekends, and the humbling experiences will be worth it. No pain. No gain.
“Being willing for people to misunderstand you. Being willing to make sacrifices” Think and Grow Chick
My health. In the last 1 year 5 months, I’ve gotten in better shape than I have been in the last 5 years. I have to workout to keep my peace (and piece) of mind. My side hustle has actually made me a healthier and more well-rounded person. (Shoutout to Body by Buie)
Being sharper in focus and organization. Everything from the daily to-do list to taking time for my soul.
1. It takes very real Revenue to run and grow a business.
Personal financial responsibility is super real. Thank you to @ThinkandGrowChick for her transparency on monthly earnings. I definitely ain’t making that. And if I jumped now I’d be 6 months away from the struggle bus’s struggle bus.
I really need to practice the word no. In the beginning of my career, I learned so much from being a Yes woman. I took on everything very early on and thrived. But now, I cannot take on everything. I can’t even take on 50% of what I want to. I need to focus on what I can do to have the best of success in my own life.
Shayna Atkins
Management Consultant with Agile and Lean experience supporting women & startups from idea thru expansion. Featuring women’s community, #queensbrunch. #UX
