Light Up Your Business
Welcome to the Light Up Your Business podcast, where we dive deep into the strategies, stories, and insights that drive growth, change, success and innovation for small business owners.
Each episode dives into the struggles behind the scenes—from burnout and financial pressure to self-doubt and juggling personal life. Whether you’re just starting out or scaling up, this podcast offers candid conversations, practical advice, and encouragement to help you stay grounded, find balance, and keep going. Because building a business shouldn’t mean losing yourself in the process.
Light Up Your Business
Charting the Entrepreneurial Waters: Transforming Fear into Triumph and Cultivating Resilience
Have you ever felt the chilling grasp of fear just before making a crucial business decision? You're not alone. Our latest Light Up Your Business podcast peels back the layers of entrepreneurial terror, revealing not just the spookiest fears but also how to convert them into fuel for your fire. I get candid about my own business blunders, offering up the not-so-pretty tales of failed ventures and the rich lessons they've taught me. It's time we start embracing the bumps and bruises of entrepreneurship as badges of honor, signaling our commitment to learning and growing.
Embarking on a business venture can sometimes feel like setting sail without a map. In this episode, I share the strategies that have kept my co-pilot John and me afloat without always having a charted course. We discuss the delicate dance of balancing a day job with entrepreneurial dreams, the wisdom in saving for the unexpected, and the art of developing an intimate understanding of the market you're diving into. Rejection – it's just part of the game, but we'll show you how each 'no' can be a step closer to 'yes', transforming rejections into stepping stones towards your ultimate success.
And when the waters get particularly choppy, especially in the daunting task of purchasing and financing business property, resilience becomes your anchor. I recount the turbulent journey and the determination that saw us through to calmer seas, securing a deal that looked almost unattainable at the outset. With special insights from Sue Miley on intertwining faith with business acumen, we also tackle the less discussed mental toll of entrepreneurship and why mental well-being is integral to sustaining success. This episode isn't just a conversation; it's a promise that resilience, mentorship, and a supportive community can turn the tides in your favor, even when you feel lost at sea.
Say goodbye to overwhelm and self-doubt, and hello to confidence and success. Join the Faith Filled Coaching family today and step into the abundant future you've always envisioned.
Visit FaithFilledCoach.com to schedule your free 30-minute consultation. Let's make your business dreams a reality, together.
Welcome to the Light Up your Business podcast, the show where we dive deep into the world of small businesses. I'm your host, Tammy Hershberger, and each episode will bring you inspiring stories, expert insights and practical tips to help your small business thrive. Whether you're an entrepreneur just starting out or a seasoned business owner, this podcast is your go-to source for success in the small business world. Let's get started to source for success in the small business world. Let's get started. Hello everyone, I want to welcome you back to another episode of Light Up your Business podcast. I hope you're doing well and you're killing it in business.
Tammy Hershberger:Today, I want to talk about something that everyone that has started a business has had to face. What is it, you ask? Well, it's called fear and being overwhelmed. I want to talk today about common fears that entrepreneurs face when they're starting a business and when they're trying to strategize. And let's talk about, like, how do we get over fear? How do we get over it? I mean, some people can't even get past it and then they never even open their business. So if you're one that has gotten past it, I commend you. You're a good man, you're a good woman. Like you overcame right and you realize that fear is not what we build it up in our head. So there was a Forbes article that we found that said there's five main fears that entrepreneurs face. So we're going to kind of talk about them. We just want to remember that fear is not unique. It's not something that just one person experiences. Everyone experiences it. And if you're starting a business, you will fear something at some point.
Tammy Hershberger:And myself, I mean, I've had to gone through fear. I've had to experience, you know, paralyzing fear at times, like there's times I was like I don't know what the heck I'm doing and I don't know why I'm still doing this, but getting through it is probably the most rewarding part of it. So I'm going to kind of break these down. Um, the first one is failure. Who hasn't experienced that? Who hasn't actually failed at something? I don't believe that you can do anything and never fail, like there's going to be something you're going to fail at. There's times I fail walking. I mean I tripped over something the other day and almost wiped it getting into my car and I thought to myself man, I'm getting old. I tripped getting into my own car. I mean, like that's ridiculous and there's failure everywhere. And until you go through failure and you experience failure, and sometimes repeatedly. That's when you start to improve, you start to get better.
Tammy Hershberger:Nobody or I shouldn't say no one, but it's I doubt anyone really does it right off the bat. It takes practice to get good at something right, and so anytime you do an entrepreneurial venture, it can be paralyzing to think that if you pour all your time, your heart, your energy, your soul, your money into something and it could fail. It's, it's very scary and that's why I think a lot of people don't start businesses. They chicken out. Right, and I want you to understand that. We all face setbacks, we all face failure along the journey. Right, and I've talked about you know businesses that I've started that didn't do super great and I closed them.
Tammy Hershberger:I talked about business that I started and it was killing it and, unfortunately, relationships in the business didn't do super great and I closed them. I talked about business that I started and it was killing it and, unfortunately, relationships in the business didn't work and I had to let it go. I mean, I've talked to a business that I've done really well with. I've kind of experienced the gamut of options here and I think resiliency is really important.
Tammy Hershberger:Um, I talk to people sometimes and they tell me, like you're just, you're such an inspiration because you face this stuff and you keep going and you, you keep growing and you keep trying for bigger things. And you know, a conversation I had with someone the other day about that. I told him I said it's not that I am just so great, it's just I've had a lot of practice, right, and I feel like stuff like that is like a muscle. You just have to kind of experience it, go through it, build your muscle and the next time it's a little less scary, right. And as I go my dreams and my visions and my plans get bigger and they're still scary. So I want you and I even kind of expressed that to the person I was talking to that like don't get down on yourself. I mean my, my fear and my apprehension and all that stuff is there, just like yours is. I just have been able to push through it because I've experienced it right, like I know it's not going to kill me. I mean I might mentally break me, but I've come through it. So just kind of remember that when you're thinking about fear, you want to conquer it and you can conquer it by embracing the growth mindset.
Tammy Hershberger:You have to view failure as a valuable experience that offers you insight and wisdom on what works and what doesn't, and then you can move forward with more clarity, right? So I mean, I always I hate bringing this up all the time because you guys probably get sick of hearing about it but my business that I let go of. You know, I in my mind see it as a failure. But truly, if I listen to others, listen to my therapist, and I really truly look at that with and take my ego out of it, I remind myself that business is still going, it's still supporting my other business partner, it's still doing something great. And so sometimes, by looking back at the things you fail at, you can learn like what did I do wrong? How can I grow? What can I improve on? And, man, I think failure is where you learn your biggest lessons, right?
Tammy Hershberger:If you fail in a relationship, you fail in a business, you fail, I don't know. Making something, inventing something, whatever it is. That's how you're going to get through it, that's how you're going to improve it, that's how you're going to make it better. So don't be so damn scared of failing. That failing is like I feel like the devil tells you if you fail you're a loser, and that's. That's not true. If you fail, you just get back up again.
Tammy Hershberger:I do not have to be perfect to be successful. You will make mistakes. It's part of being human. It's how you use those mistakes to improve your business or yourself or your relationships that will take you to the next level. I talked to Kellen recently about that, how she calls herself a recovering perfectionist. I don't even know that I'm recovering. I think I still am one, and so I'm still trying to like man. It doesn't have to be perfect. It doesn't always go as smooth as I want, but it doesn't mean I throw everything away or I give up on it. I keep trying, I keep improving, and if you set that expectation so high, you're never going to hit it, and then you're going to be disappointed and other people are not going to hit it, and then they're going to be disappointed in themselves or you're going to be disappointed in them, and that is just a recipe for not good right. So let's think about failure and say you know what? It's okay, I'm going to fail once in a while.
Tammy Hershberger:Number two financial insecurity. It's a legitimate concern for business owners, it feels risky to not know if you'll make enough money to sustain yourself and your business, the customers. Already you have a product, you have building a plan, whatever, but you're paying for someone else's knowledge. You're paying for someone else to get that thing going for you, and that is a bigger cost sometimes than a startup. You know, it's maybe less risky in the sense that it's already going, but it's not because you have more money invested. So you might be saying yourself well, how do I overcome that, that financial insecurity? You know, because sometimes you got to get your wife on board and when you tell her, honey, I'm going to quit my job and I'm not going to have a steady income and we're going to play this thing called business and we're going to hope we sell something she's probably going to like what I didn't sign up for that. So I mean mean you have to be able to overlook that and say you know what? I'm going to push hard and I'm going to do it.
Tammy Hershberger:Um, a way to overcome this is to create a financial business plan as well as have a backup strategy. So one way you can do this is you can start your business while still working a stable job. Just ensure that you see that there are positive results within your business. Um, john and I have done that. We've started a business where he worked in it full time and I worked somewhere else Other businesses, I was running it and he was working somewhere else. And then we had a business where we both quit and we went full on in and like we burned the boats and that was quite an experience and we did really well.
Tammy Hershberger:You want to make sure that you plan. You know you want to have six months in savings to. You got to make sure you don't go into a business with nothing safe, because how are you going to pay your rent? How are you going to feed your kids? Like you don't need that stress on top of the stress of building your business, starting it, the confidence you need all that stuff. I'm gonna say something.
Tammy Hershberger:Um, this is just my opinion. I have not always done a business plan. I know shocker, the business world's gonna hate me for saying that. I'm not saying you shouldn't do it. I'm just saying John and I are really like fly at the seat of your pants kind of people and we we've I don't know how to explain it Like we, I mean we definitely have a budget. We know like, hey, it's going to cost this much, this is what we're going to do, this is how it works. We're not just like one day throwing a ton of money at something.
Tammy Hershberger:Yeah, but I was helping a coaching client the other day on a business plan and I was like I actually never did one. I just kind of figure it out and get in there and I freaking make it happen. And the Lord has blessed it. So I mean, if you're one that's like I don't know how to do a business plan, I don't want to do a business plan. You know it's probably recommended you do it. If you go to get loans, you're going to need it. But me I just I figure it out, so there's nothing wrong with that. Um, so I'm not going against this plan, but I'm just saying you know it doesn't have to happen, but you still want to kind of do your research. You want to know the market.
Tammy Hershberger:If you're buying a business, you want to dig into it and find out like, how much is this guy making? Look at the tax returns. How much is he bringing in? Can it support it? Can it support me buying the business, paying all the bills every month and paying for this business because you got to pay the guy for the business right, or pay the bank back or whatever. So you want to have realistic financial projections and have finances secured through your personal savings, through loans or investors that can help create the safety net you need to start your business. Even in business you should have some savings if, if at all, possible, because machinery craps out, um buildings, the roof leaks, you know you might have a bunch of product that gets recalled because something went wrong with it. Things happen and you don't want to be like oh my God, I have no money, I can't, I can't fix the problem, my machine's down and I can't fix it. Now we can't produce sheds or we can't produce our product or whatever. So you don't want to get into that kind of a mess. And then you want to look at, like you know, I need this much to start. In six months I'm gonna need this much if I keep growing, and a year I'm gonna need this much, right. And so there's different projections, different numbers, different goals. That's all stuff. Even if you don't have an official written business plan, that's all stuff you should still be figuring out Right.
Tammy Hershberger:Number three is rejection. When I think of rejection, I think of like high school and I ask a girl out or a boy out and they're like no, and that's kind of what comes to my mind is being rejected. But you know, I'm an adult now, I'm 41 years old. Rejection to me. I'm 41 years old, rejection to me. I don't know. I mean, if you're my age you probably understand it more. I don't really care so much what people think of me anymore. You know, in my 20s, in my teenage years, I cared a lot more. But for some people and if it's you and you're hard against, like I can't be rejected it's devastating. You know, then I'm not similar to you in that, but you know I feel for you and so it can be a hard thing to face. But you must get comfortable with it as a business owner, because it's a matter of if not when things happen right, it's going to eventually happen. You're going to get, you know, turned on all the time for sales You're going to, if you're a salesman, and you're going to hear a lot of no's right. If you're going to banks, you're going to get turned on a lot.
Tammy Hershberger:When I was buying my building. That's a testimony. I mean, we looked and looked and looked and we found a building. We're like, okay, that's it. The guy wanted to own or finance it. Great, that fell through. We found another building, went to the bank. They're like, yeah, yeah, we can do the loan. So we put the offer on the building, go back to the bank. They're like, nope, we can't do it. And I'm like you just told me you could. And through all that stuff, I kept thinking like I don't have a clue how this is going to work. It just seems like we get turned down. And then, um, my realtor had a banker he liked and he said why don't you talk to them? So I was like we can try. I've talked to a few already. But so I talked to him and it was like, yep, we can make it happen. And it happened and it was smooth and easy and I didn't give up.
Tammy Hershberger:And then, like I think two years goes by. It was a loan that, like within a few years you had to refinance it. And we were still like I think a year left on that. And we had a grand opening for another business of mine. And this banker is there at the grand opening and she starts telling me about these loans and at the time I was like, oh sure, I don't want to deal with it. Well, my husband kind of was like you know what, we should check into that. So I found the time I talked to her and the loans were like 2.9%. We were in like a 7% loan. It was killer for 10 years. I mean it was amazing. So we applied, we got it and we transferred our loan and it's been fantastic. But it's a reminder that like I could have gave up and we could still be renting a building. No, we own our building. Because I didn't stop, I didn't give up, I kept trying. I said that they told me no, okay.
Tammy Hershberger:Next, you know you got to keep moving on To help overcome the rejection. You can focus on building resilience and not taking things personally. So when someone rejects you, whether it's a client or an investor, it's not a reflection of your worth or capability. That can be very hard in business because you put so much of yourself into it that it starts to feel like, why are you rejecting me? Why am I not good enough? But you have to strive to use that rejection as an opportunity to improve your business or your product by inquiring and asking for feedback from the people that decline you Like. Why didn't you buy the shed? Why can't I have the loan? Why is this product not working? You know, whatever, because that's an opportunity for you to grow and improve.
Tammy Hershberger:Number four uncertainty. So uncertainty is a part of life. Right, I could walk out the door. Today Looks like a beautiful sunny day. I have four uncertainty. So uncertainty is a part of life. Right, I could walk out the door. Today Looks like a beautiful sunny day. I have no idea what's going to happen. I could trip, break my leg, I could smash into something. I could have the best day possible. You just don't know what's coming right. So you never really know what the future might hold.
Tammy Hershberger:And when you start your own business, there's a lot of uncertainty and it can be overwhelming. So how do you want to approach that? Well, you can sit in it and you can cry about it and be a baby and give up. Or, better answer, you can say no, I'm going to focus on the aspects that you can control. So you want to develop a flexible business plan that considers different market conditions and outcomes and monitor trends to make sure that you're, you know, changing your product or your pricing, or you want to kind of see where the opportunities and the challenges are right. Covet showed that like people had to transition their businesses into producing different things and pricing became a nightmare. I mean, everything costs more money, and so we just have to be willing to like, be nimble and pay attention to what's going on and remember that uncertainty is not going away. You're going to have that forever.
Tammy Hershberger:And five, which I think is the biggest and the hardest overcome, and that's self-doubt. Self-doubt who hasn't doubted themselves? It's very difficult because it's more of an internal construct that dictates how you view yourself. You may have thought am I good enough for this? Am I smart enough? Do I know enough? Am I good enough in business? Can I really do it? Who hasn't thought those things about themselves? So to overcome self-doubt, you have to practice self-compassion and acknowledge your successes along the way, no matter how big or small they may seem. It's important to remember your strengths and what you have accomplished within your life or your future, or I mean or your past businesses, as well as to surround yourself with a community that's positive, and they influence you with support in times when you're questioning yourself.
Tammy Hershberger:So for me, I think the biggest time I've questioned myself is after, you know, I had to let go of that window business. I started questioning like do I not know people? Do I do I even know what I'm doing? Do I have the strength to come back? I have a business to still continue running and I just I felt like such a failure. I didn't know how I was going to do it. And then you know prayer and day by day I'm a fighter, and so I just kept thinking like I can't fight it sitting at home. I have to get to work, and I think that kind of took my mind off of it. And then getting to work, hearing the positive feedback from the workers and my family and my friends, and then reminding myself of all the things I've done, that I've won, I've been successful at that built my confidence again. And here I am, I'm kicking butt man, and here I am talking to you guys and I know you guys can do it. And just because you fell once, man, that just gives you a story. And then you get back up and keep going right.
Tammy Hershberger:So let's talk about the impact of fear on business. If you're in fear, it can hinder your decision making, it can hinder your creativity and it can hold you back from growing your business. So when you're so afraid of making a mistake, your judgment gets clouded and then it impacts your ability to make decisions. Maybe there's a move you need to make and you're scared and you don't do it and you miss out on opportunity. Or maybe there's a great deal on I don't know materials you need and it's a lot of money, but it's such a great deal it's worth it, but you're scared to pull that trigger and then you'll miss out on the deal. Or maybe someone offers you to go into business with you and you know, after lots of research, you know they're a good person and they're a good business partner, but you're just too scared to pull the trigger. Well, you missed out on a business, right, like? There's lots of things in life that can keep you back if you let it.
Tammy Hershberger:So when you make a decision out of fear, we tend to go back and forth trying to make that decision. You know, is it the best for the long-term foundation of our business? Are you just trying to fix a problem quickly? Sometimes you don't even decide at all and then you're just stuck. I don't recommend that. I would rather see you run quickly towards something and make a mistake than sit back and never make a decision and nothing ever changes. Don't get stuck. That's the worst place to be.
Tammy Hershberger:So we ran across this, sue Miley. She's a Crossroads Professional, coaching the company she has and she said biblically Christians in business know that we don't have to fear. We can trust that Jesus will provide for all our needs. I think the issue, if we are honest, is that our idea of getting all that we need may not be what Jesus thinks we need. So we are in fear either way. She said, if I let go and I let God, I may not need to have my own business. So Jesus may think it's okay for the business to fail so I can do something else he wants me to do.
Tammy Hershberger:So think about that. Like maybe you started a business and it's not doing good, or you did a business you took a job or I don't know, whatever it is you did and it's not going well and it's just not, it's consistently not going well. Maybe it's a sign that, like you did and it's not going well and it's just not, it's consistently not going well. Maybe it's a sign that, like you know, you tried it and it didn't work and you made a mistake. But you can still learn from that stuff and maybe it is time to let it go. Maybe it's time to like, move on from it and you take your beating and you keep going Right Like I had a business, and not it's old business. But you know, I learned a lot. I never made a lot of money off of it and would I say it was success. No, not based on the fact that I didn't make a ton of money Did I get a lot of experience and knowledge, absolutely. So sometimes you have to be willing to say, okay, it's time to shift gears. And that's where you could stay stuck and then just burn everything to the ground and lose your house, lose your business, keep pouring money into it. Or you can just say maybe it's time to move on, maybe God's got something else for me.
Tammy Hershberger:There is a psychological and emotional toll that fear can take on us entrepreneurs and your business. So a study from the National Institute of Mental Health said that nearly three quarters of entrepreneurs are affected by mental health issues, compared to just 48% of non-entrepreneurs. That's a sizable statistic and it can't be ignored. Being an entrepreneur can feel very up and down. Some days you're on top of the world and then some days you don't know how you're going to wear all the hats you have to wear. You don't know how you're going to get everything done. It's just super overwhelming. You cannot have professional success without mastering personal success. Learning to manage the highs and lows of life and your business is part of life. Learning what supports you and how you can ride the waves is very important, especially when you're a business owner. So let's dive into that for a second. So the personal stuff I mean I've I've seen it. I mean in my own business partner, in my friendships.
Tammy Hershberger:Your business can be doing so amazing and then your personal life is a freaking mess and that slowly deteriorates your business because you can't function in both places. You have to, kind of like, have one handled. For example, you have to have your personal life taken care of. So your kids have to be fed in school. Home life is satisfactory, so you can put that energy now into your business the rest of the day and then you come home back to your family. Well, if your kids aren't being taken care of or you don't have a home for your kids or whatever. That's stress, that's craziness, that's, you know, mentally exhausting. So then you're going to go to work and you're going to have that stuff on your mind and you're going to be worrying about it, and then you're not going to be able to get fully to work and then your work is going to slowly start to deteriorate, which then hurts your money, hurts your business, whatever, and so you have to be able to take care of both. So you want to seek mentorship and support. It can really help you face the challenges of being an entrepreneur.
Tammy Hershberger:I own Faithful Coaching and I've seen firsthand how having someone in your corner to support you and offer advice can be crucial to your success. I mean, I have clients who tell me you know it's interesting because I do business coaching. I also I have clients who tell me you know it's interesting because I do business coaching, I also do life coaching, but they kind of go together. I mean, yes, we can sit down and just straight business right, like what's, what's this plan? What are you going to do here? How do we fix this problem? What do I need to do to be a better leader? What's holding me back? You know that kind of stuff.
Tammy Hershberger:But I see, even in people I'm coaching now, it's like they're having things in their personal life happening or they're having personal doubt and fear and they get kind of stuck and then they're afraid to continue or make a decision and by having me, another business owner, a business coach, I can direct them, I can help them, we can talk through it. And you know, sometimes when you go to another friend who doesn't own a business and they just work for someone, they have no idea what you're talking about. They're like, just make a decision. Well, you have no idea because you leave at five and you're done for the day. So having a coach, someone like me, a mentor, a friend that's in business, another entrepreneur, you know, support group, whatever it's so huge to help you, bounce things off of and to encourage you and to love on you and remind you when you're struggling, because sometimes you're struggling but no one else gets it like they're just like you. Look like you're doing a great job.
Tammy Hershberger:Yeah, I am on the outside, but I'm dying inside, right, and so that's that's what the mental illness and the mental health is coming in, because we're keeping it all bottled up and we're not letting it out and I don't want to see that for you guys. I don't. Life is too short for that. So I encourage you to confront your fears. I encourage you to take action, pursue your entrepreneurial dreams and remember that fear is going to be there anytime you decide to take a big risk or a leap in your life or try something new. My question for you is how will you overcome it? How will you look fear in the face and say not today, fear, I'm not letting you win anymore. Man, if you're sick and tired of being scared, then stop being scared. Face it. I promise you it's not as big as it seems. The mountain is just a mohill and you're going to move right through it. Right, it's like the Bible says if you have faith the size of a mustard seed you can move mountains, mountains. I mean. A mustard seed is so small, it doesn't take much, and the devil wants fear to be this big, scary thing to you, and I don't want you living in that anymore.
Tammy Hershberger:Man, how will you manage the stresses that arise when we need to make decisions that we're unsure if they're going to work out? I mean, that's life. We start a new job. We don't know if it's going to work. We marry people. We don't know if the marriage is going to work. We start new friendships. We don't know if the friendship is going to last. I mean this is a little drastic, but we go out to eat and I'm like I don't know if that stomach or that food's going to upset my stomach. I don't know if the food's going to make me sick, but you just trust you're going to try it, right?
Tammy Hershberger:So my recommendation is to make the best informed decisions that you can make and then act. The only way you will learn is by doing. Failure can be looked at as a good thing, because it's sharpened your process and it'll help you to move forward in your business. So if you have something today that you're like I'm not going to stand in fear anymore, I'm going to freaking, get through it. I'm going to pass through it. I'm going to become better and I'm going to overcome that fear.
Tammy Hershberger:Drop me a note, leave a comment here. There's a message me button in the podcast. I want to hear what are you overcoming? What did you do? What did you? How did you do it? Let's talk, man. I want to see you people push through.
Tammy Hershberger:I'm tired of fear controlling us. I know for me. I'm not going to continue letting fear control me. That's why I'm doing this podcast. That's why I'm doing coaching, because I've been so scared. All Well, here I am. Folks Don't like it. There is an off button. If you do like it, let me know, man. So in the meantime, go out there, face your fears, make things happen and I'll see you next time. Have a great day and remember in the world of business, every success story begins with a passionate dream and ends with a strategic billion dollar handshake. Stay ambitious, stay innovative and keep making those deals that reshape tomorrow. Thank you all for tuning in and until next time remember. Proverbs 3, 3 says let love and faithfulness never leave you. Bind them around your neck, write them on the tablet of your heart. That way you will win favor and a good name in the sight of God and man. And remember if you like what you heard today, click the follow button so you never miss an episode.
