Are you growing your business online right now? With more than eight years of experience teaching Instagram™ online and over 30 years of entrepreneurial experience, I have a few Instagram™ for business lessons I've learned along the way.
Keep reading this blog post to discover four Instagram™ business lessons I’ve learned in my entrepreneurial journey that will help you condense your time and feel less alone in the virtual world.
In this blog post:
- Sue B. Lesson #1: Your Time and Happiness Matter
- Sue B. Lesson #2: Get Your Message Out into the World
- Sue B. Lesson #3: Invest in Yourself
- Sue B. Lesson #4: Take the Time to Find People Who are Growing their Business in the Same Industry
Sue B. Lesson #1: Your Time and Happiness Matter
Eight years ago I was at a standstill. I was working 12-18 hour days and spending too much time away from my family. On top of that, I wasn’t prioritizing my health so I wasn’t feeling charged every day.
I knew I couldn’t carry on this way, and I needed to evaluate where I wanted my business to be in five years. That’s how, with a lot of focus and patience, I was able to find my “hell yeah” and reorient my business.
Even if you feel totally stuck, I promise you can find your “hell yeah” too.
Sue B. Lesson #2: Get Your Message Out into the World
While I’ve been able to travel all over the world sharing my Instagram™ knowledge, I actually got my start speaking locally. In 2012 I started teaching Instagram™ for free in my local community.
By 2013 my speaking engagements got bigger, and I was invited to speak at the Massachusetts Women’s Conference. Now, I’ve spoken in nine countries and connected with people around the world.
Sue B. Lesson #3: Invest in Yourself
When I say invest in yourself, I’m not just talking about time or money. You need both if you want to meet your business goals and avoid burnout!
That’s why in 2014 I invested in my first professional photoshoot. Wow, what a difference it made for my Instagram™ content and business aesthetic.
Another decision that made a big difference in helping to alleviate my burnout was deciding to close my Sue B Do shop in 2015. Rather than spreading myself too thin, I was able to focus exclusively on growing my Instagram™ education business and reaching more clients.
In addition to focusing on how to reach more clients, I also spent a lot of time in 2016 networking like a boss. Taking my Instagram™ relationships offline allowed me to connect with like-minded business owners.
It’s also how I landed a cover feature on Where Women Create Business magazine.
But finding business success isn’t just about magazine covers or paid speaking engagements, it’s also about building relationships with people who cheer you on. That’s what I found when I met Amy Landino at a conference in Texas. Now, we’re business BFFs.
Surround yourself with relationships that make you feel good. While competition can be a great motivator, you need people in your corner who want to support you. These relationships are especially important when you’re making tough business decisions.
Lesson 4: Take the Time to Find People Who are Growing their Business in the Same Industry
That’s right, I think supportive relationships in business are so important that I’m mentioning it twice.
While competition can push you to better your business, you need people who are going to clap for you every step of the way. This is especially important when you’re taking on new challenges in your business.
In 2019, when the SBZ team launched our Ready, Set, Gram Pro course, these supportive relationships were key in pushing our team to build our best course yet.
And this bandwidth and support to create higher quality courses, our team and business exceeded all of our expectations. In 2020, we grew to 12 people on the SBZ team. Plus, we hit 2,500 Ready, Set, Gram community members.
With a solid team around me and my business BFFs cheering me on, I know I can take on whatever is thrown my way. I’ve come so far from that burned out, unenergized version of myself from eight years ago.
And I’m not stopping yet, and neither should you! As we look ahead to 2021, I hope you can find your zone of genius and use these Instagram™ for business lessons to exceed all of your expectations.
Whatever Your Instagram™ Goals are in 2021 (and beyond!), I’m Here to Help You Create a Highly Engaged Community
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