Getting In On The Ground Floor
What does it mean to “get in on the ground floor?” According to Collins Dictionary, “if you get in on the ground floor, you become involved in a business or plan in the early stages, in order to gain an advantage.” What is the advantage here and what will be your role in this journey with me? Let’s see if we can figure that out.
I have now been in business for 1 week. In the past 7 days since posting my first blog, “Why I Decided To Build My Own Business”, my life has officially taken a turn towards the route to happiness I believe I have been looking for. The weight that was on my chest while waiting to decide to go all-in with this business was lifted and I was finally able to explicitly talk about the work I am doing. I truly can’t remember a time that I have felt this happy and comfortable with my future. Simply, I feel relieved. Everything I have always done for fun in my free time to make a few extra dollars is now my career. How great is that?
I have always been very proud of my network and the warmth that I received since taking my business public has been nothing less than amazing. Within a few hours, my phone started to receive “Mazel Tov” and “Congrats” texts paired with many wonderful messages from near and far of people commending my courage to take this leap of faith along with sharing how much they wish they had it in them to follow their happiness.
As time went on throughout the early planning months of building my business, I knew I wanted to find a way to connect my work to the greater public. I always have had a passion for writing and found that I seemed to be pretty good at taking my thoughts and putting pen to paper to detail where my passions lie. That is where the idea to start my blog, “The Ground Floor”, came to life.
Whether you are a friend, family member, former colleague, client, community member, prospective client, total stranger or any combination, I invite you to get in on the ground floor with Andrew Exler Consulting in its early stages, in whatever capacity works for you. If you want to work with me and utilize my services, amazing! Send me an email at andrew@andrewexler.com or contact me so we can schedule a time for me to buy you a cup of coffee. If you simply want to follow along and learn of my success stories and struggles, I am happy to be a source of education for you. If you are thinking about making a similar move or aren’t happy with your current life situation, I will always leave my door open (confidentially), if you need a sounding board of someone who has been there before. Lastly, if you don’t really care either way and want to see me fail, to each their own, right? I won’t say “no” to a conversation because you never truly know a person or their situation until you take the time to learn.
Starting your own business is scary. Some of the most common questions I have started to receive are:
“How are you surviving financially right now?”
“Do you have any stability?”
“Do you already have clients?”
“Are you sure?”
The lack of stability that currently exists for me could be looked at as a reason to be scared OR it could be the motivation to continue working hours on end to earn the stability I want to obtain. Fortunately, this business isn’t new. Ok, TECHNICALLY “Andrew Exler Consulting” is new, however I have been working with some great businesses and organizations for quite some time. I am very excited to properly highlight those who were with me before there ever was a ground floor.
In the past week, I have had to force myself to take a step back from my email and put my phone away at moments and remind myself that this is a marathon, not a sprint. I am awake before sunrise, walking my dog and getting some work in before taking a break to go to the gym (I make sure to keep this time available at least an hour a day), only to get back to my desk as soon as possible to continue bettering myself & my business. I am working to find the perfect balance of overworking and building while still finding time to play with Lucy and explore my favorite city, Pittsburgh. I find myself watching television at night and wanting to pull up my website to continue to improve it, but I know that in time I will find that balance.
In my first week, I have already received inquiries from various businesses, organizations and individuals wanting to learn how I could assist them. I’ve scheduled and executed a few prospect meetings and I even closed my first new client since launch! I’ve learned that I can offer a larger variety of services than originally planned and I also learned that some of my vision might not play out as expected. It is okay if things don’t follow your original plan as long as you keep some flexibility in your back pocket. I am continuing to find new sources to train myself where I need it most and every time I receive an email, text, LinkedIn message or run into someone on the street who asks me how I can help them, it is a thrill! Knowing there is a diverse community out there of individuals, businesses and organizations who could use my services is my confirmation that I am on the right path and will find success, eventually.
“Are you sure?” The best question I have received thus far. YES. I am very sure. Yes, I am still in the honeymoon phase of building my business. My insights are high and the inquiries keep rolling in. Will that sustain itself? That’s the goal, but I know I’ll experience peaks & valleys month to month. Things may slow down or I might overwhelm myself and end up spreading myself too thin. That’s where the balance needs to be found. The beauty of this whole thing is that I control my own destiny. I am still learning, as everyone should be.
Week 1 is in the books, I am happy & Andrew Exler Consulting is already growing. That is a small victory on the road to many more larger victories!
- Andrew
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