I have noticed a few running themes since starting this column: most successful entrepreneurs got bitten by the bug early and they usually don’t stop with just one or two businesses.
OC-native, Michelle McCloskey is no different. With three successful businesses under her belt, she decided to start Run Around Betties, a company that puts a unique twist on personal assistants.
Run Around Betties is the brainchild of this former overworked assistant and caters to multitasking moms and busy business people who need a Bettie or a Bob for short periods of time. How cool is that?! As I am writing this, all I can think is when are they coming to Austin?!
See Michelle’s “3 Things” below:
Learn to be comfortable being uncomfortable- Being uncomfortable is something we all usually try to avoid, and I wish I knew in my younger years that it was a good thing and a necessary feeling if you want grow and evolve. You must change and stretch beyond your comfort zone. That’s where things get exciting! When I find myself in a situation where I’m feeling edgy, uncomfortable, and with a strong desire to flee, I still have to remind myself that it’s an opportunity to lean in – to learn something new and not to fall back on what I usually do. If I can take a step back from the anxiety about being uncomfortable and look at the situation, I can figure out where the edge or issue is, and it always seems to be a chance for me to grow in some way. I’ve discovered that the more I expose myself to uncomfortable situations, the easier it becomes to manage them and even enjoy the process.
It’s OK not to know everything about everything and don’t be scared to ask questions- I still have to remind myself that I don’t need to be all-knowing on every topic involved in my business. Of course, I know my product and my clients inside out, but I’m not an attorney, an accountant, or an encyclopedia of business terms and lingo. When I first started out, I used to stay quiet and not ask any questions in meetings or on calls and frequently felt intimidated by the experts or advice-givers I was consulting. Then I realized that it’s my company under discussion, and while they have their areas of expertise, they don’t know my business the way I do. I would tell my younger self not to be afraid to ask questions or to insist on the additional explanations or clarifications that I need to understand the situation. I’ve finally figured out that if I have the question or am not getting something, the odds are really good that someone else in the room feels the same way.
Don’t Take Things Personally- When it comes to my business, this has been a tough one. I’ve put my heart and soul into my business which makes it very hard not to think that if someone doesn’t like it, he or she must not like me! Because my business is very personal and I really connect with my clients, I think it’s made it a bit harder to break out of that mindset. However, as my business has grown and more people have come on board, it’s become easier to see and really understand that it really is just business. I wish I had understood in my 20s that things that people say generally reflect more about themselves than the subject matter and that when someone is unhappy, critical, or negative about my business, I’m totally missing an opportunity if I make it personal to me. There’s more information under the upset, criticism, or commentary if I can take a step back (and stop the blood from rushing to my ears!) and listen. By not taking the situation personally, it gives me the chance to hear what’s not being said – an unspoken client need that he or she doesn’t even realize, assumptions that stand in the way of potential clients, and information that helps me target my marketing messages. And it definitely makes life much more pleasant!
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