10 Entrepreneurship Lessons I’ve Learned

This week, Evergreen Lane will be celebrating its sixth birthday. I can hardly believe this little side project I launched on my birthday in 2013 has now become my full-time job. I love it more today than the day I started, but I’ve learned a lot of lessons about life and entrepreneurship along the way. My life looks completely different than it did in the beginning stages of Evergreen Lane Productions (and so much different than I would have imagined then). So today, for my business birthday, I’m sharing ten of the biggest entrepreneurship lessons I’ve learned since starting my business, and especially since transitioning from a side hustler into a digital nomad.

1. Don’t let the unknown keep you from getting started.

You’re never going to know how things are going to work out, so start something and take it from there. I’ll admit I’m still working on this, but you don’t have to commit to the same idea for the next 50 years. I started a travel blog in 2011. It somehow became a videography company. Now I offer video editing services and teach workshops. This year might hold even more iterations. But I never would have arrived at this point without the original travel blog, and also for knowing when it was time to let that blog go.

2. No business/work/job is worth sacrificing your life for.

At the start of my business, I struggled with workaholism. I also went through a painful divorce and threw myself into my work. It felt like a “productive” distraction – until it wasn’t. In order to heal, I needed to step back from the expectations and put things in maintenance mode. When you’re the CEO of your business, it can only grow within your capacity to sustain it. I had to create strict boundaries for myself around working hours, social media presence, and client expectations. Like a plant in too small of a pot, if your capacity is limited, your business growth will be limited. So take care of yourself – it’s a business investment.

3. Entrepreneurship takes insane self-control and self-awareness.

When you make the transition from traditional employment to being your own boss, suddenly there is no daily schedule. No externally imposed deadlines. No forced accountability or performance reviews. So, the onus falls on you to do those things for yourself. I’ve had to create systems for my tasks and build daily routines that help me get them done. I’ve held my own performance reviews and had to keep track of my own metrics and analytics. It has taken me almost 2 years to get comfortable with this!

4. No one can tell you what to do except you.

This was one of the biggest entrepreneurship lessons I learned. When I first started my business, I was looking for a formula. How do I get started? What are the steps to a successful launch? How should I price? What even should I sell? I spent thousands on courses in those first few years. And while I do believe that learning from others who have gone before you is important, it can never replace the voice of your own intuition. You are ultimately the one who is responsible for the decisions in your business.

5. There is no such thing as greener grass.

When I was in my full-time job, I couldn’t wait to quit and be a real entrepreneur. I thought that everything about my life would automatically be more amazing once I took that step out the door. Well, certain things in my life ARE more amazing. I was able to travel around the US in an RV with my husband for 13 months. I have the freedom to set my own schedule and approve my own vacation time.

However, there are additional challenges, like never having a consistent income, or figuring out taxes and healthcare, that are much more straightforward in a traditional job. You also lose the ability to “turn off” your work laptop at 5 pm. Now, in the low moments, I daydream about a “real job.” It’s so important to be honest with yourself: every season is going to have its challenges, no matter how many upsides it comes with.

6. Your support system is your lifeline.

There is no way I’d be where I am with the support of Christian, my family, and my friends. Christian has been by my side during some big ups and downs, let me cry when I was overwhelmed and reminded me what I’m capable of when I’m stressed out. I’ve connected with some amazing fellow female business owners over the last few years and vent sessions with them have been essential as we both navigate the sometimes-crazy world of online business. I’m not an island unto myself and this journey always comes easier when I don’t isolate myself and I build relationships with other humans.

7. Taking time off won’t kill you (or your business).

I recently went on an Instagram hiatus, because I needed a break from being on my phone all the time. I’d been afraid to step back, worried that if I didn’t look at my phone as often, I’d miss that big opportunity or that important connection. Writing it out almost feels ridiculous, but sometimes we feel that we can’t take breaks from our lives without them falling apart in our absence. When I was on the road with my husband, I learned that I’d miss the best parts of our adventures if I had to be inside connected to the internet 100% of the time. I survived, and my business survived.

8. Plan, but leave room for spontaneity.

When you’re traveling for extended periods and working from the road, having a plan + some semblance of a routine is key. However, there are magic moments that happen in the downtime – when things go wrong, there is an opportunity to see them differently. If you don’t have a plan, you’ll get nothing done. But if you’re so attached to the plan that you fall apart when it fails (like I can be), you’ll miss out on a lot of amazing adventures. I think the same can be said in business: set goals, certainly, but also be flexible when plot twists happen (as they often do).

9. Don’t compare your progress to anyone else’s.

It’s so easy to look at what others are doing online – whether that’s traveling more, staying in nicer places, launching more products or appearing more successful – and think that you’re not doing enough. But the reality of what’s posted on social media and someone’s lived experience can be huge! So don’t make someone else your standard. Make current-you the standard, and make sure future-you keeps getting better and better.

10. Celebrate your victories.

Don’t discount what you’ve accomplished just because you still have a ways to go to reach your ultimate goal. I’m still working on this, to be honest. It’s so tempting to run right into the next thing instead of pausing to acknowledge any wins or victories. This post is a way of doing that for myself, looking back at all the ways I’ve grown during the last six years before I jump into the next season of hustle.

I learn new entrepreneurship lessons every day.

So there you have it. My ten biggest entrepreneurship lessons learned over six years of being in business. It’s been a journey with four years of a side hustle, two years full-time and one year as a digital nomad. And I know the learning is only just beginning.

When did you start following along with Evergreen Lane Productions? I’d love it if you followed me over on Instagram and introduced yourself