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The apprentice

‘Tough’ is not a trait some of us are born with. Working for yourself, one of the advantages of joining the solopreneur society is we soon harden up when honing our instincts. 

The business landscape? It’s tough out there. You know it, we’ve about survived the worst of a pandemic by drawing on our own resilience and that of the national reserves.

We’re bound to feel a little battle-weary, some of us have become impervious to the ongoing challenges of the daily grind. Most of are still ‘working it out.’ 

If we’re working alone we’re contending daily as we hear the ‘news broadcasts.’ We’re badgered into considering the negative messages of worldly woes and as we learn to disconnect from the madness of the opinionated, trend-hungry society … we focus on a living.

At some stage during the days of ‘working for ourselves …’ (isn’t everyone working for themselves?) We find ourselves passing through yet another apprenticeship as we navigate …  solopreneurship.

We are the decision-makers. Accountability? The buck stops with us. So, when we’re fortunate enough to be able to confer with friends the instincts kick in as we hear something more valuable than the raft of fake news. We smile as we reconnect with friends, it’s comfortable. We’re grounded once more. 

I’ve spent the past (many) years developing my depth of reliable contacts. The support I glean has helped me on many occasions. For me, it’s been ten years of apprenticeship!

Due to experience, it’s easy for me to be able to turn to someone for advice or to qualify my path or judgment. It’s because I’m a nosey type I have the confidence to ask questions and so seek answers.

What’s my apprenticeship taught me? I now understand that success is not about the BIG wins but a series of small gains as we develop a reputation for trust and reliability.

For those not so outgoing, or even introverted?

It’s tough for some to ask for help although there comes a time when we must. We need to understand the world of solopreneurship. The keyword is solo and it need not be so.

By developing trusted contacts (it’s that word again, trust.)

These special people bring supportive opinions, often with a skill set that isn’t within your own remit.

New connections will bring their own world of contacts over time, their own trusted diary. It is especially satisfying when we’re able to draw on their skills to help another or even a family member.

Those of us who do have that depth of reliable contacts? We soon understand how fortunate we are to have followed the apprenticeship of time in business to now work for ourselves.

The learned ability to turn to others for conversation and opinion can be invaluable, in so many ways.

Business does not have to be tough, let’s learn to reach out, and talk to others about your challenges. Surround ourselves with like-minded people.

Because people buy from people.

#community #remoteworking #conversations #networking