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💣 "I built a 6-figure business in 6 months." Except that I didn't. Here's the full story no one posts about 👇 The real numbers behind this "overnight success": 📊 20 years of experience 🔥 3 failed ventures 🔄 15 business model iterations ⏰ 18-hour days for months ☕️ Countless cold coffees Hard truths: • Product-market fit? Takes 2 years (average) • When most founders quit? Month 6 • The gap between these numbers? That's where businesses die. I could sell you the highlight reel. Instead, I'm serving the truth: Success compounds. Daily. But first, it breaks you. Repeatedly. The market doesn't care about your timeline. It cares about the problem you solve. Your real metrics to track: 🎯 Days spent talking to customers 💡 Problems truly solved 🤝 Relationships built Not quite viral-worthy, is it? Good. Leave virality to viruses. Focus on the daily grind that compounds. That's the only "secret" I've got. ... #StartupReality #BuildersJourney #NoBS

Happy birthday to me 🎉 Today, I proudly celebrate my 41 birthday. Reflecting on this milestone, I realize that being in my 40s feels like embracing a superpower. In my younger years, I would have considered this age too old, never imagining I would reach it. But now, I see the wisdom that comes with age, I've learned to recognize my past mistakes and truly embrace who I am. ☑️I started on my entrepreneurial journey at 37 ( left the corporate world) ☑️By 40, I successfully incorporated my business. ☑️I began to surround myself with people and situations that add value to my life. I turned to mentors, who I look up to in my industry to learn from them about building a business ☑️ I started to focus on empowering women around me to become the best versions of themselves and step up their money game. ☑️My clients have been reaping the benefits of a more personalized financial planning approach, where their goals and desires are the fuel that drive the success of the plan. ☑️entrepreneurship has taught me, that success lies on the other side of fear and vulnerability. FUN FACTS Entrepreneurs who found success at 40: Reed Hastings - Co-founder of Netflix, Hastings launched the company in 1997 when he was 37. However, it was at around 40 that he began to pivot from DVD rentals to streaming. Jeff Bezos, started Amazon at 30, Bezos made pivotal decisions, including the launch of Amazon Web Services, which greatly expanded the company's reach and profitability when he was in his 40s. Howard Schultz, joined Starbucks in his 30s but took it to new heights after he acquired the company in 1987 at the age of 34. By the time he was in his 40s, he had transformed Starbucks into a global coffeehouse chain. Bob Parsons, founder of GoDaddy started the company in 1997 at the age of 46. His vision and leadership helped GoDaddy become one of the largest domain registrars in the world. They all demonstrate that it's never too late to pursue a business venture and achieve success.Never lose sight of your dreams, every challenge is worth the effort it takes to overcome it! #financialadvisor #goals #financialplanning #insurance #femalebusinessowners

🎯 Black Friday Opportunity for Startups & Founders! 🎯 💡 Want to secure MILLIONS in funding in 2025 to disrupt the market and scale rapidly? 💰 Dreaming of a massive payday selling your company? Hi, I’m Mike Mausteller. Many of you know me as a Growth Advisor, but I’m also the mastermind behind turning Victoria’s Secret’s PINK from concept to a $1 BILLION per year brand. Now, I’m offering YOU access to my exclusive private community of 20,000 vetted angel investors—ready to review your business pitch deck and plan. 🌟 Here's the math: Even if just 1% say YES, that’s 20 investors backing you! And we’re adding new vetted angels every day. 💥 Black Friday Deal 💥 For just a one-time investment of $8,500, you’ll: ✔️ Submit your pitch deck & plan to this elite community. ✔️ Get my personal guidance as your Growth Advisor to scale fast. ✔️ Position yourself to sell your company for XXX millions, as I’ve done for several brands. 🚀 Your future starts now! Act fast—this Black Friday offer is only available for a limited time! 📩 DM me or visit https://lnkd.in/e4kGPjwh to claim your spot and take your startup to the next level! #StartupFunding #AngelInvestors #BlackFridayDeal #StartupSuccess #GrowthAdvisor #ScaleYourBusiness #Entrepreneurship #RapidGrowth

Building a business is an emotional roller coaster. I can’t speak for everyone, but for me it is quite literally going from day to day feeling VERY different emotions. When we leased our first office/warehouse at the beginning of the year, it looked HUGE to me & it felt excessive, but we knew we would grow into it. I just didn’t know it would be so quickly. 👀 We’re launching with our first major retailer/sales channel at the beginning of January, so much of this is preparation for that relationship. While this is positive news, it brings its own set of anxiety and challenges. People who have never built a consumer product business think the hardest part is “getting into retail”, but the truth is, the hardest part is selling through the product & at the right speed. I share all of this just to let you know, you are not alone if you’re grinding away at your small business and feeling a bit overwhelmed. Let’s promise to share the good, the bad and the ugly so others can have a realistic expectation of what it REALLY looks like to build a business from the ground up. If you are thinking about going down this path, here are some inspiring female founders you can follow who don’t sugarcoat the journey: Stephanie Stuckey - when you’re back in Atlanta, we should have coffee a.k.a. a therapy session! 😩 Nothing like speaking to fellow female founders, who get the struggle/grind. Congrats on Walmart, I was rooting you on! As happy as I am for you, I know it will bring its own set of challenges, hoping they are a few and far between! Felicia Jackson - I can’t wait to see your big debut, you’ve worked incredibly hard to get where you are and I am thrilled it is happening for you! Leeanna G. - I know you are experiencing some crazy growth/adjustments and I appreciate you sharing the truth about what that looks like with others. It will without a doubt save someone else the heartache that we have both been through in our different ventures.

Embracing the Interruption in My Life: At the end of last year, I made a significant shift. After diligently serving my anchor clients for up to three years, it was time to offboard them. I anticipated onboarding new clients for 2024, but they didn't seem to sign off as expected. Suddenly, I found myself with unexpected free time—a rare commodity in the life of a busy entrepreneur. Instead of seeing this as a setback, I chose to embrace the interruption. I invested in my personal development and signed up for a business incubation program. This program challenged me to rethink my approach and grow my brand, BADILI Consults, in ways I hadn't imagined. It was during this time that the idea for the HR Career Kickstart Program was born. Last month, we proudly graduated our first cohort, and I'm thrilled to share that we are launching a new cohort at the end of this month. In hindsight, I am deeply grateful for that interruption. It led me to meet amazing individuals who have spoken wisdom into my life and business, forge new friendships, and experience exponential growth as an entrepreneur in management consultancy. God knows the plans He has for our lives. As much as we want to control our paths, life often throws curveballs. What interruption in your life has led to unexpected growth? I'd love to hear your stories and what you've learned from them.

From personal flexibility To empowering visionaries Over the past couple of weeks, I've had the privilege of being an ambassador for the Female Founders Rise personal branding challenge, supporting Emmie Faust's group of female founders in building their LinkedIn presence. This experience has prompted me to reflect on my 'WHY'. Like many, I started my business for flexibility and to be there for my son, from school drop-offs to playdates. But … while family remains crucial, my 'why' has expanded (thanks Conor Jaafari for the recent thought-provoking post). Growing up with the belief that no dream was too big, I've been fortunate to meet incredible people along the way who reinforced this idea. That belief, that we can do anything we set our minds to, is really powerful. My journey from corporate roles at News UK, Microsoft, and AOL to running my own business has shown me the incredible potential of determined individuals. From leaders managing amazing teams, to solopreneurs setting up their own business starting with an idea in mind and putting things in motion, step by step. They all had a common drive: to make things better. Today, my passion lies in supporting founders who start with an idea to make the world better and hopefully, with my work, help them grow faster and magnify their impact on the way we live. What's your 'why'? Has it evolved over time? Would love to know in the comments 👇 #businessmindset #digitaladvertising #entrepreneurship

These are the most common scaling mistakes I’ve noticed from working with hundreds of businesses: 1. Chasing growth in the negative. Growth isn’t worth it if you’re barely breaking even, or worse, burning cash. 2. Ignoring the foundation. Weak systems, bad hires, and poor logistics will crack under pressure. 3. Overhiring too soon. A bloated team can burn cash faster than you think. 4. Skipping community. Scaling isn’t just sales, it’s building loyal customers who stick around, again and again. 5. No clear vision. Scaling chaos is real. Without direction, it’s a mess. What are some of the most common mistakes you’ve noticed? Let’s talk in the comments. 👇 #BusinessScaling #Entrepreneurship101 #EntrepreneurshipCommunity ##EcommerceStrategy #EcommerceGrowth #EcommerceCommunity

Life came in like a wrecking ball🎵... Why you should have a strategy in your career. Strategy is so important in business that companies have Chief Strategy Officers. So why not have a strategy in your career? Personal growth as a career strategy is sometimes left on the side of the road. But those who are intentional in crafting their personal growth and driving their career strategy see greater success. Having a personal growth path (and awareness of what is possible) will help shape what’s going to happen. Yes, life will always throw curve balls. People get sick, hurricanes come, political unrest happens, and all the million other problems of simply existing. But that doesn’t mean you should just roll with it. Empower yourself to be the Chief Strategy Officer for your career and life. Maybe your story is about wealth building, your legacy, conserving the planet, having a family, making a community impact, or any desire you have. If you talk to those who are the most successful at creating their lives, they will tell you it was no accident. At 32 years old, I bought my place in Manhattan. I knew back then there was a plan to sell the building, knock down and rebuild it by the time I was 50. So in my long term strategy, I planned to be gone from there by then. Then, surprise! Nobody knew COVID lock downs would be happening during my 50th year. There were so many life changes from that, and in the end I renovated, sold and moved. (Below is a part of my kitchen before the renovation). I ended up leaving because I didn't want to be there anymore, not because of the wrecking ball (cue Miley Cyrus). Leaving NYC at 50 didn’t look like what I thought it would, (or why), but nevertheless it happened. And because I strategically planned for it, I was prepared to carry on with it. What excites you about being strategic? Share in the comments below. Discover the power of the full deck in just 3 days! Stay tuned for the Career Path Oracle launch on Etsy. . . #linkedin #jobseeker #careers #entrepreneurship #business #work

Can you admit that you suck at [something]? 🤷♀️ Thinking you're good at everything? I hate to break it to you, but... That's a big mistake. 🚫 Nobody excels at everything. And nobody expects that from you! 🙌 I know you think you should appear as a strong, independent founder who is prepared and all, But in reality, people appreciate hearing about your weaknesses. Investors, advisors, and even potential co-founders. They value your transparency. It’s actually seen as a positive when someone admits their weaknesses. It means you're aware and actively working on improvement. 🛠️ I used to think that admitting your low sides and seeking help was a sign of weakness. Turns out, it's the opposite. Only when I started telling people I'm not good at sales, marketing, or whatever it was. They actually opened doors and started helping me. 🚪➡️❤️ I know it's hard.🫣 You'll probably hate doing it, 😣 But do it anyway. It will help you more than you can imagine. 💡 What is the thing you suck at? 😬 Tell me in the comments 👇 #founders #femalefounders #womeninbusiness #entrepeneurs #startuplife

My last entrepreneurial venture didn’t do well; and I was depressed. I lost lot of money and even relationships became sore. Life had suddenly started looking a black hole with bleak outlook. I lost all my confidence and almost gave in to the situation. But deep down somewhere I knew that I would not sink! And I sprung back and made a routine as if it is business as usual and started learning and networking again. Soon after I started getting traction. Not only did I start getting good offers, rather I was pleasantly surprised that people gave a lot of weightage to my entrepreneurial experience. I found back my lost confidence and conviction, and there has been no looking back since then! We've all faced unexpected challenges that can derail us. But sometimes the best outcomes come from the most unexpected twists. +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Before becoming a world-renowned author, J.K. Rowling was a single mother struggling to make ends meet. Her rejection from countless publishers became a blessing in disguise, giving her the time to master her craft. Steve Jobs was fired from the company he co-founded, Apple. This setback led him to start NeXT, a computer company that Apple eventually acquired. +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Have you had a similar experience or know someone who has had. Please re-share this if you feel it can inspire someone and motivate to turn adversity into opportunity. #mindset #motivation #nevergiveup #resilience #leadership #vikasdhall ================================================= Please press the 🔔 icon to follow all my posts at Vikas Dhall =================================================