Who are your Supporters, Inspirations, and Drains?
Have you ever given much thought to the people you surround yourself with? It’s actually really important to surround yourself with the right people who will be with you on your business journey.
It’s more important than ever, to have the right people around you during the early growth stages of your business, particularly if those people are like-minded and who can offer advice when you have to deal with external, unwanted interference and unsolicited advice.
Today, I’m going to break down the people you mind find yourself surrounded with into three categories; Supporters, Inspirations, and Drains.
THE IMPORTANCE OF PEOPLE-SUPPORTERS
Having people around you who completely get what you are doing is vital to any business owner. Ideally, these people will understand what it took you to get you where you are and might possibly be business owners who have been through the journey themselves.
If you have this sort of person in your life, it is highly likely they will align with your values. They will have compassion for what you are going through and their positive energy will be encouraging and inspiring. When things go wrong, you know you can reach out to these people. Having people like this means you can reach out to them for their honest feedback and opinions.
These people are Supporters. Building a business can be a lonely place but by having these supporters in your life, you will feel as though you have peers and even work colleagues around you. If you can, try to find groups and places you can go to hang out with Supporters, some of these people might also be just starting out and could be feeling as lonely and isolated as you do.
The difference between having this group of people in your life and not having them is so significant when things aren’t going well and you end up feeling down. We’ve all been to that place, asking ourselves why we are doing what we are doing, but a sounding board of Supporters will remind you what it’s all about and what you are trying to achieve.
Now, it’s possible you might not find Supporters within your current group of friends or family, instead, you will have to go out into the world and find this tribe of people. It’s important that you are intentional in your search for other unicorns like you so that when you find them, you can go off and create your magic together.
I suppose you’re wondering how on earth you go about finding such a rare species. Well, the first stop would be social media platforms like Facebook and Linkedin, perhaps a group dedicated to whatever business you are in or a general business platform for start-ups. Be genuine and authentic about your purpose for being in that group, particularly when making contacts.
There are also paid-for groups like mastermind groups. In mastermind groups, you will generally all be on the same journey. These groups are a great way to make friends and support one another through your business journeys. You might even go on to collaborate with someone you met in a mastermind group, at some point in the future.
Finding the right people can feel a little bit like looking for a needle in a haystack in the beginning, but once you stumble across that little corner of the world, and find people who just get what you are doing, it will make your life so much easier.
INSPIRATIONS
The next group of people to talk about are the Inspirations. These are people who have created what you want to create and have achieved what you want to achieve. Finding these people will allow you to feel validated, seeing that what you want to do has been done before. If someone else can do it, so can you, right?
You can generally find these people on social media too. My advice would be to completely embrace this network of people, and, embody the whole vibe. Not only will you see and feel that your dreams are achievable, but by being surrounded by Inspirations you will feel more energised too.
It’s a wonderful feeling to be around people who believe they can achieve anything, highly motivated action-takers who go out into the world and totally kick-ass. It isn’t easy and it isn’t even that simple, but just seeing these people taking the world by storm can be highly inspirational and motivating.
DRAINS
Finally, we move on to the Drains. These are people who drain your energy. Sometimes, it’s not even intentional, but it is up to you to protect your energy. Making the decision to start a business can be really tough, especially if we aren’t overly confident about what we are doing and find ourselves wondering if we are doing the right thing.
In those early days, there can be so much going on in our heads without having to worry about judgment and justification. Unfortunately, this tends to come from your closest circle of people, your friends, and family, maybe even your colleagues.
Quite often, judgment comes from a good place, from people who want to help you and who have a vested interest in your happiness. Unfortunately, these people feel qualified to share their opinions, guidance, and advice with you, regardless of whether it is warranted, needed, or even requested from you.
It’s even worse having Drains in our lives when you embark on a business they know very little about. Perhaps they don’t understand why you chose the path you are going down. Whatever the reason, you have to remember you are creating a business that you want to thrive, something that feels good to you.
Whether you have chosen to do something that goes against the grain, is unusual, or is hard for your friends and family to understand, remember that as long as it aligns with your values and makes you happy, that’s all that really matters.
So, my advice would be, always protect your energy. When you hear judgment or unsolicited advice, remember what’s important to you and you alone, just because you are listening to other people’s opinions, doesn’t mean you have to do anything with it.
I heard a quote once that I love. It goes like this; “If you take advice from somebody, you are going to find yourself in their shoes, do you want their shoes to look good on you”? If someone is offering you advice who has been exactly where you are and has done exactly what you are doing, great! Heed that advice. But if the person giving it really has no clue, no experience at all, why on earth would you consider listening?
Be polite, thank you but no thank you, remember, protect your energy. The most important advice I can give is to believe in yourself and stay true to who you are. If you do that, you should end up creating a business that makes you feel happy and fulfilled. Lastly, if you don’t want to hear advice from people who you might label a Drain, don’t talk to them about your business. Choose instead to talk to people who are going to be positive, who are going to get it.
So, go out there, find your Supporters and surround yourself with your Inspirations. Choose the advice you heed carefully and most importantly, remember how awesome you are.