The best way to learn how to do anything is to learn it from someone who has already done it. You wouldn’t learn how to speak French from someone who doesn’t know French. So why learn how to run a business from someone who hasn’t done so?
Yet, there are certain skills that a person needs to know, no matter what they’re doing in life. Those skills will be useful whether you’re a business owner, someone working a salaried job, a freelancer or even a homemaker.
Vulnerability
One of those skills is vulnerability, as defined by Brené Brown. In common parlance, it can even be referred to as “putting yourself out there.” Vulnerability can mean speaking what’s on your mind, even if you’re afraid of what the other person is going to say. Or it can mean starting a business even when you’re not sure whether it’s going to be successful.
Asking for a Raise
There are certain situations in which vulnerability can really help you out. For example, let’s say you want a raise. Maybe you’ve been earning the same amount at your company for the last few years and think that you deserve a raise. But maybe your boss is not someone who is easy to speak to and you don’t want to make yourself vulnerable by talking to him/her about a raise.
In such cases, you can remind yourself that the worst thing that’s going to happen is that they’ll say no. You’re not going to lose your job just because you asked for a raise. So it would be good to be vulnerable or to put yourself out there.
Starting a Business
But what if vulnerability involves taking a risk? What if you are making yourself vulnerable by leaving your job and starting a business? In that case, you have everything to lose. You might end up without a job and without a successful business too.
In such cases, obviously you might want to make sure that you have some kind of safety net. Maybe you can save up enough money to live on for a few years so that if your business doesn’t take off, you won’t be strapped for cash. Plus, you can also make sure that you come up with a good business plan which covers all your bases.
Eventually, however, remember that you will have to make that leap. You will have to make yourself vulnerable. You will have to put yourself out there. That’s the only thing which will help you to achieve your dream.
