Written by: Regyna Curtis, Executive Contributor
Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise.
As you grow your business, you will likely come to a point (maybe several times) where you know you need help, yet are not sure where to find it or how to obtain it.
It is important to remember, that as an entrepreneur, we experience the past, present, and future of our business at all times. This can make it overwhelming to pinpoint the exact need and align the most beneficial solution in order to keep moving forward effectively.
One of the most potent themes I’ve experienced myself, and often with my clients and peers, is the importance of community as we navigate the expansion and growth of our business. This is an area that requires intentional action and devoted engagement as we cultivate these relationships to align with our unique and evolving needs — both as business owners and as individuals.
In my corporate life, I had the benefit of working in many roles where I had access to entire teams of people supporting my efforts with everything from tech support to sales, and every step along the process. In many cases, I would take an idea into action and manage the process along the way, while only fully responsible for completing a few specific elements completely on my own.
At the time, I experienced much frustration while awaiting the completion of all these moving pieces that I was dependent on others for. As an entrepreneur, I now experience a longing for collaboration and the ability to lean on someone else's expertise in areas where I could use more support.
Is there a happy medium?
There are many ways you can bring in help, including:
Outsourcing certain elements of your work
Collaboration with peers
Building a supportive community that is willing and able to provide guidance, share resources, and even step in and lend a hand when needed
I see these things happening all the time. Often, they happen organically through friends and business networks, however, you can build them intentionally into your business strategy. In fact, I recommend it. This process will evolve as you evolve, the focus of your business shifts, your access to resources changes, or your priorities adjust. Keep this in mind and allow for systems and structures that are supportive and also flexible.
The following is an exercise to help you if you are feeling stuck about which direction to go as you navigate a moment of expansion in your business.
There are three areas we will explore here:
1. What you have — your current situation, business ecosystem, practices, strategies, etc. — I'll go into that in a moment 2. What you need — both from a business standpoint and from an individual's standpoint—from your perspective as a human
3. What you offer — we'll go into what this means and why it’s super important in a bit
Consider first, what you have. Use the following questions to help you explore your current business systems and strategies:
What are the elements of your business?
What is the unique rhythm or timing of your offers, your communication, your life?
How are these elements supported?
Do you have automated or semi-automated digital support?
How much of your process is manual?
Does it need to be?
Does it need to be done by you?
If not, what would someone else look like? Who would be the most aligned support for you?
What is the flow of your business?
How do things people money etc. come in and out?
How is this managed or supported?
Now, use this information to consider what you need. From a business standpoint, break this into categories of:
Human power
Automation and information flow
Creativity
Systems and strategies (conceptual)
Time
Money
Let's explore what you offer.
I’m not referring to your business products or services per se. Make a comprehensive list of the gifts that you have to offer. Use the following questions to inspire you as you create your list:
What do your friends ask you for advice on or assistance in doing?
What comes most easily to you as a business owner?
As a friend? A parent, a partner, a sibling, etc.
What do people often compliment you on or express envy about?
Which household chores do you happily take on?
Which errands?
What are your most sacred rituals, practices, and routines?
What are your passions?
How are you creative?
This list contains clues to your superpowers. The things that come easily or feel natural to you are often most sought out from you by others; they need your energetic match to support their needs. You can use this same process now to help you understand—identify useful language for—the
superpowers you seek from someone else—the energetic match for your needs. You can now go back through the question prompts in a different way to assist you in forming this language:
What do you find yourself asking friends for advice on or helping you complete?
What tasks drain your energy, frustrate you, or even bore you as a business owner?
As a friend? A parent, a partner, a sibling, etc.
What do you feel most envious of in your friends, family, or business network?
Your mentors? Those you admire?
What do you find yourself complimenting others on—even strangers?
Which household chores and/or errands do you avoid?
Which routines or practices can you not seem to stick with, but either want to or feel you should?
What things, topics, or experiences get you most fired up or annoyed?
In what areas of your life or business do you feel least creative?
You now have a powerful compilation of attributes that both serve you well and slow you down, or at times are destructive to your successful progression. You have descriptive language to help you identify what you need, how and when you need it, and who or what is best aligned to support you with those needs.
You have also have a wealth of gifts to choose from when considering your contributions to potential collaborations and communities.
As entrepreneurs, we can get accustomed to doing things by ourselves. We spend a lot of time in awareness of our needs, and this can overshadow, at times, all that we have to offer—merely because we may not be involved frequently enough with others who reflect this back to us. Our awareness of our own gifts can become limited to those that we engage with on a regular basis—like our clients and all the processes we manage on the back end of our business.
Community is essential for entrepreneurs. It helps us expand our own horizons, share the load, and keep growing. If you are looking for what direction to take next as you expand your business, really sit with the answers to the questions in this activity. Then look to your trusted communities for support as you take aligned action.
Regyna Curtis, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine
Regyna Curtis is a soul wisdom mentor, art channel, speaker, and internationally bestselling author on the subjects of spirituality and creativity.
With over 40 years of experience living as an intuitive being, Regyna has achieved fluency in the language of her soul. She is an expert in interpreting soul wisdom languages, supporting and empowering entrepreneurs and creators in finding their confidence and clarity to create in authentically soul-aligned ways.
A natural storyteller with a gift for relaying complex concepts in relatable, useful, and entertaining ways, working with her takes you on an adventure of self-discovery as she weaves in insights from her journey throughout the physical and spiritual realms. Regyna is a sought-after contributing author, podcast guest, workshop facilitator, founder of her soul-led business Atmaitri, host of the Soul Wisdom Exchange podcast, and an enthusiastic world traveler.
