Featured Solopreneur Shauna Washington: “Stop Settling!”

This is “Featured Solopreneur,” an ongoing series that gives all of us a glimpse at how other solopreneurs operate their small businesses. Click Here to read more Solopreneur Success Stories.

Web site:
TheQuirkySolopreneur.com

What’s the catchy tagline?
I help quirky solopreneurs clear out the head junk holding them back, so they can make it big in business and in life!

When did you officially go into business?
2010

Why did you start your own business?
I actually kinda fell into it: I wanted to be a life coach but didn’t immediately realize that meant being a solopreneur!! But I know now I’m meant to be one! My big why is helping people to STOP SETTLING!!! It hurts down deep in my heart when I see others settling in their lives when there’s just so much possibility in them and in the world.

What was the best thing you did when you were starting up your business?

I realized I should get help instead of trying to do all this on my own. I joined masterminds and communities. I have a life coach and will be working with a business coach soon. It’s important that I have outside perspectives and the right questions to get better answers, as well as support from people who get where I’m coming from and where I’m trying to go.

What is your biggest current challenge in the business and what are you doing to solve it?
My *very* biggest challenge overall is me. I know I’m the only thing in my way. I have mindset blocks and can get emotional around my business. I work through that stuff with self-coaching and my own life coach. I have to manage being human and try to start a business at the same time — phew!! I know others are experiencing this same thing and I want to help them work through it all. I happen to be excellent at getting people past blocks and love that relieved sound in their voice at the end of sessions!

What lifestyle choices have you made to stay in business?
“Entrepreneurship is living your life for a while like most people won’t so you can live the rest of your life like most people can’t.” I’m struggling mightily right now in a lot of humbling ways, but I make sure to stay grateful and remember it’s all for a GREAT cause: my happiness and the happiness of those I touch.

What’s your advice for aspiring solopreneurs?
You can’t do it by yourself. Just accept that, and things will go a lot easier on you. Seek out other solopreneurs to meet with, even if it’s just to bitch and get a shoulder to cry on. They understand where normies don’t. Masterminds are fine but you also just need to lament without feeling you need to immediately suck it up and go back to being Superpreneur afterward.

Above all, be yourself, be human, be real and authentic and transparent and all that fluffy stuff. People respond much better to knowing you’re not so different from them. And DON’T use the third person on your bio, people!! It just looks weird!

If your business should fail, what is your fallback position?
As Larry said: There is no Plan B.