Your business is growing.

Sales are strong.

But inside…

You still want more.

You think,

“This isn’t fun anymore, do I need to start a different business?”

“I’m not sure I want to do this for another 20 years?”

“This is boring, I can do better than this.”

Your business may be growing, but your belief system is right where you left it.

There are stages of awareness that successful and fulfilled business owners move through as they grow. Each phase of business will teach you a different lesson. It is up to you as the owner to learn from these experiences and evolve into what the market is asking from you. Awareness is a lifelong practice and it can be gained and lost. It can be hard to see some of the things we learn about ourselves… but you must look.

The 6 stages of awareness of a business owner

Stage 1: Protecting yourself

This phase is about Safety. Most people never make it past this phase. The primary focus remains on safety and keeping your surroundings stable. In this phase, the main objective is to feel seen, heard, and respected. You strive for belonging and acceptance. The problem with this mindset is that it limits your potential. You use all of our energy and creativity to build a safe and comfortable life. This limits your potential as this only serves you. Your inventiveness is not seen by anyone else as your art provides no safety to others.

How do you know when you are in this first phase?

1. You think too much about financial sustainability
2. You are constantly trying to stay busy
3. You use your business to justify how hard you are working
4. You are a perfectionist
5. You are always ready with an excuse
6. You are always looking for shortcuts
7. You are unwilling to see or to change despite the data right in front of you that suggests otherwise
8. You are always hunting for a reason to prove that you are not worthy or not enough. Then you recite that one example over and over to avoid doing the most important work.

Stage 2: Protecting your close circle

In this phase, you see the beauty in your friends and family. You develop a passion for their passions. It becomes just as interesting to participate in their world as much as your own. You may even sacrifice your own dreams in favor of developing theirs. Parents of children can relate to this sacrifice as you begin to see the importance of your child’s success and the impact it will have on the world. Business owners need to be careful in this phase as they will often prematurely jump into business partnerships that could later become problematic.

Stage 3: Protecting your tribe

When you are a successful and inspirational business leader, people will be drawn to you. In this phase, you will develop a love for a group of people. Some of these people may be complete strangers. The love you develop isn’t for the people themselves, but a love for the cause you support. This love will be stronger than anything you may have felt before. This is because it is likely the first time a group of people has looked at you as a hero. You are serving a tribe of people that are looking to you for help. As you show your love for them, they will love you back.

Stage 4: Serving your community

This phase is when service comes into play. By this time, you have spent enough of your effort serving yourself and your causes. You begin to notice opportunities to share your unique abilities with the community. You love your business, but you love sharing your gift with those who appreciate it. This service is not limited to volunteer positions but can include any act of service that lends your abilities to an outside cause.

Stage 5: Sharing your art with the marketplace

You are being called. In this phase, you begin to feel. Emotions become strong and you can no longer hold back your art. You chose to ignore the resistance and the fear of rejection. You have had too much success to deny it any longer. In this phase, you are excited to share and be shared with. You know you can make a difference and that the marketplace is asking for what you provide.

Stage 6: Impact driven

Impact. Making a difference. Be the change.
In this phase making a change is all you can think about. A new degree of intention is born and brings a higher level of intensity into your work. You feel inspired and look forward to inspiring others. Making the change you seek to make becomes your mission and your life’s work.

No matter where you are in these phases of awareness, you can change. You are in control of your work and the changes you seek to make. Growing your business is great… Making an impact is better.

Are you stuck in one of these phases? I help business owners get unstuck and take back control. Click HERE to schedule a call to see how I can help!