Ten Years and Top Tips

This month marks the ten-year anniversary of the launch of my business, Bergen Street Strategy LLC, a coaching and consulting service and now parent company to Tide Risers.

I’m not sure how the time has raced by as quickly as it has. It’s been a busy period of my life: coaching outrageously talented individuals, boosting organizations’ communications and fundraising prowess, managing a quickly growing movement, raising two daughters with my husband, rescuing rambunctious mystery breed dogs, orchestrating an international move, and re-learing how to drive on the wrong side of the road.

It’s been a whirlwind, and also the best work years of my life (and I’ve had some great gigs so that’s saying something!).  

Ten years ago I was what you would call a Necessity Entrepreneur.

I didn’t want to leave my job and start my own gig. But after having my first daughter (yes, she’s ten too!) I realized the workstyle I had become habituated to was no longer going to cut it for me. Eating three meals a day at my desk, sleeping with the Blackberry by my head, dreaming about spreadsheets, constantly prioritizing work over all else -- this wasn’t going to allow me to do the kind of parenting I wanted to do.

With great regret, I resigned my position at the job I loved. And in the same breath pitched them on a part-time consulting gig for a program I had helped design. I was lucky to have had the experience of previously working in small businesses and creative agencies in deeply competitive environments, as that prepared me well for the sales and client-retention skills all small-business owners must master.

The path I chose enabled me to pursue meaningful, rewarding work, while having time to be a parent.

(And a wife, friend, sister, daughter, etc. for that matter.) The flexibility has allowed me to reinvision my coaching practice, leading to the creation of Tide Risers. It has given me the flexibility to move from Brooklyn to London to fulfill a rather relentless sense of adventure, and to give my kids a wider world-view. Also it’s been a ton of fun, and I’ve met and worked with some of the most amazing people who I never would have otherwise met.

So in addition to celebrating my ten-year anniversary, I am also choosing to celebrate the moment I found my way.

My way into a framework for meaningful employment that enabled me to live the life I wanted to lead. One that made time for my children without sacrificing my autonomy, one that opened doors to the flexible work arrangement that would enable me to live where I want to live, and one that allowed me to do so within a powerful network of supportive, creative, brilliant work partners (I’m looking at you, Tide Risers!).  

To celebrate this ten year anniversary, I’m offering a discount to my usual hourly coaching rate.

If you are interested in partnering with me to find a meaningful pathway forward, click here to learn more about my coaching services. 

But I also wanted to take the opportunity to impart a few lessons I have learned along the way for entrepreneurs, intrapreneurs, and small business owners of all kinds:

Find your Emprise, not your Enterprise.

An emprise is an adventurous, daring undertaking. The word was established in the English language during the 13th century to describe the bold and chivalrous adventures of knights. At Tide Risers we have decided to reappropriate the word to describe a pathway forward that is supportive of and fulfilling to every aspect of your life. In other words it’s an undertaking that will provide fulfillment and meaning. 

When you think about what’s next for you, dare to choose a bigger life that truly brings you fulfillment. This may not be the obvious next step on the ladder for you, and may require creative thinking and uncomfortable choices. But don’t fear the pursuit of the unexpected.  

Locate Every Skill You Have. 

The breadth of skills needed to steer an entrepreneurial ship is huge. You have to have talent and experience and a real desire to also do the following: market analysis, consumer research, sales, self-promotion, bookkeeping, and tons and tons of admin. If you get lucky and can turn enough of a profit early on to hire people to do some of these things for you, do it. But chances are there will be multiple skills you’ll need to master that will put you well outside of your comfort zone, experience, and training. You need to be ready for that rather humbling experience. Our Tide Risers curriculum helps people locate skills they never knew they had, which is a helpful place to start when seeking your emprise.

The Only Constant Is Change

Every year for ten years now I have thought longingly of a future time when I could declare my business model ‘finalized’ and ‘codified’. Turns out I’ve tweaked and tweaked every single year, making it better and stronger every time. And then of course four years ago I launched an entirely new business on top of the one I already had. But change is a good thing. We must be prepared to adapt our practices as we learn what our clients’ needs are, and adapt our services and resources to best serve them. 

Stop Moving Your Own Goal Posts

It’s hard enough to be a small business owner, but when you’re battling your inner critic while battling a thousand other issues, it’s much harder. Determine small, attainable success metrics, spend time imaging what big success will look like and feel like to you, and write it all down. Celebrate every small success along the way, and don’t beat yourself up if and when you don’t meet your metrics. It’s only a failure if you don’t take some learning from it, so try to look at missteps with a curious eye and openness to change.

Don’t Do This Alone.

It really is lonely at the top. You’ll have to make uncomfortable, and sometimes painful, decisions. Oftentimes you’ll be faced with a plethora of options and no roadmap to help you determine the right way forward. You’re going to need to find a trusted person or people to walk through these moments with you. It is essential to have a neutral, third party observer who can help you reflect and deliberate without the natural biases of friendship and family. (Shameless plug: I love serving as that person in my role as a coach.)

If you’re reading this, it’s likely that you have played a role in the success of Bergen Street Strategy and/or Tide Risers.

Thank you so much for supporting me and my team for ten fulfilling, adventure-filled years of small business ownership. Here’s to the next ten!