Hi, everyone and welcome to a special mini episode of Aspire, brought to you by Shopify.

So I'm asked all the time, how do you know when it's time to start your own business?

Now, a lot of people hesitate to start because of the same few stumbling blocks. Fear of failure is a big one. It's that

voice in your head that says, what if this doesn't work? What if I fail? Others worry about money,

believing they need a huge investment before they can even begin. And then

there's perfectionism, waiting for the perfect moment, the perfect product or the perfect plan

before taking action. The truth is, there is no perfect timing. And those doubts never fully go

away. The difference is deciding to move forward anyway, even in the face of uncertainty.

I started my first business for one simple reason. I just wasn't being paid what I thought I was

worth. I felt stuck, frustrated and ready for so much more. That moment became my why. And in this

episode, I'll help you discover yours so that you know when it's time

to stop waiting and finally take that first step. I want to be honest here that I did have a lot

of hesitation before striking out on my own. First, I didn't grow up around people that had

their own business. So I had no exposure and you can't be what you don't see.

Everyone I knew went to work at a traditional job to pay the bills. I really doubted my

ability to run something. I'm super dyslexic and the fear of that holding me back was really real

in my mind. What I did have, however, was confidence in my abilities and my gifts.

I had an unmatched work ethic, and I felt strongly that everything I'd been working on up to

that point meant that I had a foundation to launch. I tell you all this, because when you're

trying to find your why, it's likely that you'll first come up with a bunch of

why I can nots, which is actually quite helpful because when it comes to understanding your

weaknesses, it's invaluable to be objective.

...