10 Years in Business: 10 Lessons I’d Keep
Ten years in business will teach you a few things. Some lessons come through wins, some through pressure, and some you only learn the hard way. As we approach this milestone, I started asking myself: what principles have actually shaped the way I lead, work, and build?
Here are 10 that I’d keep if I had to start over.
01 Uplevel your Leadership.
The greatest ROI in business isn’t a marketing channel, a hire, or a system — it’s developing your leadership. It affects every other area either positively or negatively. The choice is yours, and nobody can or will make it for you.
02 Find the expert.
VAs are highly skilled professionals, and not everyone can do the job. It's not as easy as it looks. It requires a very specific mindset, tenacity, high-capacity shifting ability, and HEART! It cannot be done mindlessly, and those who make it look easy are HIGHLY skilled and talented.
Client Perspective: Please don't be fooled into thinking anyone can step in and collaborate with you, manage your to-do list, strategize and create a marketing plan, or coordinate your schedule and/or team. If you haven’t hired someone better than you at the task you want to delegate, frustration is guaranteed. Find the expert - and yes, they do exist!
03 Proactivity wins!
We might use the word proactive a lot, but trust me, it's everything. Working reactively - and even living life reactively - will burn you out 10 times out of 10. Do whatever it takes to flip that switch.
04 Goal Tending
Evaluate your goals often. Are they actually serving the life you want to build? I don’t write mine down, but I do regularly revisit whether my workday aligns with the life I desire to live.
05 Adapt Strategically.
Shifting, pivoting, and adjusting your sails is inevitable. Just plan for it. Expect it. Then, when it happens, you're not caught off guard and scrambling. You're standing on solid ground and prepared.
06 Keep an eye on your WHY.
Helping people is literally everything. Framing our work with this principle has not only kept us going, but it keeps our priorities aligned with our purpose. It makes the hard days worth the battle and is a wonderful reason to get up each day and jump right back into it.
07 Rest is strategy.
Honestly, I'm still taking refresher courses on this from time to time. It's not a natural strength of mine, but if I recognize it as a strategy and something I can practice and develop, it becomes an opportunity I don't want to miss. The rewards are present every time, and they keep me coming back to refine the process!
08 Room to grow
It's completely okay to say, "I don't know." Viewing this as a strength will cause you to win every time. Saying “I don’t know” creates room to learn, collaborate, and make better decisions.
09 Prioritize Time.
You can't buy back your time. I know... we hear it all the time. But of all the things you can buy, time isn't one of them. Take a minute to really consider what this means for you, your family, and your life.
10 Team matters.
Team matters more than your next sale. This isn't a sales ploy or an opportunity to "click the link and schedule a call"! Of course, we'd be thrilled to meet you and provide you with the best teammate you could imagine, but more than anything, I'd just love for you to know the importance of building an incredible team. It'll change your business and your life.
Communication is the name of the game!
BONUS!
Clarity prevents more problems than talent solves. Unspoken expectations create unnecessary friction. Clear communication is not a soft skill — it’s an operating system.
Ten years in, I’m grateful for the lessons, the people, and the chance to keep refining as we grow. More than anything, I hope this reminds you that building something meaningful is possible
— and that how you build it matters.
Talk Soon,
Tracy
