Ep. 43 Outsiders Business Incubator

(1:50) “It’s easier than ever before to take control of your career and chart a new course, even after many years in the same position. This is in sharp contrast to the linear career paths of the past, where you would stay in the same profession, and even the same company, for your whole working life.”

(5:59) “You can take small steps, taking your time to explore what it is you really want to do, testing and validating business ideas, establishing yourself in a new field and developing a little business that fulfils your urge for learning and growth as well as bringing in an extra income.”

(6:37) “The reason is that learning about yourself, spending time finding out what you really love and what you’re actually good at, is hugely insightful and powerful. Starting a business is an incredible experience that is both challenging and exciting and will get you onto a steeper learning curve, bringing new ideas, new friends and all sorts of new and unexpected opportunities along the way. And simply having stepped out of your comfort zone and given yourself permission to explore other options will be hugely fulfilling and rewarding.”

*Resources mentioned during the episode*

Join the Outsiders Business Incubator programme– This is your roadmap to transitioning from a corporate job into setting up a meaningful business that will bring you more freedom, flexibility and fulfilment outside of the corporate 9 to 5. www.onestepoutside.com/9to5

The One Step Outside Facebook group– Join us over in the Facebook group to meet like-minded people who are working on reimagining success in their life and business and to get access to direct support and free training sessions from Anna. www.facebook.com/groups/onestepoutside

Outsiders Business Incubator

Transcript

Hello, hello there, and welcome back. Now, as you are listening to this, at least if you’re listening as it goes out, not perhaps if you’re listening many weeks or months or years afterwards, but if you’re listening to this right now in September 2019. We have an incredible group of inspired and inspiring men and women over in the One Step Outside Facebook group working right now on crafting their very own corporate escape plans. We talked about this last week and it is happening right now over in the Facebook group.

So together, we’re looking at why we want to leave our nine to five. What might get in the way of that? How we’re going to make this important decision, because it is a big and important decision that can have a lot of implications and consequences, both for ourselves and for people around us. Where we’ll get the support we need, and when is the big day when we will actually make our escape? Whether that escape is defined as quitting our job or going all in the business or whatever it might mean for you. Now, don’t worry if you’ve missed it. If you are listening today, you may still be able to hop on over to the Facebook group and catch the replays. But don’t worry, because this week we have even more support available to you as you begin to navigate your own journey, as you take those steps outside the nine to five.

Now, first of all, the good news. Yes, we like the good news, because it is easier than ever before to take control of your career and to chart a new course, even after you’ve spent many, many years in the same position. Now, this is really a big contrast and a big change compared to the linear career paths that we used to have. Maybe our parents, the baby boomers, where you would stay in the same profession and even in the same company sometimes for your whole working life. My grandparents both stayed, on my mother’s side at least, they stayed in the same company and for their entire lives really. So that’s a totally different model to what is the case now.

Apart from that of course, there is technology. Technology has evolved so that you can now work from anywhere. I mean, I’m speaking to you of course now from my home office here, I just have the microphone. The headphones that came with my piano, to be honest, they’re not even specific podcasting headphones. There you go, I’m admitting something to you, but I do actually now have a study set up. But other than this, I don’t need to go into a recording studio. I don’t need to go and have a meeting with you guys to have to talk to you, I can speak to you through the magic of this podcast. So I have a laptop, I have wifi, and that’s basically all I need to do the work I do.

Society, business have evolved as well. So there are so many more opportunities than ever before to leverage your skills in the so-called gig economy, whether you’re providing freelancing, consulting or starting some other kind of business. So whether you want to set out on your own and launch your own business, or perhaps you just want to change to a different kind of organisation. For many years I wanted to leave the corporate world and go into nonprofit. That’s what I thought I wanted from the beginning, or find a new way of working that works for you. You want more flexibility around a young family. You want to be able to travel. You want to move out into the countryside, whatever it is. So whichever of these scenarios you find yourself in, the fact is that this is absolutely possible. And it’s more feasible, dare I say it, easier than ever has been before.

So that was the good news. Now, the bad news, and I probably don’t need to tell you this, is that leaving behind a corporate role or career that is all you have ever known since school, is incredibly scary. So the entrepreneurial and freelancing world, and believe me, I experienced this myself as I left my corporate job, it is completely unfamiliar and alien. I came from a business and marketing background and I can tell you it is such a different thing to market and to sell yourself, your own business, than it is to market and sell a brand in an existing company with an existing infrastructure, team agencies and so on.

Building a business takes time. It’s hard to even know where to start, first of all, but even once you start, that magical so-called six steps to six figures formula simply doesn’t exist. And you may even have heard that statistic, it’s very bleak that most businesses fail in their first year, which is not very good news. However, I have more good news for you, because if you do find that the jump away from the comfort of a familiar job and stable salary and into the complete unknown is too scary, you do not have to do it. And we talked about this when we talked about should you quit your job? Why you’ll never quit your job, so go back to those episodes if you miss those or have a listen again. But the thing is, you don’t actually have to do it.

First of all, you don’t have to leave your job. If you’re very happy where you are, you probably wouldn’t be listening to me. So if you are then, go off and sail off into the sunset in your wonderful corporate job that you love and that serves you and your family exactly as you want it to. Or if you do want to change, but you still don’t want to take that massive leap, you don’t have to take that huge leap either. You don’t have to think in those black and white terms, you don’t have to quit your job today, start a business from scratch, a business that really needs to then bring in an income to support you and your family as of day one. That’s a lot of pressure to put on this business that you don’t even know yet if it’s viable. You don’t have to work out exactly what it is you’re going to do right now and make the changes overnight. And if you do do that, you might well put your loved ones, not to mention your own way of life, at risk.

So with the name of One Step Outside, you can imagine that I’m going to tell you, you can absolutely take small steps. You can take your time to explore what it is you really want to do. Testing, validating business ideas, establishing in a new field, and developing a little business that fulfils your urge for learning and growth, as well as bringing in extra income. So really is up to you. If you decide to keep that as a hobby then, or as an extra revenue stream, one of those very fashionable side hustles, or if you do love it so much and if you’ve built up both the business and your confidence enough to take that big step and make it a full time business.

Now maybe the best news is that whatever you decide, and I always say this, there is no right decision first of all. And second, you never will regret it. You’ll never regret having explored the different possibilities, even if you decide to then go back to a corporate job. So the reason for this is that learning about yourself, spending time, finding out what you really love and what you’re actually good at is hugely insightful and powerful for you. Starting a business is an incredible experience that is both challenging and exciting, and is going to get you onto that steeper learning curve. It’ll bring new ideas, new friendships by the way, and all sorts of new and unexpected opportunities along the way. And simply having stepped out of your comfort zone and given yourself permission to explore other options, is going to be hugely fulfilling and rewarding.

So again, whether you decide to pursue the business idea you decide on further, scrap it entirely, try a different idea, or to stay in the job you’re in and put that business plan away, put it on the shelf, trash it, whatever you decide to do with it, I guarantee that you will have changed your life for the better. So what are you waiting for? Because I am excited now to announce that the new group coaching programme to help you take your one step outside the nine to five is about to open for enrollment.

And in fact, if you’re listening today on Thursday, I want to say the 19th of September, 2019, we’ve just opened. And this is a revamped version of the programme. It’s the fourth time opening up the doors. And I’m incredibly excited to invite you to explore what this programme has to offer, and to really imagine what it could do for you in terms of helping you do all these things that we’ve been exploring over the last few weeks and months. Exploring, experimenting with what it is you want. Overcoming those fears of failure and the other barriers and mindset issues you’ve come up against, dealing with the objections of other people and so on. Getting really clear on that business idea and how you’re going to build it. And above all, having the accountability, the support, to actually take action and to stick with this and to fulfil your plan, fulfil your dream and ultimately escape that nine to five for good.

So with that in mind, I want to tell you a little bit more about the programme. So first of all, I totally get it. And you know this if you’ve been following me for a while, you know I was in your shoes back into them thirsty. And I took a good, hard look at myself and my CV and asked myself, “Is this really what I want to be doing the rest of my life?” And I had really, I always say this, I was not that entrepreneurial person with an incredible business idea. I was not the risk-taker. I was very much the good girl following that conveyor belt, the conventional path. Good school, good university, good job. And I would never have imagined that this world that I’m now part of and that I love and that it’s so vibrant and gives me everything I want in my life to be perfectly honest, I had no idea that was out there and that that was right for me.

So I’ve built my coaching and consulting business now, I’ve published two books with more on the way. I’ve run this podcast, which is a big achievement. I’m building a team as well. But more than all of these business results and of course helping people around the world, talking to you guys, it’s an incredibly fulfilling experience as well. I’ve been able to also travel the world while I’ve been setting up the business. I’ve made more time for friends and family, I’ve had a much more flexible lifestyle and have shaped this really location-independent business, and a lifestyle that is a hundred percent tailored to my own personal definition of success. And that really evolves over time, but I’ve been able to evolve the business as I’ve gone over time.

So if you are stuck in a stressful job that you just know isn’t allowing you to live up to your full potential, feeling lost, unsure of your next steps, unable to pinpoint that one true passion to follow. I know I’m like you, I have so many interests and I still do. It’s so hard to find that one business idea to follow and to pursue. If you’re maybe hesitant to turn your back on a successful corporate career, everything you know, an identity that’s rooted in a particular job, function, company culture. Maybe you’re full of great ideas, but you lack the knowledge and the experience to turn all these into a real business. Or very likely, you’re worried about replacing your current income and you’re looking for someone to guide you to success. Financial success, but also of course, more meaningful success in terms of getting that freedom, flexibility, and fulfilment.

If so, this is the programme for you because it’s really going to take you from a position of confusion, procrastination, towards a place of clarity, conviction and making a real impact in your business and in your life. So you’re going to get really clear on what you want to do. Overcome that all too common fear of failure and judgement  from other people, build your confidence and develop your skills as you figure out how you’re going to build a viable business. And get the support, the structure, the accountability that you need to actually go about implementing your plan, and taking that one step or many steps outside of the nine to five.

Now it’s a comprehensive 12-month online programme and community, and this is the change that I’ve made. It was previously a six month programme. I’ve expanded this, I’ve doubled the content, the length of time, the access you get and the support. So it’s a 12-month programme community, designed to help you figure out what you really want to do, come up with a workable plan and take steps to achieve it. You’re going to be encouraged to dream really big while also getting practical, getting into the nitty gritty, getting pragmatic advice and strategies to help you navigate this career and life transition. Now the commitment is for a full year. I know it’s a lot, but it’s in recognition of the major changes involved in making this transition. And so you can follow the programme at your own pace alongside a full-time job or other work and other priorities in your life.

I’d be lying to you if I told you this was a six week, fast fix that I could give you, boom, do a bit of online video watching, and then suddenly, ta-da, you have your dream life. No, I’m sorry. If you really understand, if you’re really committed to making this change, you’ll recognise. And certainly if you’ve been trying to do this on your own, you will recognise this is harder than you realise. It’s completely possible, but there are many moving parts, many elements, and you want to make sure you do it right. You want to make sure you’re building the foundation to make this a sustainable change and not just an exciting thing that you do on a whim, and then you regret it or you have to go back to a job afterwards.

So, just a bit more practically what you get in a programme. You get 24 seven access to the membership site. You get weekly now, so before we were doing fortnightly calls, you’re now going to get weekly live coaching and Q and A calls, where you can get one-on-one time with me and your specific situation within that group setting. You get access and membership to a private Facebook community. You’ll get fast support and answers and feedback from me, but of course also from other people who may well have great ideas for you. You’ll have milestones, checkpoints, that’ll hold you accountable and make sure you’re progressing. And there’ll be some other surprises along the way as well to really help you move forward.

Now, I’m going to take you step by step through the transition. Let’s be honest, there is no, and I always say this, there is no exact blueprint you can follow, mainly because the whole point here is that you’re re-imagining success. You’re creating your own lifestyle and career and business that’s unique to you. So I can’t give you an exact business model to follow. What I can do however, is guide you through the proven steps that are going to help you get that clarity, make that decision, and bring in my marketing business experience to help you build that business and then really making it happen.

So we have four different sections. Each section consists of three modules to make up the 12 modules over the 12 months. And the first one is the big picture. We’ll be defining what success looks like for you, addressing your fears and concerns, brainstorm your options. So again, dream big first before you narrow down your options. But next is decision time, because you are going to be establishing the parameters, the criteria for your transition, setting yourself up for success and committing to a plan of action, making that decision.

Next, we really move into the portion of the process where you’ve made that decision. You’ve committed to a path, and now you can actually do it. So you’re going to develop your business proposition, define your strategy and start to build an audience. Because again, if you’ve been following me for a while, you know that that’s one of the principles that you really need to start doing sooner rather than later, because you simply can’t just put up a website and hope that people will come to buy from you. You need to start building that personal brand and audience right away.

And then finally, making it happen. Hitting the ground, running, getting it done and troubleshooting when things, inevitably unfortunately, go wrong. And there’s lots of bonus content as well, so I share the tools and systems I use in my business. You’ll get the recordings of the calls, recommended books and all the frameworks and resources that I’ve ever created. So there is a lot of content on there, your won wonderful trainings and resources to work through.

Now, my role in all of this is threefold, really. I like to think of myself as your personal trainer. If you think, it’s very easy to get offtrack when you’re going it all alone. You may well be able to find the nutrition advice and exercises online, but really, working with a personal trainer is what’s going to give you that structure, the schedule, the tailored advice and exercises that’ll hold you accountable and make sure you’re following that path that’s really customised to you and reach your goals in the time that you’ve allocated.

But I’ll also be your cheerleader, because you will inevitably have dips in your confidence and motivation. And I love being that support network, as it were, in one person. Hooray, your little support network, your cheerleader, the one person who believes 100% in you. And I’ll be sending you emails, text messages, voice notes, whatever it takes to keep you excited, energised, and keep going above all. And then also, you can think of me a little bit as your business partner, because starting up on your own can be a lonely process. So I will be here to help you make those big decisions. And to be honest, I will care as much about your business as you do. And that’s a promise to you.

So if this sounds interesting, you can read more about the bits I’ve talked about plus many more, including some lovely messages from people who’ve been working through previous versions of the programme. You can look at the details of what’s included, and you can book a call with me, you can ask me … You can answer, you can read the answers to the frequently asked questions, excuse me, and that’s at onestepoutside.com/9to5, so nine and five are numbers. Nine, T-O, five, onestepoutside.com/9to5. That’s on the website.

Again, the doors are open today. If you can’t yet see the buy button, if you’re still seeing the waiting list, that’s because you’re an early bird. And I promise later today, this evening, and the doors are going to open. So if you’re interested as ever, you can send me an email. You can contact me at podcast@onestepoutside.com, podcast@onestepoutside.com. And again, you can visit the website, you can join the waiting list there to make sure you get the information. But tomorrow, if not today, you will have the buttons you’ll be able to already explore and grab your spot. We get started in a week or so. So I’ll get you all set up and ready to go. I’m also going to be doing a Q and A session next week. So if you have any questions at all, again, contact me, contact me via the website, here on the podcast, via Facebook, wherever you are, I’m here for you. I would love to help you.

Now take all this we’ve been talking about, take your big dreams and above all, take action. So again, the doors to the One Step Outside the 9 to 5, the new and improved, revamped, full comprehensive 12 month extravaganza that is the One Step Outside the 9 to 5 programme, is now about to open. And I can’t wait to invite you in and support you in achieving your dreams. So thanks so much, and I will see you next week, and hopefully I will see you in the programme.

*Nicolas: “I had a few fears, the mains were what I would do. How I would sustain a living and subsitute the income, the salary income. And so I was a little bit overwhelmed. Where would I start, basically. I had already witnessed the power of a mentor, the power of a community and a of network too. That’s definitely an investment, but also I have to say that what gave me confidence, is that I had a good feel that was telling me you were the right person to guide my steps, my first steps. And that was enough for me to make the step.

My starting point was very much, “Okay, what do I start with? Or where do I start from?” And I firstly followed the method that you provide. And for me, that was very much enlightening as starting with what I call the foundation modules of the visions and the mindsets, are really where I needed to focus. And I did the work seriously, and it really helped me to shape that vision, and everything after that actually unfolded more naturally. So now I’m very exciting to work on this project because I know it ticks the boxes of the envisioned lifestyle.

 I also enjoy very much the fact that in your community and in the way you preach, you don’t impose any specific direction and you encourage everyone to come back to what makes sense with them. And then you guide, as long as they have this broader picture, then you give clues and you guide the way, but you don’t force a direction more than another. I could also witness my confidence building up as I was progressing along this journey in your programme from the feedback of people.

So yeah, I would simply encourage people to get in touch, to read your content, because you have already posted a lot on your various channels. And that’s what I started with. I started to read your content, and to have a feel of whether that was the right tone or relevant content for me. The workshopping content also, I believe, is a great way to have a live feel of how things work, to have a direct access to you as well, and to have some practical tests of the content that you provide. To me, it was really a game-changer, in it really convinced me to make that step. This is demanding at a personal level, which requires commitment, consistency, and motivation.”

WORK WITH ANNA

Let us help you design a business and a life that gives you freedom from the 9 to 5. There are several options for how you can work with us. Choose the programme that’s right for you.

The Outsiders Business Incubator

A year-long business incubator for experienced corporate professionals who want to translate their skills and passions into a profitable and fulfilling business. onestepoutside.com/9to5

The Outsiders Business Accelerator

An ongoing mastermind for service-based business owners, freelancers and online entrepreneurs who are ready to achieve success on their own terms. onestepoutside.com/accelerate

The Outsiders Business Academy

A self-paced course for you to work through in your own time, to learn – and implement – the foundations of building a profitable business that lets you escape the 9 to 5. onestepoutside.com/course

1:1 Coaching & Mentoring

If you’re looking for one-to-one support to help you achieve your specific life and business goals, Anna has a limited number of spots for individual coaching and mentoring. onestepoutside.com/course