How can you feel like an entrepreneur?

Just a heads-up: this is a long blog post packed with information for entrepreneurs on how to approach entrepreneurship, dealing with family and friends, and improving your marketing. It also covers how to think about social media (especially if you’d rather not think about it at all). So here’s a heads-up: you’ll end up with plenty of ideas and start feeling like an entrepreneur. Entrepreneurship is definitely a second passion of mine alongside hypnosis, and if I can help entrepreneurs with their businesses, I think that’s great. This blog is therefore very useful for entrepreneurs, especially if your challenges are similar to Kelly’s.

Recently I helped Kelly, she runs her own massage business for holistic massages and cupping. But now she's running into the problem of not feeling like an entrepreneur. A great way to find out how hypnosis helps you feel like an entrepreneur after all. In any case, research already shows that hypnosis can help you move forward in all areas of your life, and so can entrepreneurship[1].

It is important for entrepreneurs to feel like an entrepreneur. Because research shows that the identity an entrepreneur has determines many of the steps he or she takes for entrepreneurship[2].

This is what I talked to her about.

Part of the reason she felt this way was that many people would say to her, “So, are you job hunting again? Are you looking for a ‘real’ job yet?” This really bothered her, but that trigger alone isn’t the solution to feeling like an entrepreneur.

For example, she doesn't feel like a born entrepreneur, is unsure if she can do it and all that kind of negative stuff.

She also finds it difficult to engage with the Web site.

But when she's busy with clients, that's when she feels all entrepreneurial and good. Then she is happy with her clients.

She also believes she came to earth to reconnect people. The head and heart.

But so she is stuck with the story that she is not an entrepreneur and that it is not for her.

I am not an entrepreneur

If you’re thinking, “I’m not an entrepreneur,” then I have a great suggestion for you—one I also gave to Kelly.

“Every child is born with an entrepreneurial spirit. Just think about it : if you don’t set any limits for them , they’ll keep taking initiative. Everything is open to them. When it comes to entrepreneurs, we’ve all been one at some point. Everyone is born with an entrepreneurial spirit, though with different qualities. At our core, we’re all entrepreneurs.”

She did recognize this from her time in childcare. She started getting teary-eyed and then I asked what was happening to her.

Kelly: “Yes, I’m starting to feel this fear that: ‘Soon everyone will see me.’ If I really put myself out there… yes, maybe that’s exactly it—I’m afraid to step into my light. I find it nerve-wracking to really go all in on something, but at the same time, it feels like this is truly 100% what I’m meant to do here.”

"Yes, they do" I said.

It's also exciting to step into your light, but worst-case scenario fails. Then the situation is the same as it is now.

So is this place where you are now bad? Ask yourself where you are now and is it bad to stay there?

Kelly, for example, was actually quite busy already. She already had clients, so it wasn't a bad starting situation at all.

Then I wondered what the problem was then? She had already started, already had clients, so what is it? Is it stopping the benefit?

Kelly: “Yes, I’m worried that I won’t have enough clients to make ends meet, because right now I’m really stressed about money since my benefits are low. I write a lot of things down, but I’d like to earn 3,000 euros net per month.”

Then I pointed out that you would have to have 6,000 euros in sales. She then wondered if that is possible at all. And yes, per month it should be possible.

Then I gave her the suggestion:

"We are all born entrepreneurs, but that doesn't mean we have all the skills ... We have to learn: walking, talking, reading, eating ... What you have learned now actually almost all your life, like most people, is to be a very good employee ... You learn that in school ... you learn: you have to study, you have to get high grades, you have to ... as high as possible, educate yourself, because then you'll have a good job ... Basically, education is still aimed at getting you to work for somebody ... So you've learned that your whole life. Well, yeah, then there's also no surprise that you think, 'Jesus, what am I supposed to do?' Still skills, so the skills you have to learn is marketing."

She found this very relatable, since she knows nothing about starting her own business she doesn't know where to start.

Then I tipped her off to the book MBA in a nutshell. It covers everything from marketing to finance. You don't have to read a book like that all the way through, just the parts you need the knowledge for at the time.

Like marketing and your visibility. She said that she also follows a lot of people and that she compares herself to them.

Then I said, "Stop that, just listen to me 😉 ...for now. You have customers. There are very nice ones among them and maybe also fine people, but less nice... But there are customers among them where you think 'this one is top, if I have 100 of those, that's totally awesome.'".

They recognized that.

“Do you have any friends? Do you have anything in common with them?”

Yes, her best friend also has her own business.

"So the five people you interact with the most, that's what you're most like. Your clients have this too. So when you're with a client you can ask: Do you maybe know other people in your area who could also use this? Then I have a gift certificate for them for 50% off or first massage free ... I don't know ... Then you give your best clients a gift certificate, that also makes them feel very good. That person is satisfied and then they can schedule their next appointment right away."

About this, she thought: Isn't that intrusive? Should I be doing that? Maybe they don't want it?

"That's true, but then they say it. It's more of a "disservice" if you don't do it. In the perfect world, we go to the gym 1 time and we are fit forever. One apple and then we have enough forever. But it's not like that. Even at the gym you have a subscription, and you go there all the time.

So that's why, if they're nice people you can ask if they want to schedule a follow-up appointment. That takes some getting used to, but at some point you get the hang of it. After 10 times it gets easier, after 100 times it's easy, and after 500 times you're selling all kinds of subscriptions and ...I don't know."

She then indicated that she does indeed have clients she returns to on a monthly basis. I asked her how that had come about. Then she had simply asked.

Because sometimes she’s really in the zone, and then she just goes for it. She even sent a WhatsApp message once, and that went well, too.

So that was already succeeding. She already had two strategies for keeping clientele well, namely asking during a massage session. The second strategy, of the message, you can also automate that. Like with an email list. Then, if someone hasn't responded after 3 weeks you can automatically send them an email about whether it's time for another appointment.

So she didn't know that, but I happen to really like marketing. So ask for email addresses.

And keep an eye on people's birthdays, too. That's the holiday. Then send a card calling for a session at the discounted age.

So I went to further excite her with this suggestion. I created an image of what it could be like. Stimulating the imagination.

"Those people, they're going to talk about it, because they hardly get a ticket from people anymore. But they do from you from Kelly ... Is that the new girlfriend? No, that's the masseuse ...Well, she's a top woman ...Oh then I'll go there too (says the other person then) ... Those are tactics. And at some point you ram full and then you throw your price up ... economics is very simple: supply and demand. If there is a lot of demand, you know, that then the price goes up. If there is little supply, the price goes up. If there's a lot of supply and little demand, yeah, the price goes down ... So you don't want that ... You can't massage 100 people in a day, that's not going to work ... How many can you massage a day, like 4 or 5? (Kelly: Yes, 5, 4) Just imagine, 5 times a week ... Then you have 25 a week ... Yes, you also have to do your marketing, your bookkeeping ... this that ... the website, boom boom ... Well, you don't even necessarily have to have a website if it's just going well, that's fine ... But at some point you think ... maybe it would be nice, a website. Well, then you think: yeah, but I don't have any ... where's my own time, man? If you have no other life, it's fine ... If you have no life, you can just work all day. But at some point you think: yes, wait a minute ... I do like having a life ... I want to play sports. I want to do something with my girlfriends, um, maybe a partner? Maybe this ... What you have all around you, but that's also convenient to spend time on that, of course ...But in the beginning it's actually: you've already started, and that's really convenient, because then you can start building on your existing clientele."

Bad vibes from people around you

Her business has also been around for four years, but she was stuck in that negative mindset that it wouldn’t be her “main job.” That little voice kept coming back, telling her she didn’t believe in it, and it really got to her.

So how do you deal with that? I said then just don't deal with those people and if it's your family (because her sister said it too), then less so. I went on to suggest:

“Three, spend more time with people who do have that mindset… Because it’s really strange that you’re telling that story… Because you’re already doing it… People are happy, people are at peace. You’re already doing it; people even come back every month… So who’s the one complaining then? You ask back: do you have customers who come back every month? No, then shut up… Yeah, sorry, but to put it very bluntly in Zaans dialect…Look, if you have all those kinds of people around you—and a lot of people don’t have entrepreneurs or business owners in their circle…—then you need to take a good look at what those people (who are salaried employees and don’t believe in it) are doing and then do the exact opposite. That’s your best shot at success. So when they say, “Yeah, but watch out for this,” you think, “Oh, then I shouldn’t watch out for that,” or “Well, I wouldn’t do that,” and you think, “Then I’m definitely going to do that.” That’s always better… And then take a moment to think it through yourself. Is that a good idea? But seriously, take a cue from those people and do exactly the opposite.

About looking smart at other entrepreneurs

"Um, if you don't have any further examples ... or look at people (who do business) and not be like 'Oh my gosh, how well are they doing' No, what are they doing well? Because they don't do everything well necessarily. And on the back end, everybody has their problems and miseries ... me too, everybody ... So you shouldn't look at that either, oh what are they all doing well ... Well, you don't know the back end at all. So, so then you also have to look that side ... But it's useful to see what strategy are they implementing? What's convenient? Oh, they're doing this ... Oh, maybe I should start doing that too or giving away freebies and, say, an e-book. Yes, but I don't feel like doing that. That's why I say to you, giving away free is, for example, that gift certificate for your best clients. "I think it's so cool that you come back every month. I want to give you something, here you have a gift certificate for yourself, for somebody else and for yourself, or I don't know. You get a massage oil from me with it. I think it's so cool that you're coming to me, please. And I have a gift certificate for someone, who also wishes you this" well, bomb ... And then you have another new client and so you build it up.... And then no one knows what you're doing, no one sees you being a boss on social media per se, but what you're just doing, it's just alone with these nice people picking out who probably knows someone too ... Boom, and a gift certificate and that's how you slowly expand that under the radar, you know. That's how they did it before the Internet."

Social media you don't have to worry about either.

Kelly also worried about social media and that she would then have to spend all day on it. But that's not at all convenient for most entrepreneurs, because how are you going to do massage and social media at the same time?

In doing so, it is also not (always) necessary.

I gave her the following suggestion about this, to get out of the feeling that she needed social media. It's fun, but it's certainly not the only way to get clients.

""Imagine, I would start all over again. Then I really don't start on social media. Don't feel like it at all. I'm going to watch it, okay. Who is my target audience? What do they need? What do they need? Who is already doing what I am doing? Can I be number one in the market? If no, oh, okay, maybe number two. If no, I won't even go into it. Or if I really think it's totally the sh*t and it doesn't interest me then move on with it, also fine, then I'll look at how can I build locally? Maybe a press release? Maybe there, you know. And that's how I'm going to start, the local exposure. How do I get existing customers to come in more often? Well, you're already doing that, that's top. And there's actually three ways, huh. One, bring in new customers to grow your business. Well, that actually makes sense. Two, getting those customers to buy more at once. So for example, "Hey, book a massage, would you like an oil with it? That McDonald's tactic, huh. But can be super boring ... So I'd like the benefit menu ... Would you just leave it? Because one euro you have ... But that one euro is exactly the margin what they making them get really really rich ... if they don't do it. Yes, the joint would already be gone ..., but what do you have to do for massage: "Do you want the 60 or the 90 minutes? Or 30 or 60? You can think about that too ...more time if you feel like it, at all and ... do you want to do with or without oil with it? But with, okay, is 5 euros extra ... "Do it then" ... but five euros or €2 right? Totally. The oil will cost you €2 for a bottle. So then you can earn €20 on a €2 sale...You've earned another extra, extra so. So that's the second way. And the third way is well, keep existing customers coming back and buying more often. And actually that one is also, get new customers to come in."

Your own mindset

She understood this, too, but then she shared a bit more about her own feelings. She noticed that when she got really stressed out, the business didn’t run smoothly. But when she felt good, the business actually ran well. So she wanted to stay in that flow.

I also refer to that flow as the “mindset of abundance.” The other (negative) flow is the “mindset of scarcity.” I offered the following suggestion regarding this:

"When you start from the strategy, from so yourself, you're standing there thinking, 'Oh yeah, I do that gift card. Oh yeah, I um, I just ask my customer, can you do other people? Oh, I add the upsell of: "Do you want with or without oil? Do you want this?" And you start, so you're automatically already in abundance, because all you're thinking about is abundance of, "Oh, I can sell all that with it. Oh, I can, oh, that one, oh, that's a nice person.' Maybe he still knows three girlfriends of hers or his, three friends, I don't know ... And then you automatically sit like that, and all of a sudden you're so busy that you think, 'My God, I'm making 15,000 here in the month and I'm going crazy. Are you that good at spending, because I don't even have time?' What the heck, do you have another problem then. Well, until before that happens, we're years away, but, hey. Then you will naturally have another problem: time, but for now, the problem is not all of that. The problem is knowledge shortage, and I'm giving that (knowledge) now. And then you just have to do it."

You can then do the math. Suppose each client gives 1 new client? And that one more knows someone. Then this can grow very quickly as a snowball effect.

Now, for the first time, I asked her how it feels now when she thinks about this. That's a check you perform as a hypnotherapist to see if all your suggestions have already had the desired effect on your client's problem, feeling.

But she still suffered from the "I need to do something with social media" feeling, such as having photos taken. But when you're just starting out, you don't have the budget for that. Now I can reassure any entrepreneur that it is not at all necessary to have professional photos taken. For example, I know a copywriter who has been in business for almost 10 years now and has never hired a photographer. Otherwise, her business is doing just fine.

So Kelly was still in the Zuckerberg funnel, so to speak. The fall of Zuckerberg, then you start looking at others ...and then you compare yourself to them. Not helpful!

This was one of those typical beliefs that can be ridiculed. After all, social media has only been around since 2007. And we had our best economic during around 2000.

So I gave her the following suggestion, in a somewhat comical tone:

"How did this one come forward for the Internet? Well, with the professional photographer ... and Warren Buffett. How did they do all that? What's that one's name again? Rock ... the very richest man in oil. Did he have a professional photographer back then, too? What here? What did that man do? Then he doesn't even go on a photo shoot? Well, I don't get it. I don't get it either. I don't get it. How could they have done it without a professional photo shoot? Well, I don't get it. Do you? Neither do I. Yet it happened ... And the question is, how? How did we manage to live without Mark Zuckerberg. It's unbelievable ...and yet it worked out and created very rich people. They did this with free giving away, among other things."

Then I gave her another book tip, which is Influence by Robert Cialdini. Then you can learn from the classics.

Also scientific advertising John Hopkins. This is also a good book for entrepreneurs.

I also gave her the suggestion that when you read books like that, you get so inspired that the whole story of "I need good pictures" evaporates. That story then no longer plays a role at all. You can then have those photos taken later when things are going really well.

Thinking about your client's needs

When it comes to business and marketing, you can also ask yourself what your client's need is. Is it that photo? Or is that something else entirely if they are looking for a massage therapist?

Kelly made it clear fairly quickly that it’s really all about relaxation. So it’s about eliminating stress and other symptoms.

Then I went on again about the idea of clients delivering new clients and cards they can send.

Then she also mentioned that during Christmas she sent a card to all her clients and I continued that the opportunities are there for other holidays and birthdays as well. There are lots of opportunities to connect with people.

Marketing thinking, not training thinking. That's what entrepreneurs need, then if you need money, you can do additional training, such as that provided by Hypnosis Institute Netherlands 😉.

I asked her what happened next with her story, and now she did get the feeling that she would succeed. That the tips I gave were something she could do.

The best part is that they are already sending cards 😊.

Believing in yourself

Then she started talking about the feeling of believing in yourself and keeping yourself small. I called all that l*l too. Just ignore that feeling and do it. It's about strategy and doing the right things at the right time. If you keep doing that consistently, you will become the most successful entrepreneur in your field.

Then you automatically start believing in yourself. As long as you stay consistent. That naturally builds character, faith, confidence and strength.

So you can do it the other way around. Start and then let the feeling grow because you're busy.

Then we went on and on about the cards and all the other tips, but the point of changing how Kelly feels about being an entrepreneur had been reached.

Working from your own qualities often goes very easily, but then your ego can suddenly make such a stupid little voice that things can't go so easily. You have to ignore that little voice.

At the end of the session she checked how everything feels and what she would do if someone said "and are you going to apply for a job again," then very naturally came out "No, because I have my own business. I'm already working."

Watch the entire session with Kelly here

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