Years ago, I had horrible skin issues and was getting frustrated because every lotion I used never worked for me. I tried everything, including coconut cooking oil. They worked for a few hours, and I am back to being dry and itchy again. This wasn’t working for me.

I attended a couple of skincare labs, did some research, had weekly meetings with my peers, and that’s when I learned how to make body lotion. It underwent many tweaks, and my skin was the test bed. Imagine how awesome it was to tell people who commented on my glowing skin that I made the lotion! Years later, God intervened and placed a vision in my mind and a dream in my heart to build a business. With that vision in my mind and dream in my heart, Ann’s Fabulous Essentials was born.

One of the lessons I’ve learned was that you need to build your business by selling to strangers. Your friends and family won’t buy from you. They will want what you sell for free and won’t take you seriously as an entrepreneur. They see you “in your box” as their sister or friend.

I booked all my parties and pop-up shops by walking up to strangers and asking them to host my business events. My family and friends... Well, honestly, they never supported my business.

People you just met vs. people you know

People you have just met take you more seriously than people you have known for years. Why? People who know you have already put you in a box. They have defined who you are, what you do, what you’re like, and how you operate. They met the previous version of you and knew that person well, but they don’t know you of today. You have been labeled.

Sometimes we forget that every moment of every day is a chance for opportunity. Some of us take advantage of it, some don’t, but we all embrace a good amount of change yearly. Most of these changes center around personal growth. Unfortunately, most people don’t notice when you’ve made incremental changes in embracing your personal power, like being more comfortable with yourself or feeling more peaceful and at ease. (All required to be a successful leader.) Most people notice significant physical changes like weight gain, loss, or hair color changes. Or massive personal shifts like a sudden belief in yourself.

Social media was not the same back when it started compared to now. If I posted content about business, I might get twenty likes if I’m lucky, but by posting a picture of myself, I would get over 150 likes along with positive comments, which is great. Still, I am running a business, not a modeling contest.

So, to get credit for how you’ve grown and changed with the people who know you takes a little effort.

How do I redefine myself to people who “know” me?

Our past helps us become who we are today – no doubt. But sometimes, we allow our past to define our present, which can be problematic for growth. So, to bring others up to speed with the current me, I needed to reintroduce myself from the past to the new me by providing them with a summary version of my journey from who I was to who I am.

People forget that we grow and need a reminder

Updating people about my businesses, ventures, and accomplishments is easy. It’s like repeating a grocery list. It is harder to update people about my personal growth and the value I can bring to an organization now. It was a struggle in the beginning, building Ann’s Fabulous Essentials. Sleepless nights, being tired, introducing myself and my business to strangers, and getting many Nos, but I didn’t let that stop me. It made me stronger and pushed me harder and harder.

This was all new to me. In my mind, I pictured it would be easy. After all, I am selling organic skincare products (who knew). Who doesn’t want their skin to look and feel smooth? While not poisoning their body at the same time? It became a challenge because women of today are interested in bleaching their skin and not going the natural way. That’s their thing.

I kept pushing by talking about my business and sharing a few recipes with other women trying to be in the same industry. The idea of giving up has often crossed my mind, but I’m not a quitter.

To all the people who are just starting or considering starting a business:

• Never give up on your dreams

• Do not listen to people who are far worse or at the same level as you

• Follow your heart

• Work hard

• Strangers are your friends, not your family

• Be patient; nothing happens overnight

• If you don’t fail, you’re not winning

• Accept genuine help

• Love what you do and do what you love

• It’s never going to be easy, but it will be worth it in the end!

Ann’s Fabulous Essentials is doing great, adding many more products to our catalog. I not only make lotion but also products for the whole body for all skin types. My products are in a couple of stores, and I am currently working behind the scenes. Loading…...

I am already on my next business adventure as a Relationship Mentor on YouTube. I have my one-on-one clients as well that I’m now mentoring.

HARD WORK PAYS OFF!