Day 58: Peer Support and Prospect Expectations

If you haven’t had lunch with an entrepreneur, you need to. Or, if you have but it’s been a while: indulge yourself.

Lunch today was almost immediately after a prospect call. I told my friend outright that despite being a perfect fit for the role, I felt uneasy after the meeting.

The person I chatted with was new to the organization and was very clear on her vision and what she wanted. There were so many synergies and connections I thought of during the meeting. It literally felt like everything I’ve done til now (my partnership with my oldest client, recently working for a builder and non-profit, chairing a committee for the chamber, etc) was leading me to this meeting and opportunity.

I kept thinking of all the introductions I could make which derailed me from focusing on the position she’s looking to contract out.

Basically, this new role she is in is the epitome of what she’s spent multiple decades working towards and her enthusiasm is off the charts.

As mentioned, her vision is clear but having worked with people with that much vision and enthusiasm before: it can be all consuming for me. I hate thinking that too. But have to be realistic with where I’m at now and what I can handle.

She said she would send the expectations and then I can send a proposal. It might be time for me to look at hiring some contractors to work with me to cover what I’m not great at (ie design work).

Back to lunch.

I shared all of the above with my friend and she was so empathetic and understanding. She asked a bunch of questions and we were able to cover a lot. It was very helpful for my mood and the overwhelm that I was feeling.

Find people like that. The ones where you can share what you’re going through and they are not just a sounding board, but also actively engaged by asking probing questions.