"You’ve got to visualize where you’re headed and be very clear about it." – Sara Blakely, Spanx Founder

How clear is the vision of where you want to go?
I'm visiting with a small business owner, and she describes her business as a moonlighting gig that she'd like to work on full time someday. From the way she says "someday" I get the feeling it's not part of her spiel, just a thing she happened to tack on.
". . .someday?" I ask.
Yes, she says. Right now she puts in a lot of hours in her day job and when she gets home she works on the business. This is rough with small children, a spouse, and well, regular life stuff.
I ask how big the business needs to be for her to work it full time, leaving her long days in the corporate world behind. At this she waves her hand as if to brush my question away and says, "it's a long way off." I don't have anywhere to be, so I press a little. How far off? What do you think needs to happen? What's working? What's not?
"Ugh. You sound like my cousin," she said, almost under her breath. I don't know what to say. (is her cousin a good guy? handsome? rich? jerk?) As my mind drifts, she tells me everyone she knows gives her advice on how to build her business. It gets confusing. It gets stressful. And I'm stressing her out.
Her predicament isn't unique. Whether it's a startup or a 100-year-old business, without a clear idea of where we're going and what it will be like when we get there, all advice sounds like good advice. We need a way to navigate through the well-wishers and "one weird trick" suggestions to stay on track.
A clear vision helps. It gives us a point of reference. We can nod politely, and thank them for their words. Later, we test the advice against our destination, our personnel, our funds, and our timeframe. Discard what doesn't fit and maybe try the rest.
It starts with a clear vision of where you're going.
I'd love to tell her this, but I've worn out my welcome. We stand there, her being uncomfortable and me wondering about the buffet. She says, almost to herself but loud enough for me to hear, "I guess I wouldn't have to make the exact same as I make at my job now. I wouldn't have to commute. . .I wouldn't be eating out. . .huh. Yeah." She turns to face me, "Thanks for your help."
Um, yes of course. My pleasure.
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