The highlight of November was easily the Freedom Summit, a one-day digital conference all about achieving freedom through entrepreneurship which premiered on November 9th. Bosses and entrepreneurs from around the world gathered for the first-ever Freedom Summit featuring inspirational keynote speakers, workshops, and mastermind mixers. The Freedom Summit allowed those curious about the world of entrepreneurship to learn from the entrepreneurs who truly embody the freedom lifestyle and are making their business dreams a reality. We’re taking a look back in time at some of the highlights that were shared by the incredible lineup of speakers at the summit.

 

#1: Set It & Forget It

Schedule, Schedule, schedule! When you are trying to juggle starting a business, managing multiple clients, and attempting to enjoy the freedom of being your own boss, scheduling tools will be your best friend. “Set it and forget it”, recommends Natasha Samuel, founder of Sol Studio. Natasha referenced various social tools during the Freedom Summit, but her number one tool for freeing up some much-needed “you- time” is Later.

Say “goodbye” to the days of last-minute, thrown-together posts because Later, like many other scheduling tools, allows one to potentially plan content months in advance! So grab a coffee, and buckle down, and increase your visibility on social media through scheduling tools.

 

#2: Delegate

It happens all the time when new business owners allow themselves to get bogged down by all the tasks they feel they have to or should be doing, and before they know it, their passion project has evolved into another dreaded 9-to-5 job. Rebel Office’s very own Sarah Williams, the host of the Freedom Summit, shared her tips for beating this dreaded cycle. “Create more time for working on the aspects of your business that you LOVE”, said Sarah. As soon as you have the means to outsource and delegate tasks, Sarah suggests growing your team.

 

#3: Keep yourself accountable

Another pro-tip from summit host, Sarah Williams, is to utilize project management tools to keep yourself on track with all your to-dos for your own business and your client projects. “If you find yourself not knowing what to work on, you can always refer back to your calendar and say “oh yeah, this is a marketing day”, said Sarah.

Tools like Asana let you plan out various tasks under different projects, check off completed tasks, or assign them to another member of your team. Using a calendar like iCal or Google Calendar to organize your daily tasks can help you know what to work on and avoid keeping busy with unimportant tasks.

 

#4: Recognize fear as a guide

NO, I am not saying that you should allow your fears to dictate your future, but rather encouraging you to recognize the thoughts that are guiding these fears. Allow this to guide you down the right path. Sandra Mackowiak, blogger and business coach, reminded us that “fear will always be a part of our life, it really comes down to how we deal with these fears”.

 

#5 Consistency is KING!

When you’re first taking the plunge into entrepreneurship, your business will be far from perfect at the time of the first launch. Yet too often do we stop ourselves from living our best lives out of fear that we aren’t ready because the website isn’t perfect, or you aren’t in love with the colours or the fonts that you’ve picked. 

If you’re always waiting for perfection in your business, you’ll never launch that dream business or start on the journey towards freedom. Sarah Baker, business coach and founder of That Freedom Life, stresses to us that, “consistency trumps perfectionism, every time”.

Launch, push, create, and then keep grinding. Having started her business while embarking on a trip around the world, Sarah knows firsthand that the key to success sometimes is to start before you’re ready.

 

 

#6: Follow Your Flow

This might be the part of entrepreneurship that people are most attracted to, the ability to create your own work schedule. If you moan and groan every morning when your alarms wake you before the sun has risen (no judgment, I can relate), then the 9-to-5 grind might not go with your natural flow. Emily Merrell, the founder of the Six Degrees Society, knows that if you identify as a night owl, then it’s time to follow your flow and dedicate a few nights a week to your side hustle! If you’re a morning worker, learn how to prioritize this work time for you and your side hustle to ensure you’re making small steps to your big goals.

 

#7: Maybe don’t throw caution to the wind… entirely

Emily Merrell also hit us with a hard dose of reality that that picture-perfect Instagram feeds hide so well… yo girl has still gotta eat. Emily reminded us that, as we embark on this freedom journey, we also have to ensure we are taking care of ourselves and our personal finances.

“Things to consider before you leave your company… [American health care] – it sucks.” While I would never tell someone not to take the plunge into entrepreneurship, it is wise to ensure that your feet won’t be ripped out from under you if your business does not take off right away.

 

#8) Define what fulfillment means to you

If you are starting your business under the impression that this business venture will bring your life fulfillment, you may be disappointed. “You have to be an active participant in your desires”, said Nory Pouncil, fulfillment coach and podcast host, when she joined the Freedom Summit as a Mastermind Mixer host. Speaking one-on-one with summit attendees, Nory encourages all young solopreneurs to define fulfillment and then work hard to reach their true desires.

 

#9) Decide how you want to show up for your business

Inspire people to follow you, and clients to call on you, by performing as though you are already running the business of your dreams. “Show up for your business as the person you want to become, not the person you are right now”, said Kelly Marcyniuk, founder of The Freedom Babe.

We have all heard the phrase ‘fake it ‘till you make it’ – Kelly suggests a similar attitude, with one very important distinction; you have to intentionally show up for your business in a fashion you can be proud of. If you want your clients to trust that you will have assignments done in a timely manner, then ensure that your business is sharing posts and newsletters in a timely fashion as well. Take your business seriously and, in return, others will do the same.

 

#10) Community is Key

There is no substitute for a community of goal-centred bosses encouraging you to strive for the freedom lifestyle of your dreams. Always look for other like-minded people to share your goals, frustrations, hesitations and wins with. This road can get lonely sometimes, so don’t forget to get yourself a nice supporting system to get you through the hard, tuff moments.