5 Things I Wish I Knew When I Became an Entrepreneur | Ep. 82

When I first became an entrepreneur, there were a lot of things I didn’t understand yet, things that only come into focus after you’ve carried the weight of the business for a while.

In today’s episode, I share five lessons I wish I had known earlier in my entrepreneurial journey. These are not tactical shortcuts or growth hacks, but hard-earned truths that have shaped how I lead, make decisions, and care for myself as a business owner.

If you’re early in your journey, I hope this gives you language for things you may already be feeling. And if you’ve been in business for a while, I hope it helps you reflect on how far you’ve come and what you want to carry forward differently.

🧠 Key Takeaways

• Why leadership can feel lonely, and why that doesn’t mean you’re doing it wrong

• How delaying hard decisions only makes them heavier over time

• Why people take you as seriously as you take yourself

• The one skill that quietly strengthens every other skill in your business

• Why understanding your numbers creates better decisions and less stress

• How urgency can serve you, but also burn you out if left unchecked

• Why the work will always be there, and why learning to step away matters

🚀 Want a Real-World Example of What’s Possible?

If you want to see how clarity, ownership, and intentional decision-making can transform a business, I’ve put together a case study showing how one pet care company grew monthly revenue from $19,000 to over $73,000 in a single year.

It breaks down the decisions, structure, and leadership shifts behind that growth, not just the outcome.

👉 You can access the case study at dogcolaunch.com/case-study and see how DogCo Launch supports pet care owners who are building something meaningful and sustainable.

This episode is a reminder that entrepreneurship isn’t about doing everything perfectly or knowing everything ahead of time. It’s about learning, adapting, and giving yourself permission to grow into the role over time.