Shed Your Identity For A New One

We all have identities for ourselves and our businesses. Over time, those identities evolve to represent the lessons we've learned. In the beginning of your business journey, it's easy to sell yourself short. I know I did. My identity was shaped by people telling me I wouldn't succeed and always wanting to please others, which created a complete lack of confidence within myself. There is a lot that goes into who we are as individuals, but don't worry, we have the ability to change our identities as time goes on. I am going to share with you my journey of shedding my old identity for a new one.

Growing up, my mom, my two brothers, and I lived in a double-wide trailer in a trailer park. My dad passed away when I was around sixteen years old, so my mom was doing her best to support her three sons. When I started mowing lawns at thirteen years old, my customers were my neighbors in the trailer park. That meant my demographic of customers consisted of those who wanted the most work for the least amount of money. Fast forward to when I was eighteen, I went full-time in my lawn care business. Again, I started with people in the trailer park. My prices were extremely low, and still, people would negotiate them down. Despite having several years of experience under my belt, I had zero confidence in my work. Additionally, my background in the customer service industry had turned me into a people pleaser. When I worked at Little Caesars, I never wanted a bad review because my job depended on it, so the customer was always right. When I started my lawn care business, I brought that same philosophy with me, and let me tell you, that was a mistake! I let customers dictate what they were going to pay, when I would mow their lawn, and even what equipment I would use. I was a pushover, not taking control of my business or ownership of my work. I was letting customers tell me how to do my job. I once had a customer tell me that I couldn't use a "big" mower on their property, so I went out and bought a push mower just for that one lawn. Want to know how much I got paid for that property? $12, that's it! The moral of the story is that I built my business on a foundation of unrealistic customer expectations. At that time, I didn't know my worth and didn't believe in my own value, so despite all the wild requests and expectations, I didn't see much of a return.

Fast forward to today, and I won't put up with anything that year one Brian put up with. I confidently state my prices to customers, and if they don't like them, they're welcome to hire another company. I create my own schedule and value my time appropriately. Today, my absolute minimum rate is $45, not $12. If you had told me I'd be charging a minimum of $45, I would have thought you were crazy. However, that's what my service and time are worth. My crew and I provide quality work at a fair price. Don't get me wrong, adopting this mindset took time. It wasn't easy to convince myself that I was doing a good job. I needed to trust myself and believe that I knew what I was doing. Not only did I have everyone around me tearing me down and not believing in me, but I also lacked anyone to build me up. I read books and listened to motivational speeches, but ultimately, it was up to me to decide to shed my old identity and create a new, stronger, self-confident, and proud one.

In today's society, many people get caught up in labels or in what their parents or friends say. However, you have the power to overcome all of that. You determine your future and your worth. Don't let anyone or anything enable you to be lazy and prevent you from pursuing your goals. You are capable of achieving so much more! In ten years, you will look back and wonder what you were thinking and why you didn't believe in yourself or take more action. Each day, we grow, learn, and gain knowledge and confidence. Take some time to reflect on your identity and how you can improve it. Shed the old identity that is holding you back and embrace a new one. Remember, you and your business are valuable, so strive for excellence and demand what you deserve from yourself.