EPISODE DESCRIPTION 

Looking back is such a lovely thing to do, but if there were some hard lessons I would tell my 21-year-old self, I would say so much. This was the year I had just gotten my degree, and I was still left wondering…what was I going to do with myself! It’s such a hard decision to make.

This podcast episode is a little different, it’s full of tools to stay true to your energy, lean into the fundamentals that work and what they are, as well as learning how to crown yourself before you’re ready.

Get yourself some straight-talking tips, hard lessons and the momentum to make your next chapter your best one yet! Let’s go.

SUMMARY

[0:00:00] Introduction and Personal Update

[0:02:30] Starting Point: Business Advice for 21-Year-Olds

[0:03:30] Mindset and Personal Development

[0:04:45] Investing in Knowledge and Connections

[0:05:45] Charging What You’re Worth

[0:06:15] One-on-One Coaching

[0:07:00] Working for Free Strategy

[0:08:15] Building Support Network

[0:09:00] Outsourcing and Business Efficiency

[0:09:30] Final Advice

[0:09:54] Episode Conclusion

Hayley Osborne

Hello and welcome back to another episode of my podcast, the Hayley Osborne show. I’m so glad to be in your ears today, wherever you are, wherever you are, listening, walking, driving. I hope you’re multitasking with me in your ear while you listen to this. To up-skill a little bit, today’s episode is a tiny bit different.

So I wanted to share this for a while, but at the time it just wasn’t right. And so since the finishing up of the launch of magnetic marketing formula, now is the right time. So it is Sunday night, as I’m recording this, we have had the best weekend. If you are in South Australia, you would know that the pageant happens every single year, and that is where the CBD of Adelaide gets closed off, and that is officially when Santa arrives in the city for Christmas, and there is a full-on parade with floats and clowns and marching bands and dancing girls all sorts of floats like they are epic. Anyway, we went, and it was so much fun, I could not take the smile off of my face.

And to be honest, I spent most of the time watching my kids smiling at everything. So I did see everything, but that wasn’t my thing. My thing was watching them and their reactions and their OS and RS and everything. It was epic, and it was so good for the soul. And then this morning, I went for a massive run, and life is good.

So what I want to share with you today is what I would do if I was 21 and I was just starting my business, or I was thinking about starting a business, because 21 is like that age, right? So when I was 21, I started university when I was 17. I think that I had a degree by the time that I was 20 or 21 and so I was thinking about, like, what I want to do, and if I had enough balls, I would have just worked for myself straight away. But I didn’t. I went and got a job, marketing jobs for many different people. Then I landed my marketing dream job, but that I had to move, that was in Sydney, and I stayed there for years, and it was great, and it taught me a lot. 

But if I was to do things again, and you know, you would know, if you know me, I have a candle business that did really, really well. I had national stockers. They were in beautiful packaging. And I also had a fashion label when I was 22 . So I’ve just come fresh out of the unit, and if I was to start a business, if, when I was 21 looking back, here’s the things that I would do. So I’ve made a bit of a list, but the first thing is mindset. Okay, so I wish that my mindset was like it is now back then, stronger, more assertive.

I speak my mind, and I, you know, started to read books about business and entrepreneurial ships when I was straight out of high school. So I finished high school like when I was 16, and that is such a young age, but I wish that somebody I don’t know had a golden globe that said, like you need to read this, because this is where you’re going to be. And I know life isn’t like that, but I would honestly read as many books and listen to as many podcasts. Hello, you’re doing that as absolutely possible. And, you know, treat your mindset like it is a business. Because honestly, whatever you do in business, it comes down to your mindset.

And I think that the stronger that is by you upskilling yourself along the way for free, because, you know, when you’re 21 you don’t have much money, that will be your arsenal. That will be the best thing you can have in your bag of tricks, and it builds your confidence too, right? The next thing I would do is invest in some course courses, or be part of a membership or something like that, because knowledge is power, and when you can get in the room with the right people. I think that that is absolutely second to none in helping you to uplevel and making connections. Now, I didn’t start to put myself in the right room until probably a year or two into my business, because I didn’t feel worthy enough. I hadn’t crowned myself yet.

But let me tell you, being in the same room as other business owners is like the key to growing your business, because your network is your net worth. Okay, so I would spend all of my money on putting myself in the right rooms and upskilling myself in every single one. Way possible, so you feel that knowledge bank of yours, I think that what might be hard at the beginning, I think gives you long term momentum in the long term, okay, and I think that that starts to help you evolve and help you decide what you want your personal brand to be.

You may not have a business yet, but at least you’re working on the foundations first, and building that incredible mindset and putting yourself in the right room. I think that’s really, really important. The next thing I want to say is charge what you’re worth. Okay? Because when you are that young, it becomes very mind juggling, okay? And I think that as soon as you realize what you’re worth, it changes the game, okay? And it puts you in a different position.

Another thing I want to say, and definitely is, you know, I think investing in like a strategy or a coaching one on one sooner is, you know, one of the biggest things you can do to up level yourself and your business, even if, whether it be a business coach, whether it be a marketing coach, whether it be a mindset coach, working one on one with someone is a surefire way to get a hard kick up the ass in a really good way, as well, as you know, helping you understand what you need to do to move forward. The next thing that I would do, if I was just starting my business, is I would probably get five different businesses, and I would work for them for free.

Okay? Because that way, and you just pour your absolute heart and soul into helping them, but that way, then you can, once you’ve got really good results in whatever it is that you decide to do, or just test the waters, you’re working for free. You’d work for free anyway, at that age, if you were doing an internship, if you were starting at the bottom of the ladder, you would definitely be getting paid, not much if you’re in corporate, depending on what you do, depending on what you do, right? So if you’re working for yourself, bonus.

But I would work, I would, I would have about five businesses or five people or whatever it is that you do, and help the pants off of them until you can provide them a solution, and then, in return, ask for a kick ass testimonial. But you know you want a video testimonial, a Google review, a Facebook review, all of these things, and then those five people will help you nail your clients forever in a day. But you need to work for free, and it is a blip in the scheme of things to the bigger picture in the long term. Okay, so at the start, it’s nothing five people is nothing to work with.

The next thing I would do is I would build my support network early on. Okay? And what I’ve found through DMS, I get DMS a lot asking if people can be an intern, or if they can come and do work experience. And I think that is a beautiful thing, and that’s how I got my first assistant. She slid into my DMs and asked to work for me as an intern. And I was like; I don’t think that sits right with me. I don’t want to make you do work and not pay you.

And I said, well, how about we catch up for a coffee? And I thought to myself, Am I ready for this? I don’t know if I’m ready for this, but this is very scary, but I feel like it’s being served to me on a platter, and I feel like the universe is saying something to me, so I’m just going to follow the bouncing ball. What could go wrong? Nothing. It works out, or it doesn’t work out, if it works out, oh my god, that’s amazing. I caught up with her for coffee, and then I gave her a job as my assistant, and I never looked back.

And we worked together for two or three years, and it was the best thing that I’ve ever done. And now I have not gone without an assistant. She needed to, she learned everything that I could possibly teach her, and then she needed to spread her wings a little bit more, and I’m still friends with her to this day. Shout out, Alicia, if you are listening. But honestly, it is the best thing to do, is to just reach out. And when you’re young, too, it shows that you are hungry and you want to learn and you want to, you know, grow and evolve.

And people like that. I liked that, so that’s what I would do if I was just starting out, I would honestly just put my best foot forward with people that seem like they’re out of reach, because when you’re young, you. The results and what you what the reply will be on the other end, as long as you can provide a tangible, you know, outcome on how you will help them is, you will be surprised, I think, as well is, I think you know, what I should have done is sort out outsourcing sooner as well, because I could have done so much more earlier on in my business.

And you know, if I was 21 and I, you know, thought I was getting quite busy with what I had set my mind to, it would have been very hard for me to outsource then, but I would honestly recommend to my prior younger self to outsource sooner, because that would have given me the time to work on the things that are my zone of genius and what lights me up. And I think that the last thing I want to say is, over time, what I’ve realized is that you don’t need to be everything to everyone. And number two is you don’t need to be everywhere all at once.

Okay? The only person that you have to please is yourself. Primarily, you have to stay true to yourself. And you know, lean in and lean out where you feel is right. But in saying you don’t need to be everywhere all at once, just be intentional. That’s all I say, be intentional and do it well. And then when it works, add and add and add.

So, you know, you don’t need to be everywhere all at once. My mantra in business is to be better than perfect as well. And I wish that I had crowned myself with that when I started my business and even when I was 21, I think that that would have been the best advice I could have given myself. But I think we are too naive to really step up what I was at that age, and if I could tell my younger self not to be that way, because you know, everyone, no one is focusing on you specifically. Everyone is going about their day and cares about themselves.

And so be confident, show up and just put your best foot forward, because Done is better than perfect every single time, and you will learn so much faster if you do that. And that is all I want to say for here’s what I would do if I was 21 and just starting out. I hope you like this little bit of a different episode, and I’ll see you next week for another episode of The Hayley Osborne.