Ep. 53 Overcoming Doubt & Exhaustion

Last week, I talked about the Founder journey being one of navigating crises, setbacks and fiascos, with some good wins thrown in to keep you going. This week I want to address the inevitable companions to the journey: doubt and exhaustion. These two words popped up a few times this week during my sessions with Founders. I empathized in this moment as, despite a lot of effort and expense, our mysterious house air quality issues I spoke about last week continue without a clear resolution. But the feelings of doubt and exhaustion also took me back to many different events when I was leading my first startup. We had a great sales quarter and I thought we had figured it out. The next quarter was downright crappy. We thought we had some good sales people, then they flamed out. I knew my business could catch fire. But despite killing myself to make it happen, I couldn't see when and sometimes how it was going to happen.The reality is this: there will be stretches in time when you're working full out and you're pouring your heart and soul into it - and yet your business isn't giving you the signal yet that you've nailed it. During Seed Stage, you might have some early wins but they don't feel consistent. You don't know if they're the beginning of figuring it out or just you know some random positive noise that is positive noise. And the thing is, you don't know in advance when you will figure it out. Stay in this state for enough time, and that's when the doubt kicks in, aided and abetted by the exhaustion of the effort. Yet during these stretches, you will have to keep working the problem. So how do you stay centered and stable and energized without actually knowing if you've got it right? This is one of the key aspects of The Bigger Game. Leveling up your ability to be solid in the discomfort of not knowing, while managing your self care. This week's Rocket Ship Founder Podcast is dedicated to sharing the wisdom I've learned over the years to be good when the outcome is in doubt. In this episode, I cover how to: Manage your energy when you are working full out Interpret early signals and move To use curiosity to gain perspective and transform doubt This 14-minute listen is offers some helpful wisdom for both business and life. To your success! Steve PS When you are ready, I have one open spot to work one-on-one with me. If you're a Founder navigating the Seed to Series A journey who wants to: Accelerate PMF and scalable sales Build a high performing team Step into a new level of confidence as a leader Hit me up at steve@steveaugustcoaching and we'll set up a time for a breakthrough session.