My love of dancing Ballroom & Latin started on Saturday mornings in Bedford while my mum and Dad did the shopping. All through my teenage years I taught dancing to children and adults in order to fund my own lessons so it’s no surprise that I’m a big fan of the BBCs Strictly Come Dancing.
Having just watched the 20th series of Strictly I thought I’d pull out the parallels I see between the Strictly experience and starting a business.
1. Everyones journey is different.
When we first meet the couple we realise that they’re all starting in different places. Some contestants already have some experience of dance and performing. And each contestant that starts out has a different view of what success means for them.
This is the same when we’re starting a business. Some new business owners, like me, will have run a business before and some may have no experience at all. Starting from different points means that a cookie cutter approach doesn’t work as that’s there’s no one way to do build a business.
2. You won’t be good at everything
Each year we watch contestants divide into those who prefer to dance ballroom and those whose natural ability lends itself more to dance latin. Sometimes people are gifted and find that they can excel at both.
When running a business just like ballroom dancing you have to do a lot of different things and some of them will be uncomfortable and some you will struggle with.
You won’t be good at everything you try. You can improve but just because you can get better doesn’t mean that it’s in your zone of genius.
3. It’s easier when you have a supportive tribe around you.
It’s all about the community you’re part of. Just look at the way the other couples support each other on Strictly. Getting to know others who are going down a similar path can make a big difference to your journey. They will lift you up when you’re down and cheer when you’re winning. This stops you feeling alone and isolated as you struggle with the dark times.
It also helps to have a supportive family around you. Stepping in when they need to pick up some of the things that need to be done that for now you don’t have the capacity for while you focus on building your business.
There will be times when you feel down and vulnerable and having supporters can make those tough days easier.
4. It won’t all go to plan
It’s great to set your vision and know what you want to achieve. However just as it happens in Strictly sometimes life throws you a curved ball: illness: injury and of course economy and world events that mean our path forward needs to change. Developing our resilience to these events so that we can take the lessons and bounce back stronger often shows a winning mindset.
5. You need a good mentor.
The relationships that develop between the professional dancer and the celebrity show us how having a great mentor can really help us achieve our dreams.
In business having an experienced coach or mentor means having someone at your side who can teach you how to do the things you need to do. They can break down the steps for you and gently lead you through them. They’re someone to hold your hand when the fear starts to build and mop the tears when things don’t go to plan.
They can see your strengths and can guide you on how to overcome the obstacles you face.
Get Visible
Finally before I finish up I wanted to remind you of the benefits of being visible. I’m sure the Strictly contestants feel scared when they first enter the Ballroom. They have millions of people watching them try something new. Strictly can accelerate the careers of the contestants by helping the public to get to know them better and showcasing more of their personalities and what they can do. Being visible in our business can be scary too, can’t it, even if it’s just a Facebook or Instagram live. However if you’re clear on what the benefits will be of being visible and you work out a strategy to get what you want from your visibility you can accelerate your business growth and it will be worth the discomfort.
Everyone loves a good quote
The final words come from Hamza Yassin on winning Strictly 2022 quotes the very wise and beautiful words of Andre De Shields
- Surround yourself with people whose eyes light up when they see you coming.
- The top of one mountain is the bottom of the next so keep climbing
- Slowly is the fastest way to get to where you want to be.
These words apply just as well to starting and growing a business as it does for learning to dance.
Good luck with growing your business in 2023 and if you’d like to work with a mentor who will guide you like a Strictly professional then book a call to have a chat. Here’s the link Book a Free Consultation Call
Suzanne
P.S. Yes this is photo of me and my brothers taken after I’d competed in a dance competition!
