by Angie Weber | Featured Contributor
At the end of April, tena.cious put on the before. conference and it was an experience to say the least. If you have ever put on a conference, you totally know the stress, planning, and money that goes into something like that. It was physically and emotionally draining… but totally awesome.
During the conference, I was a part of a panel where I was joined by four important peeps in Tena’s biz life, aka the owner of tena.cious- her admin, biz best friend, stylist, and biz coach. To my surprise, she often gets asked how someone finds an “Angie” so it seemed fitting for me to sit next to her and fill the spot as her right hand woman.
She went down the line and asked each one of us why someone would need a person like us in their life. Overcome with emotion throughout the day I started tearing up when the mic was handed to me… hanging on the edge of ugly crying. Cute, right? But I stumbled through an answer and quickly exited the stage.
Throughout the day, and over that weekend, I got tons of great feedback of support and congratulations on a successful conference. But something was bugging me.
I realized I didn’t really answer the question of why a biz owner needs me, or someone like me. So here goes…
I love your baby as much as you.
Although I don’t remember my full answer- and have no intentions of watching the video- I do remember saying that business can be a really lonely place. Who’s with me?! Even with a team you can find yourself struggling with consuming thoughts of payroll, clients coming and going, and all those little things you have to have but no idea how you are going to pay for them – the stressors of a business owner and the things you don’t want to bother your employees with. A best friend and business coach can always be that outside support, but having someone who cares about your business just as much as you, and is living it day in and day out, is irreplaceable.
But I get it – your biz is your baby so how are you going to find someone to love it as much as you? Well, it might require some searching, but ask the right questions and it will happen. And if you’re not sure what those are, you can listen to some real life intrapreneurs to see what makes them tick.
I always joke that I feel like the step-mom to tena.cious because I take so much pride and ownership in what we do and the people we serve (aka I am an intrapreneur). The things that keep the owner up, also keep me up at times. I know all the behind the scenes, the struggles, the successes. I am a mini Tena (you know, besides the whole looking like her thing).
I’m your own personal clone.
Imagine feeling like you have a clone working on your business. How much stress would that relieve for you? You could go out and do all those things that you love to do while they are making sure everything is running smoothly.
But this means you have to hand over some control and I get it- that can be hard. Being a control freak is nothing I used to consider myself, but as my business coach so kindly pointed out, I had to let go of the reins. But that’s a story for another time.
For me, the turning point of stepping up was when Tena handed control over to me. I was sitting in her office telling her someone was looking for a quote + I told them I’d get back to them once I talked to her. She simply looked at me and said, “Go with what your gut says.” From there on out, I felt like I had some serious skin in the game.
A partner to share you successes… and your failures.
I was once told that if someone has no failures, it means they are not trying hard enough. Totally brutal, but totally true.
We all have them and, more importantly, we need them. The chance to share the successes and failures of tena.cious has been life changing (hence the waterworks on stage). It has lead me to the place where I have never been so confident and sure of myself + my goals. This would not have happened without playing the role of Tena’s right hand woman. So even while I am helping her live her dreams, she is helping me live mine.
Imagine having that kind of relationship.
So, what are you waiting for? If you have a right hand woman, leave a comment + tell me who they are because I want to know them! If you don’t, tell me what’s holding you back.
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After time spent searching for the perfect job and having no luck, Angie Weber was introduced to tena.cious. Not only did she find her passion for small business, she also discovered one very important thing about herself- she is a true intrapreneur. (You know, those people who act like entrepreneurs, but don’t have as much risk in the game?)
While she co-runs tena.cious and helps clients showcase their personalties online, she also spreads awareness about intrapreneurs- the good, the bad, and the ugly awesomeness. If you want to get an inside look on intrapreneurs, check out here podcast, The Intrapreneur Life.
