From Living Brave. . . Women in Business, Jodi Low, founder and CEO of U and Improved, answers the question:

What Advice Would You Give Someone Starting a Business that You Wish Someone Had Given You?

My advice to anyone just staring out on this endeavor of entrepreneurship is quite simple.  “Go!”  Run fast, run hard, learn fast, fail hard. . . it’s the only true road to success.  Entrepreneurship can look glamorous from the outside.  Setting our own schedule, being your own boss, making as much money as you want rather than being told what you are worth. . . it all sounds fabulous!  The reality?  It’s a grind.  A grind, day-in and day-out.  It’s blood, sweat, and tears; lack of sleep and insomnia gut-wrenching doubt and worry.  It’s also passion, love, energy, excitement, newness, adventure, surprises, and freedom.

I remember in the early days of my business, wanting to always do the right thing, when really it was simply about doing something.  As long as you are moving in a forward direction, no matter how slowly, you are moving.  As we learned in physics class, an object in motion remains in motion.  And, even when the inevitable setbacks occur, and they will, you know with that strong and resilient entrepreneurial mind of yours, you are stronger than your setbacks.  Your setback is a setup for a comeback.  When you get knocked down-the client pulls their order, the check doesn’t clear, someone has a change of heart—it’s all party of the story.  It’s all part of the lesson.

At U & Improved one of the phrases we say most often, and repeatedly, is “Trust the process.”  Trust everything is unfolding as it should.  Trust the right people will walk in, and out, of your life.  Trust your clients are out there waiting for you, you just haven’t met them yet.  Trust you are stronger than anything life or your business throws at you.  It’s simply about going--moving forward and charging ahead --even when you are tired.  Even when you feel beat up.  Even when it doesn’t seem fair.  Even when you question why you started this.  Even when quitting seems blissful.  Even when you crave a boss to just give you the answers and tell you what to do so you don’t have to think so much, and so hard, each and every day.  Those are the days that build your determination, your resilience and your drive.  So, just run fast and hard, and go.