Every single business owner I meet has one thing in common.
They want more. Whether that’s more money, more growth, more space, more team members, more freedom, or more revenue streams, they have their eyes set on creating more than what they have now. And you know what? I can’t blame them. This innate, burning desire for more is practically a part of our DNA as entrepreneurs. In fact, it’s almost like it’s a part of our job description.
Think about it.
It can be defined as “a person who organizes and operates a business or businesses, taking on greater than normal financial risks in order to do so.” When you are constantly taking on greater risks in your business, it is absolutely normal to ask yourself “how am I creating more in order to manage these risks?” This can be more revenue to outweigh expenses. It can be more time to manage efforts that need your attention the most. It can be more team members to handle the increase in demand. It can be more space to maintain your sanity and peace.
Beyond that, entrepreneurs by nature have their gaze fixed on the bigger picture, the larger vision. They know it is within their responsibility to steer the ship forward, to innovate at every turn, and to ensure continued and sustainable growth for the company at each stage. The takeaway? Your burning desire for more is normal, and beyond that, it can even be critical for your growth.
But chasing more without being grounded in who you are is the fastest way to burnout.
Think about it. How often have you hit a goal you’ve been working towards for so long only to breeze right past it, barely even noticing the accomplishment?
True story: I once worked with a client who had been working towards her first 6-figure year for 3 years. She hit that goal during our time together, and the only reason she even noticed it was because I presented the numbers to her. How many times have you found yourself living in the reality of what you once dreamed of? Maybe you’re finally traveling multiple times a year, running a thriving team, or maintaining monumental revenue milestones month over month. But it somehow feels like it’s not enough, like you are not enough. How many times have you been presented with an opportunity you have been working towards for so long only to be met with crippling self doubt and anxiety? Listen, it happens to the best of us. And as someone who has worked with many entrepreneurs up close and personal, I have seen these patterns over and over and over again.
And the question begging to be asked is, “Why? Why doesn’t it feel like enough?”
When you don’t know who you are, you chase, strive, and aim to prove every step of the way.
No goal met, milestone achieved, or dream fulfilled will ever be able to replace the power and peace of knowing who you are. In fact, the more you achieve without being grounded in your identity, the more of an obsession it becomes. And beyond that, the less clarity you have on your own path.
We live in an age of information overload. At the sound of our voice, we can have our questions answered. At the click of a button, we can discover a detailed article on any and every topic. And with a few minutes of scrolling, we can see what hundreds of people are saying and doing every single day. And although technology can bring us closer together in many ways, it can also leave a dense fog in the wake of your clarity on your identity. When we don’t know who we are, we try to find it somewhere. We try to fill that hole inside of us through other sources. And with so much information readily accessible at our fingertips, it’s all too easy to lose who you are, to neglect to acknowledge the power you carry, to forget the authority of your own identity. But your identity embodied is the anchor to a fulfilling career and a liberated life.
Identity Embodiment will revolutionize your business growth.
Right now, you may feel like you are doing ALL the right things and yet your efforts aren't creating more money for your business. Today that changes! Our free 90-day profit planner has helped hundreds of creative entrepreneurs transform their income goals into an actualization strategy since 2019.
Simply put, it is the practice of discovering, knowing, and owning who you are. There are three actions consistently being taken within this practice:
1) Discovering: As you create space to be with you - your thoughts, your opinions, your desires - you continue to discover a new part of who you are.
2) Knowing: As you move through your days, you walk with an inner-knowing of who you are that no circumstance, problem, or hardship can change.
3) Owning: As you reach new heights (or lows) and are presented with new opportunities (or setbacks), you deeply own and embody the authority you walk in.
As you are grounded in your identity, it is truly fulfilling to reach your goals.
No more chasing, striving, or proving. As you actively get grounded and anchored in the identity you carry - the power you inherently walk in - the value you possess by being ALIVE, it is fulfilling to reach your goals. No longer do your accomplishments come with a badge of honor to enhance your value. Now, they are simply a byproduct of you walking in the power and authority you already carry.
As you own who you are, prospering becomes simple.
It’s easy to make "making money" hard when that is just another way of proving your value or worth. You change the game when you own who you are. Now, prospering is simple because as you become more and more of who you are called to be, money has a way of coming to you.
You have a way of showing up - expectant, open, and in ACTION - that naturally propels financial growth.
When you know who you are, you sustain your financial breakthrough.
No longer does success terrify you or send your nervous system into a full breakdown. When you reach success, when you hit that goal, when you surpass that milestone, you are prepared to sustain that breakthrough. It isn’t another tailspin of “what if I can’t do this? What if I’m not cut out for this? Or what makes me deserving of this?” Instead, the dialogue is “Of course I am here.” And not only are you there, but you are equipped to sustain it.
It’s time to disrupt your chase of more and get grounded in your identity.
Identity Embodiment is something we love to teach inside of our membership, Vivid Creative. Because we want your business growth to be purposeful, fulfilling, and truly sustainable. There are many modalities you can leverage in order to practice this, and journaling is one of them. As we close, I want to leave you with some prompts to take to your journal.
Imagine you are looking into a mirror and seeing your reflection for the very first time. What do you notice about the woman looking back at you, and what do you hope to discover as you get to know her more?
What do you know to be true about yourself - without a shadow of a doubt - that you may have lost sight of through the years? Reclaim it.
Imagine you’re walking into a room holding the exact breakthrough you’re craving - maybe you access a new financial realm, are speaking on a stage in front of thousands, or you’re boarding a plane to a dream destination. How does that woman feel? And how can you embody who she is in that moment?
Abundance is your inheritance.
As you own your authority, prospering is simple.
When you know who you are, you sustain your financial breakthrough.
Ashton Smith is the CEO and founder of The Awakening, a platform dedicated to helping women in business build intentionally so they can leave a powerful legacy behind. She helps early-stage all the way to established entrepreneurs own their power as CEO, deeply connect with their vision, & sustainably scale their businesses.
