The Entrepreneur Who Forgot His Own Light
- Sonjali Di Guida
Consider Marc — an entrepreneur in his late 30s.
On the surface, Marc had it all: ambitious, intelligent, charming, and well-educated. With two young children, aging parents he helped care for, and the responsibilities of running a business, he was stretched thin.
When Marc first joined me online, he looked like someone who had been staring at the same wall for so long that he had forgotten doors existed.
To add further pressure, COVID brought new challenges to his business and uncertainty to nearly every area of life; Business was slower. New ideas felt like damp matches that refused to spark, and every setback echoed louder than success. (N.B. There are always ‘setbacks’ in business…most entrepreneurs find ways to navigate them)
The marketplace around him was changing rapidly, and the way customers and businesses engaged with his print and design business no longer looked the way it once had. What had previously felt familiar and routine, was in his eyes, chaotic and unstable. He struggled to see where he fit into this new landscape or how to move
forward.
It wasn’t that Marc had lost his abilities; He had simply been viewing his life through a lens clouded by fatigue, stress, and frustration. The world hadn’t dimmed, he just could not see the proverbial light. The feeling of defeat cast a dark shadow in his entrepreneurial journey.
As we worked together through his online program, something remarkable began to happen;Using practical tools to manage stress, regulate his emotional state, calm his nervous system, and reconnect with his purpose, Marc began clearing that lens. And gradually, like adjusting the aperture on a camera, his inner world brightened. That picture he had of his life became clearer and full of possibilities.
Mark became one of those COVID super pivoters. Using this time as as opportunity to serve his community differently than before.
From Fog to Fire: The Quarter That Changed Everything
A few months later, Marc joined a follow-up session with a grin that didn’t need explanation.
His body posture was upright, an air of quiet confidence emanating from him, he was ready for the next entrepreneurial venture. It truly was as if he had stepped out of a long tunnel and rediscovered sunlight.
His revenue had more than doubled. He surpassed his own expectations. There was novelty in his business again. Rather than the comfort he used to seek, he was excited by change, opportunity and change.
But because he changed the lens through which he viewed his circumstances.
With a clearer state of mind, he began noticing opportunities that had previously been hidden by stress and overwhelm. He became more adaptable, more creative, and more willing to explore new possibilities.
Today, Marc sees his future with the same clarity as a freshly cleaned storefront window.
It’s difficult to chart a course when you’re caught in an emotional storm. As Marc learned to settle his nervous system and choose more resourceful states, he found himself making decisions based less on fear and more on possibility.
The Result:
Double Revenue within 7 months
A sharpened pencil.
The right pair of glasses.
Check . Check. Check.
What lens are you wearing? Is it the right one?
