Last Saturday I was honored to speak at the Book Breakthrough NYC conference hosted by the brilliant, gracious, and funny Janet Goldstein and Liz Marshall. It was really cool to share a little about our experience around our book, our reasons for writing it, and how it fits in overall with our business strategy. It was also cool to meet the other people there – mostly business owners, all writers or aspiring writers.

One of the other talks was by Charlie Gilkey who writes the Productive Flourishing blog. He’s quite an internet star who is known for making meaningful connections with his community and helping people to make significant improvements to their businesses and lives. Right now he is also in the earlier stages of the book process and is spending a lot of time writing. (whew, that feels like forever ago, but hearing his talk brought the writing fatigue RIGHT back).

Charlie likened writing a book to being in no man’s land…without a map. I think everyone agreed. Thankfully he then shared with us 5 Ways to Get Through No Man’s Land. Everyone’s ears and pens perked up! Yes – a solution, a way through! As I listened intently, I realized that his FIVE LESSONS mirror many of those we talk about in The Big Enough Company and are actually great business advice for anyone stuck in business no man’s land. After all, we know that everyone gets lost and tangled up at some point. So, whether you’re writing or not, you can benefit from Charlie’s advice.Here’s what Charlie said, followed by our translation:

1. Remember WHY (you are doing this)

Be clear about what you want to get from entrepreneurship AND what you want your business to be known for. These are your two WHYs.

2. Don’t go it ALONE!

Leverage your community!! It’s your best secret weapon and the most direct route to more support, inspiration, ideas, pieces of feedback, and sales!

3. What will you drop to do this?

Having things on your terms doesn’t mean you get to have it all. Everything requires compromise and you have to know what you’re willing to give up. If you don’t choose, someone else will choose for you. Remember, saying NO to one thing allows you to say YES to something else.

4. An Idea Garden will save your sanity.

It’s OK to put ideas on hold! It makes you a better entrepreneur to learn to wait on an idea and it’s a critical growth skill. After all, growing a business is all about knowing what to prioritize and what to put aside, for now. Also, it lets you embrace your creativity more if you don’t feel like you have to act on every idea you have. Let yourself think of things just for the sake of thinking of things!

5. Do 2 hours at a time.

Small steps are the key to progress! Rome wasn’t built in a day and your business won’t be either. Entrepreneurship is a marathon and as the business owner it is your mandate to cultivate and maintain your stamina. No one gains anything by going all out and quitting early.

Thank you, Charlie, for sharing your experience and expertise. These lessons are wonderful for anyone who needs to get through a challenge!

-Adelaide