Nobody Tells You How Uncomfortable Starting a Business Really Is
Four months into building Loud Haus, and I've landed on the biggest lesson so far: growth and discomfort are the same thing wearing different outfits. If you're waiting for the uncomfortable part to pass before things get easier, I've got some news for you…it doesn't.
The Discomfort I Was Ready For
Before I started, I assumed the hard part would be the stuff you'd expect like setting up systems, finding clients, and getting the backend of the business running without losing my mind. Those things have absolutely challenged me, and there have been a few late nights sorting out processes that seemed simple in my head and turned into a whole thing on paper. But I went in expecting that fight, so it never really knocked me sideways.
The Discomfort Nobody Warned Me About
What I didn't see coming was how confronting it would feel to put myself out there. Recording videos, talking to a camera like it's a normal thing humans do, posting content and hoping it lands. Explaining what I do, out loud, to strangers on the internet, and doing it again the next day even when the first one made my stomach drop.
After more than 14 years working behind the scenes in an office, stepping into the spotlight doesn't come naturally to me (turns out spreadsheets don't ask you to smile at a camera). It has stretched me in ways I didn't see coming when I set out to build this thing.
Is Discomfort a Sign You're Doing Something Wrong?
Hell no. Discomfort usually means you're doing something new, not something wrong. If it feels easy, you're probably staying inside the version of yourself you already know how to be, and that version doesn't build a business. The version that does is the one who hits publish anyway.
What I'm Doing With That Discomfort
Every awkward video or post where I second-guess the caption five times before posting it. Every time I publish something despite the nerves sitting in my chest telling me not to. That's the work now, as much as any spreadsheet or system ever was. Four months in, I'm learning that building a business isn't just about creating processes or winning clients. It's about growing as a person alongside the business you're building, whether you signed up for that part or not.
The business only grows as much as you're willing to grow with it. That's the real lesson, and it's not the one I expected to learn first.
So if you're in the thick of building something and everything feels uncomfortable right now, keep going. Those uncomfortable moments are proof you're moving in the right direction, not a sign to pull back.
Not sure where to start? Send us an email at hello@loudhaus.com.au
Or have a sticky beak at what we can work on together.
Yap again soon, Blair
