How To Start A Business In An Industry You Know Nothing About

I’m an entrepreneur, a mom, a pharmacist and a woman seeking my path of happiness. My journey started in 2007 when I was diagnosed with melanoma at a young age. Ignorance about sun safety was to blame for my cancer diagnosis, and I faced a steep learning curve about how to keep my body healthy for the rest of my life.

The first time I heard of sun protective clothing was during my first appointment with my dermatologist after my surgery. When I went shopping for my “life-saving” apparel, I realized that there was a serious lack of style in the sun protective clothing market and most of the clothing felt like medical devices. Not wanting to live the rest of my life wearing clothing that announced to the world that I had a health problem, I realized that someone had to fix this need.

Knowing the significant number of people every year that are diagnosed with skin cancer, and that this number is steadily growing year after year, I knew that there were many others like me.

One problem with my amazing idea…I was a pharmacist and had no experience in the apparel industry.

Here are my top 4 qualities that I lean on as an entrepreneur when creating a new venture:

Be Fearless.

Don’t be afraid to ask questions that you think may be “stupid.” To repeat what you have heard from your school teachers…“there are no stupid questions.”

Immerse yourself in your industry and learn as much as you can. Don’t worry about not having all the answers. No one has all the answers, and the only people getting smarter are the ones asking the questions.

Ask yourself what you will regret more later in life – trying and failing, or never trying at all and watching someone else succeed with your idea?

See yourself as an entrepreneur. Go for it. You can and you will.

Be Tenacious.

This may sound cliché, but don’t take no for an answer. Don’t let anyone tell you that your idea isn’t worth pursuing.

My motto has always been to “follow the path of happiness.” Sound silly? It is a little silly, but let me clarify the intent. You will hear the word “no” frequently in your journey, and that is ok. The “no’s” are not on your happy path. Look for individuals who are happy to speak with you, are willing to listen and brainstorm with you. Your “happy” people will not have all the answers, but they will help you to move your journey forward.

Don’t stop, push forward and be open to everyone you meet. Your path of happiness is seeking you.

Be Persistent.

Don’t EVER give up! Even in what may seem to be a dark hour in your journey, take a moment to breathe and believe in yourself.

“One who fears failure limits his activities. Failure is only the opportunity to more intelligently begin again.” – Henry Ford

A mentor of mine once told me that my goal everyday as an entrepreneur is to “fail fast.” I didn’t fully understand what this meant at the time, but after years of starting and running businesses I’ve realized how true this statement is. The sooner you fail, the sooner you can correct course. The word “fail” also pertains to big and small activities. If you are marketing your product online, you want your new marketing campaign to either be successful or fail fast so you don’t waste time and money on a mediocre result.

Believe in yourself. Fail Fast. Learn and try again.

Be Humble.

In order to see the difference between success and failure you need to be humble enough to accept when something isn’t working. It’s very easy to fall in love with your product and hold on so tight that you are blinded to criticism.

“Your most unhappy customers are your greatest source of learning.” – Bill Gates

Be open and humble enough to hear the criticism, learn from it and grow!

One of our favorite books to read with our daughter is titled “What Do You Do With An Idea?” by Kobi Yamada (shown in the featured image). It may be a children’s book, but I would encourage all of you to seek out this quick read. It is a beautifully illustrated guidebook for turning your dreams and ideas into reality.

You’ve got this!

Leave comments or send me a note if you have questions or need a some friendly advice.

You can also listen to my podcast interview on The Big Leap Show – Creating The Product You Wish You Had!