As a kid, I always wanted to be an entrepreneur. There was just something about it that was so enticing. Having the freedom to make my own schedule, work on the projects of my choice, and help people in a big way — it was everything I ever wanted. That dream was cut short when my parents urged me to go to school and study to become a doctor. And for years, I stuck with that.
But almost five years ago, I discovered search engine optimization, or SEO, and I’ve been doing that ever since. I started Webmetrix Group, helping companies manage their web presence and drive traffic to their sites, and quickly grew it to a 7-figure business.
Work was busy, but our financials were doing well and our clients were happy. By every measure, I was living the life I always wanted to as a kid: I ran a growing business and married the love of my life. She meant everything to me, but when our relationship began to slip, I realized that my actions were far from lining up with what I claimed mattered in my life.
At the time, I was at a crossroads. I thought I could only choose one thing between my marriage and my company, so I chose my marriage and worked on turning it around. My company’s performance took a huge hit, but I thought that was the cost of keeping what mattered most to me. Years have passed since, and with business and my marriage doing better than ever before, I’ve realized that it is possible to run a successful company and not be miserable doing it. Thinking back, there are seven lessons I learned that should be helpful to any entrepreneur.