As a reminder, I started building keshty in public because:

- Most of us don’t come from a long line of entrepreneurs (me included)

- I wanted to equip minority misfits with tools to scale their own impact

- HENCE, I needed to live transparently (no BS) through my own journey

👼🏻 if you could do it all again knowing what you know now, what would you tell your younger self?

“The number one thing, and I cannot stress this enough, is to not lose confidence in your own intuition.

Building a business is almost indescribably hard – I said 'indescribably', because it's not just cognitively demanding with all the risk and decisions and actual work that goes into it. It impacts every area of your life, ALL. THE. TIME.

You'll put all your time and money into it, so you have fewer hours to do things you love like seeing your family and friends or doing your hobbies or eating healthily, which has a knock on impact on your health and wellbeing.

Once your realise this, you'll feel guilty about not looking after yourself, and you'll have to rebuild those things, and that takes time and energy too. I don't want to sound like a downer, but most people I know have been through that cycle.

So when you're finding everything really hard (as all newbie founders do), you'll naturally look for advice.

But here's the thing: no one knows your business like you, and the people advising you will layer their own shit in, whether they mean to or not. Most of the time, the five minutes you get with someone just isn't long enough for them to get a good idea of what you're doing.

⁠Intuition is a muscle. When you favour other people's advice over listening to your gut again and again, that muscle starts to atrophy. And like all muscles, it's devilishly easy to lose strength and it's a pain in the ass to regain it.

Advice can be SO helpful, and every now and then you might strike gold. But the real insight comes from introspection, testing and learning, and building up a strong filter for what advice you do and don't take on.

If you do need advice, be careful about who you ask, specific about what you're asking for and intentional about what you take on.”

“Lean into your weirdness.

You don’t need anyone else’s validation to feel whole or great.

Some people just aren’t worth your time. You don’t have to forget, but never let the people who wronged you hold you back.

Your determination pushed you forward, and your resilience turned that momentum into growth, freedom, and happiness.

You’re capable of anything.”

“Trust your instincts and prioritise the work that interests you most.

I waited 6 months to pivot to neurodivergent coaching because of a serious case of imposter syndrome. But the moment I made the switch things started to flow.

I’d also tell myself that whilst it’s great to get advice and research how other people run their businesses, ultimately it has to work for me and be at a pace that’s sustainable. I work best when I can stay playful and curious.”

“Focus less on making the “right decision.”

I spent a lot of time in anguish trying to figure out if I was going to the “right” university, getting the “right job”, collecting the right experiences. And you know what?

I often picked wrong. We aren’t as good at decision making as we think we are. 

For example, I probably wouldn’t sign up to be a nanny for four kids under eight in Paris, knowing how it turned out. I’ve never been so depressed and lonely, but I managed to learn some French, which offered many opportunities personally and professionally. 

I’m not an “everything happens for a reason” person but there’s some relief in letting go a bit. There are so many sliding door moments but also so many opportunities to course correct.

Actually, I probably still need this advice today.”

“I’d tell my younger self to get clear on what mattered most to me ASAP.

The world has never been more crowded with opinions about ways to live and work, inspirational quotes, top tips, influencers, self-proclaimed "guru's", leaders, friends and peers, the list goes on.

I have long been fascinated by the modern concept of choice, the American Dream that we can have it all, when in reality, we can't, and the impact this has on self-identity. Choice is fundamentally positive, but too much choice can lead to becoming paralysed, overwhelmed, and interestingly, never satisfied.

So how do we create our own dream?

First, you need to know what that is, and recognise that modern identity is fluid, it changes as our lives and priorities change. Whether chasing the career ladder or crafting your own business you won’t ever be lost for should do's and could do's.

Knowing what matters for you to live well whilst succeeding in your work is the one thing that will guide you through your life. What is absolutely non-negotiable? Where are you happy to be flexible? What will you compromise on, and importantly, how much? This clarity allows you to cut through the noise.

Check in often to know how decisions align with what matters most, take time to reflect on whether those key things have changed, your identity is not fixed, a long list of things will impact it over your lifetime. Get clear on it and reduce the cognitive overload of choices to the ones that matter to you.

And lastly, be kind to yourself when you try something and discover it doesn't work for you! Walk away with integrity and use that new wisdom to get even clearer on what matters.”

“If I could do it all again, I’d ask for help sooner. I’d be more honest and vulnerable about what I wasn’t confident in / what I didn’t know.

For the first five years of working for myself, I didn’t have a network of people doing similar work (most of my friends went down the corporate career route!), and so my main points of contact at work were my clients, or freelancers I’d hired. That meant that I put a huge amount of pressure on myself to get everything right and ‘be perfect’.

Spoiler alert: that never works.

Leaning more on my community of female founder friends over the last few years and actually being vulnerable about what I’m struggling with has not only helped me build stronger ‘business friendships’, but also helped me become a better founder — I’m faster at solving problems because I’m not trying to do it solo anymore.”

“Manage your emotions and be your own best salesperson.

Business is an emotional journey - stay grounded through the highs and lows. Keep your passion steady, and you'll make better decisions. Also, remember that no one will sell your vision better than you. Embrace this role with confidence, as your belief in your business will inspire others to believe in it too.

Always give back and help others wherever you can because karma is real!

And yes, you are going to meet some sh*tty people along the way. Brush yourself off, get back up and use this experience to drive you forward.”

“Two things: fulfilment and connection.

Fulfilment:

Work out what’s important to you and then fiercely guard those things in your life.
It’s unlikely that society’s view of success or happiness will make you happy - it’s not about how much money you earn, fancy titles or huge work responsibilities. Assess whether wanting those is for yourself or for other peoples’ view of you.

With a large salary in a full time role, think about how much of your personal life the company is buying to pay you that much. Find fulfilment outside of work and ensure you’re appreciating those connections e.g. quality time with family should always come above work. Enjoy the journey as nothing is permanent and life can change very quickly.

Making connections:

Make different levels of connections! It’s likely your biggest opportunities, both personal and in a work context, will come from someone outside your inner circle.

Value networking and making acquaintances, and remember not everyone needs to be a ‘ride or die’ connection in your life.”