You know that rare feeling when you think you should pinch yourself because you're just so grateful for certain things in your life? I had just such a moment this morning when I looked at my calendar. Because this year, on March 1, 2025 to be precise, I will be exactly sixteen years old as a Keynote Speaker, Author and Business Coach independent.
This always seems surreal to me because I can still remember exactly how long I was afraid of making the necessary decision. And even more so how hard the early days were.
After I left my old job as a Managing Director at Karstadt and IKEA I started from scratch again in 2009. With zero customers. Zero network. And nothing but my big dream of self-employment in my head. You can't imagine how much criticism I received at the time, because those around me simply couldn't understand my decision to turn down a supposedly secure job in favor of an obviously completely crazy idea.
The dream of self-employment
Nevertheless, I refused to be intimidated by the naggers, complainers and naysayers and passionately embarked on the rollercoaster ride that is self-employment, which has now lasted a decade and a half. And in the moments when I have a little time to reflect, I gratefully realize how proud I am.
Not only have I been able to increase my sales year after year, I also have a great team at my side, have 13 books (which has sold hundreds of thousands of copies, been translated into dozens of languages, and three of which have become bestsellers), was allowed to become a Keynote Speaker at events around the world and was able to continuously expand my personal brand.
Self-employment is not a straight path, but an emotional rollercoaster ride
When I look back on my journey so far (because I still have a lot to do!), I realize how many mistakes I've made, how many wrong decisions I've taken and how many setbacks I've had to deal with. But these were the moments when I developed as an entrepreneur and learned important lessons. And it is precisely these that I have summarized in a kind of best-of that I would like to share with you today. If you are just starting out as an entrepreneur, I hope that these ideas will help you to put your business on a solid footing right from the start.
And if you already have a few years of entrepreneurial experience under your belt, I would hope that you can still take one or two ideas with you. Are you up for it? Then here are my 15 best self-employment tips and lessons from 15 years of self-employment:
Self-employment tips #1: Build up a network in good time
Nobody wins alone. That has been my mantra for many years. And it hits the nail on the head. As a solopreneur in particular, a high-quality network is a decisive success factor for sustainably successful self-employment. A network can open doors, establish contacts, make recommendations and act as a sparring partner in the everyday life of a self-employed person.
It is important to build up your network in good time. By following the principle of “give first - take second”. Because a network is not something you build up so that you can tap into it one day, but because it is a wonderful symbiosis that thrives on mutual support.
Self-employment tips #2: When you are particularly successful, the pressure to change is at its highest
Yesterday's success prevents tomorrow's success. This is something I realized early on in my career as an independent entrepreneur. Because being successful usually leads to us becoming comfortable, less innovative and productive and developing a certain “keep it up” mentality. This leads to an important realization: in moments of success, the need for innovation, courageous decisions and Changes largest.
Self-employment tips #3: Sales and marketing are skills that EVERYONE should master
We can spin it however we want, but without marketing and sales, every business is doomed to failure, because what good is it if you are really good but nobody knows about you and your offers? These two skills are therefore no longer “nice to have”, but an essential skill that you should acquire today rather than tomorrow. Your sales, your brand awareness and your long-term Success will thank you for it.
Self-employment tips #4: Define your company structure
In order to run your own business successfully and with personal satisfaction, one of the most important steps is to define your company structure in good time - and consciously. How exactly should your company be structured? How do you organize yourself? Which tasks and processes are recurring and what should the standards for completing them be?
These are all preparatory considerations for the most important question of all: What do I most want to spend my time doing all day (because I like doing it, am particularly good at it or because it's the best way to earn money)? Once you have found the answer, you can either automate or delegate everything else. The result: you do what you want to do, experience deep gratitude and are maximally profitable.
Self-employment tips #5: Personal branding is the decisive factor for sustainable self-employment
I cannot emphasize enough how important the development and expansion of your personal brand is for sustainable success. Because as a self-employed person, you are the head, the heart, the soul and also the face of your company. The more generous you are with your Personality the more sharply you will be able to position yourself and thus become the number 1 in the minds of your target group's customers in the long term.
Self-employment tips #6: Define (and live!) your values
Anyone who knows me knows that I have a certain positive obsession with the subject of Values have developed. No wonder, since they are not only the mirror of our behavior, but also the basis of our Decisions, our inner attitude and our entire business orientation. The time you invest in consciously defining your own values can hardly be valued in euros or dollars, such is the leverage you will achieve. Because once you know your values (and live them every day!), you will never again have difficulty making difficult decisions.
Self-employment tips #7: Be aware of your value and demand a corresponding price for it
“Unfortunately, we don't have a budget, but there are a lot of decision-makers in the audience and you also benefit from our social media reach”. This is how many interested parties try to engage prospective self-employed people (e.g. if you have a Book a speaker want). They want the full service without wanting to pay the corresponding price. But the concept of “something for nothing” simply doesn't work. Or do you know any baker, lawyer, chef, car dealer or fashion retailer who will give you their products or services for free because you promise them reach and possible follow-up orders? Of course not, right?
Nevertheless, this behavior is common among creative freelancers and solopreneurs. Not only does this not earn you any money, it also destroys your own brand and makes you even less successful in the long term. The following therefore applies: Know your value (and that of your products and services) and then charge the appropriate price for it. Always. Without exception.
Autonomy Tips #8: Internalize the concept of lifelong learning
Have you ever had thoughts like “I already know that”, “I already know that” or “I can already do that”? We all regularly fall victim to this inner illusion, which has a fatal result: We stop developing, stop growing and, at best, manage to stand still.
Even more fatal, however, is another thought that often occurs when we have celebrated our first successes as self-employed people: “Now I've made it!”. If you give in to this, it is often the beginning of the end. This is why the concept of lifelong learning is so crucial, especially for the self-employed. So that we can continue to develop, grow as a person and continuously expand our independence.
Self-employment tips #9: Mindset shift from consumer to producer
As a self-employed person, there is no one to tell you what to do and what not to do. As a result, the distinction between your private everyday life and your entrepreneurial activities is not always clear-cut. It is therefore crucial to adapt your own mindset accordingly. And this can be achieved by Mindset Shift away from consuming to producing content. Content marketing is one of the most important components in building a personal brand and for your own acquisition.
Where self-employed people used to read books, attend lectures, attend seminars, consume online courses, listen to podcasts and watch videos, they now have to write books, give lectures, give seminars, offer online courses, produce podcasts and record videos. Of course, this doesn't mean that you shouldn't consume anything from now on. On the contrary, after all, we are committed to lifelong learning. But when we do, it is always with the intention of gathering inspiration and ideas.
Self-employment tips #10: Treat yourself like a business
While we're on the subject of mindset shifts, here's another lesson in which your Identity as a self-employed person takes center stage. I'm talking about the idea of treating you as an entrepreneur right from the start. The rapper Jay-Z summed up this philosophy wonderfully when he once said in an interview: “I'm not a businessman, I'm a business, man!”.
As a self-employed person, you are the business. You are the head, the heart and also the soul. And this must be taken into account. In all decisions, investments and activities. The sooner you are able to look at your everyday working life through an entrepreneurial lens, the faster your professionalism will increase.
Self-employment tips #11: Build an email list
Even if it is repeatedly emphasized that email marketing is actually dead, in 2024 your own email list is still the best marketing channel there is in my opinion. What could be better than thousands of people who have voluntarily signed up because they value your personality, love your content and want to be part of your community? Combined with a sustainable content strategy, your email list can quickly become your most successful salesperson.
No matter how small or young your business may be, you should start building your email list as soon as possible. When you look back fifteen years from now, you'll thank me for this lesson.
By the way, you can sign up for my e-mail list here enter.
Self-employment tips #12: Find coaches and mentors
There is an old saying that the best interest is still earned by investing in yourself. And that is true. Because you can never know and be able to do everything, especially as a self-employed person. That's why ongoing training and further education is essential. My success is largely the result of my collaboration with various coaches and mentors. For example, I have received targeted support in the areas of stage performance, business development, online marketing, speechwriting and impact.
And that's exactly what I recommend you do. Even though I now work as a mentor and coach myself, you don't have to book me, of course. But I can't emphasize enough the positive leverage of coaches who work together and primarily individually with you on your business.
Self-employment tips #13: Pay your partners well
Do you know those supposed premium providers who charge very high prices for their own products and services, but then suddenly want to save as much as possible when hiring their own business partners (web designers, photographers, copywriters, etc.) in the best Scrooge McDuck manner? This leads to nothing in the long term and I can only recommend that you always pay your partners well. Of course, this always depends on your current situation, but the basic rule is: if you want others to pay you well, then pay others well first. Sounds a bit esoteric, but it's probably the most practical tip of the fifteen lessons.
Self-employment tips #14: Take a break
“Self-employment means self and constant.” I don't know how often I've heard this sentence. And there's a lot to it, especially at the start of your own entrepreneurial career. Because you only make sales when you are active. One day, however, this leads to you no longer daring to take breaks or go on vacation because you could actually be working on your business during that time.
As counter-intuitive as it sounds, breaks are not only important, but essential for your business growth. I've had my best ideas during a walk in the woods, made my best decisions after a short break, and my biggest eureka moments have always happened after a phase in which I was able to recharge my creative and productive batteries. So here's an important recommendation: take a break more often. Your success will thank you for it.
Self-employment tips #15: Dare to be yourself
The last lesson sounds extremely banal, but the effects could not be greater if applied consistently. I'm talking about daring to be yourself. To throw all your masks into the corner and generously share all facets of your personality with the world. This sounds easier said than done, because you will always encounter people who want to tell you what to do and what not to do. As soon as you are able to free yourself from these external expectations and dare to consistently live your inner values in all contexts, your personal brand will become more successful, which will also be reflected in increasing inquiries, customers and sales in the long term.
Self-employment tips #16: Be boring
No, of course I'm not talking about character, because who likes boring people, right? I'm talking about something completely different. We all love the big, emotional, stand-out moments in life. But true freedom comes when you realize that success (whatever that means to you) is never the result of a one-off flash of inspiration, a hair-trigger move or a secret and long-lost trick. No, success is extremely boring in nature. Because it's always about the consistent implementation of the simple, supposedly unimportant and not particularly sexy sounding things that make a huge difference at the end of the day. Everyone knows them and everyone knows it. But very few are focused, disciplined and determined enough to do them every single day. So concentrate on the boring tasks. Get really good at them. And your life will become the exact opposite: Intense, exciting and fulfilling.
Enjoy the rollercoaster ride that is self-employment
Let's come to a brief conclusion. In addition to the lessons I have learned from my own entrepreneurial career, I have worked with hundreds of self-employed people over the past few years to build and expand their business. And since the challenges are almost always the same, despite their individuality, the following conclusions can be drawn:
- Not everyone is suitable for self-employment. For many people, a job as an employee is definitely the better choice.
- The start can be particularly tough, and the increasing bureaucracy costs nerves, time and, unfortunately, money.
- The path as a self-employed person is characterized by doubts, worries and setbacks. Don't let this throw you off course. This is normal and will never stop.
- Your long-term success depends on your willingness to actively work on your business, to be disciplined in its implementation and to consistently go the extra mile.
But the most important section comes at the end: If you are not put off by all of this, then self-employment is probably the most fulfilling profession imaginable. Nowhere else will you experience this feeling of freedom and the opportunity to actively shape your life in a way that is in line with your values and purpose.
I wish you all the best for the upcoming rollercoaster ride called self-employment.
I look forward to your comment. Please let me (and all readers) know what you have done (or are planning to do) to start your own business and what your biggest learnings are.
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