Last year, I was at the point where I was ready to give up on my business after 11 years in.

I looked forward in my calendar and could see everything I would be doing each month of each year for three years into the future. I felt like I was trapped on this golden hamster wheel. I had to keep just working and working and working just to keep the thing spinning.

And that’s not really why I wanted to go into business in the first place. I went into business because I like to help people. I like to create things. I like to love what it is that I’m doing.

But something happened that shifted everything.

I got an offer to buy Live Your Message, and I seriously considered this offer because I was so tired. I was ready for an out.

But I talked to Eben Pagan, JJ Virgin, John Assaraf and Roland Frasier – 5 friends who had all sold their companies.

I asked them, What do you think? Should I sell? Or should I double down?

They all said, Marisa, you’ve built something great. And you’re so close to taking it to the next level; now is the time to double down. 

And once I made that choice, I recommitted to what I was building and how great it could be. And it helped me see beyond my fatigue, beyond what felt like a routine and get excited about what I was doing all over again.

Because the truth is that as an entrepreneur, you get to create your own reality, choose how you feel every day, do what you want to do and create the impact you desire.

And that’s why in this post, I wanted to give you some success tips and signs that you are on the right track in 2023… and beyond.

Because, far too often, as entrepreneurs, we fail to notice the signs right in front of our faces. So, I hope these 6 signs hit you at just the perfect moment!

Sign #1: You Treat Your Business Like a Game

The first sign is that you treat your business like a game (now, you may be thinking, WHAT are you even talking about, Marisa? Business is serious business).

Let me explain.

What I mean by this is that you stop taking everything so seriously and you realize that you get to have fun in your business… woohoo!

And when you let fun in, you’ll open up your creativity as you realize that even though business is serious and can be serious, it doesn’t have to feel serious. 

And when you bring your fun, your play and your creativity, then people can tell that you’re enjoying yourself and will want to follow you and buy from you.

You’ll wake up every day with a renewed sense of confidence and excitement about what you get to do.

Sign #2: You Stop Dreaming and Start Doing

There’s a famous quote by Thomas Edison, I have not failed. I’ve just found 10,000 ways that will not work.

And that willingness to get up every day and try something new, even if you fail, is the mark of a successful entrepreneur.

It’s the failure that leads you to the success and it’s the action that leads you to the breakthrough. 

So you have to commit fully and take action to move forward and not worry about perfection because it’s all about iterating your way to awesome. That’s where you take imperfect action… you learn and grow… and maybe even fail. And from there, the real breakthroughs occur.

So commit to taking action every day to grow your business, even if it’s something small.

And you can start right now by joining over 60,000 entrepreneurs & getting my best tips and trainings delivered to your inbox weekly.

Sign #3: You Spend Most of Your Time Working on Your Business in Deep Work

You can’t make consistent progress if you’re spending too much time in the weeds of all the day-to-day, shallow work. And when you’re constantly checking slack, email and social media, you’re pulling your attention away from what you need to be doing to grow your business.

That’s why you have to set aside blocks of time each week, maybe even a whole week, every month to reduce distractions and produce your very best work.

You also have to learn how to delegate and let go of the day-to-day tasks, the administrative tasks or even the household tasks that have you focusing on things that don’t really matter and don’t bring out your best.

Because when you move from shallow work to deep work, you’ll start producing the best stuff of your life. 

Highly recommend you pick up a copy of Deep Work by Cal Newport (it changed my life!).

Sign #4: You Stop Chasing Every Single Shiny Object & New Strategy

Far too many entrepreneurs are chasing the next big thing, like a new social media channel, technology or tool like ChatGPT.

Now, I’m not saying that you shouldn’t use those things… they can have a really positive impact on your business.

But I am saying that successful entrepreneurs don’t get bogged down by every new thing. Instead, they focus on simple and time-proven business models and strategies that have worked forever.

Sign #5: You Stop Worrying About Being Judged

Here’s the thing: As your business grows, you will be judged online, even by your friends and family. And this can make you want to stop. But don’t. Keep going because you must develop a thick skin to succeed.

You may even need to drop some people who are not supportive of your journey.

Just keep putting yourself out there and sharing value with the audience who needs it. You’re going to get way more positive feedback than negative.

So don’t let a few doubters stop you from really doing your big work in the world. Instead, focus on the positive and the things that are going well and leave the judging to others. 

Sign #6: You Stop Believing That Your Success is Entirely Up to You

And, finally, you’ll succeed as an entrepreneur in 2023 when you stop believing your success is entirely up to you.

Because you need to build a support system to allow you to go farther than you’ve ever been able to go on your own.

And ideally, there are 6 very specific levels of support that you need…

Your inner core of family and friends who are supportive of your journey.

But that can only take you so far… because you also need support from other people on this aligned journey with you… people who are already in action around their mission, vision and goals.

Because as Brendon Burchard says, “There are only 2 ways to change your life: either something new comes out of you or someone new comes into your life.”

And often, it’s someone new coming into your life that inspires something new to come out of you.

Now, in addition to that, you need accountability support. This is someone who helps YOU stay in focused action around your mission, vision and goals. Because a lot of times, when we are accountable to someone other than ourselves, we’re way more likely to make forward progress and keep going.

Next, you want learning support. Where will you learn the best new strategies and techniques to grow your business and do the things you want to do? Think of group coaching programs, business-growth events (like Live Your Message LIVE ONLINE) and yearlong masterminds.

And then, once you reach a certain level, you’ll start to bump up against your own capacity. This is why you need a 5th layer of support: a team that helps you build your business every day. 

Finally, you need personal support. How do you care for yourself, body, mind and soul so you can keep producing and doing what you’re here to do at the highest possible level?

And on that note, I’m here to support you in your entrepreneurial journey… because I know how to navigate the ups and downs and come up on top!

Which is why I want to invite you to my FREE, 60-minute Masterclass — Discover the Business You’re Truly Meant to Build & How to Share It With the World

During our time together, you’ll discover:

• The 7 key criteria to identify the perfect niche for you… so you can make great money AND have the impact you desire
• The 3 questions you need to ask to help you zero in on what’s most important to you so you can design a high-impact, high-profit business you’ll love
• And why you may not have the businesses of your dreams right now and how to tune into what you really want…

Plus, much more! 

So, if you’re struggling at all to find your purpose or don’t feel 100% aligned with your business, go ahead and save your seat.