Ep# 179: Build Your Business for Where You Are Going

Elizabeth Hartke

I kinda spilled the beans on social media the other day. 

I know I’ve been a little bit elusive about what’s coming down the pike for me, for us, for our company. There are both some legal and strategic reasons I can’t fully share everything yet. 

But today’s episode will give you a glimpse into what we’re building for in the future, and I hope it will help you in your own path to discern what is the best path for you and how to know how to build, create, and move forward in a way that is for the future version of you in your business. I don’t want you to stay stuck in the reactionary model of business like so many entrepreneurs.

Today’s episode is dedicated to where you’re going and helping you get there.


In this episode, I chat about:

[6:00] Opening the Doors to a New Company

We’re opening the doors to a new company soon, and this is one of the biggest business moves I’ve ever made. It’s outside the realm of anything I ever thought was possible when I started my entrepreneurship journey (and I’m a dreamer!).

This move is forcing me into new realms that I’ve never experienced before.

I got to this place where I kept feeling called into this next level, but I allowed myself to just sit with that. So I’ve been working to figure out this next step for over two years. Many heavy doubts have reared their heads, and that’s when I know, I’m on to something. 

When you know there’s something really big, a mountain, in front of you that you're being called to climb, you have to expect those tough emotions and curve balls and setbacks to come at you, so fast and so hard, because that is how you know you’re starting to break in to something bigger than you.


[10:00] The Fear of the Unknown in Business

We dissolved parts of my business that were very lucrative, and that feels like a huge leap of faith. From a purely financial standpoint, it would be crazy to shut those parts down. But here’s the thing -- I have to be building for where I am going, not where I am today.

When we have a piece of our business that is producing well for us, we hold on to it because we’re afraid. We’re afraid of never being able to replicate or outdo that success in the area that we now feel called to.

But what if that thing that’s producing for you is just the auto-pilot mode of you? When in reality, your success is going to depend on you breaking free from this safety net and taking a risk.

We’re taking “holy sh*t” big risks with this new company, and it’s so scary. It’s terrifying. But I know, in my heart, that I am building for where I am going, not where I am today.

Are you building for where you want to go? Are you building for the dream? Or are you just focusing on the “right now” version of you? Are you willing to trade safety for success?


[17:59] Nothing Changes When Nothing Changes

So many of the entrepreneurs I work with are very focused on business strategy. They are so focused on their next launches. And that’s great, but we have to remember: the launch is not the goal, it is the stepping stone to the bigger goal. So if there isn’t any progression from one launch to the next, it’s not actually helping to move you forward.

Sometimes, in order to move forward, you have to let go.


[20:52] Don’t Fake it ‘Til You Make It

Don't fake it ‘til you make it. What you should do is look at where you are and then look at where you want to go, and figure out what kind of person you need to be in order to elevate to that level, and then start operating as that person.
Stop trying to find the discounted version of who you need. Whether you're considering investing in a business coach or you’re hiring, invest in the best.

  • As you go forward this week, start to think about:
    Where are you being called?

  • What is next for you?

  • What is required of you to get there?

  • Who do you need to become in order to elevate into a leader?

  • What is holding you back?


Resources from this episode: