The unglamorous truth about building while employed
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Reader, 2025 is over. Revenue targets. Client milestones. Growth numbers. Missed them all. Yes, that's me. For a while, I avoided looking at the data because I didn't want to face the disappointment. But then, I realized that the gap between where I am and where I wanted to be isn't failure. It's feedback. In my latest podcast episode, I'm pulling back the curtain on what 2025 actually looked like: 5 Unglamorous Lessons from Building a Business While Working Full-Time:1. It takes WAY longer than you think (and that's okay) There are so many invisible steps between 'I want a business' and 'I'm making money':
Your timeline is your timeline. Not the 'expert's'. Not mine. Yours. 2. Visibility is practice, not personality I used to stare at the 'post' button for 20 minutes. Now I hit publish without thinking. What changed? Reps. Practice. Over and over. When senior leaders at my workplace saw my posts, I thought I'd get fired. Instead? They liked them. Engaged with them. Started conversations with me about them. My reach went UP. The fear was all in my head. If you're scared your boss will see, I get it. Mine did. And nothing bad happened. 3. You have to become a different person You can learn all the tactics. Take all the courses. Follow all the frameworks. But if you don't shift who you are, nothing sticks. For me, that meant:
Business building = personal transformation. 4. Building while employed is the smarter path I invested $6k in programs in 2025 and tried 6 offers (only 1 worked). I couldn't have done either without my salary. That's freedom - when you don't need the sale, when you can build from abundance and experiment without panic. If you're providing for your family and caring for aging parents, you don't have the luxury of burning through savings to 'figure it out'. Build your backup plan while you have the safety net. 5. Small wins matter MORE than big wins I didn't hit my big revenue goal. But I:
Every single one = a win. Small wins compound. Don't wait for the 'big win' to feel proud. What I'm Taking Into 2026:
CLICK HERE to listen to the full episodeYou'll learn:
Ready to build YOUR first income stream in 2026?Book a Business Clarity Session with me. In 60 minutes, we'll:
If you didn't hit your 2025 goals, you're not alone. You're not behind. You're exactly where you need to be. Let's make 2026 about progress, not perfection. Sharon |
Sharon Singh Sidhu
I write about work, money and building beyond a salary.
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