Starting Over: the MacAngLyn Journey

“Um… the Renter just texted to tell me that the water pump is not working.”

The renter was a boat mechanic by trade, so what exactly was the problem? I’m sure he was already fixing it. Why was he telling us? “Did he turn off the pump, turn off the rig, and turn it all back on?” I knew he had already done everything he knew to do to get it to work. “Um… ok, well tell him to call the Roadside Assistance…” He had paid for it, and they had helped us in the past. If he couldn’t figure it out, I’m sure they wouldn’t be able to either. Now what…?

“Hey, he says he can’t get it to work, and he really needs to because there is pee in the pot and it really stinks.” My eyes widened as an arrow shot through my memory to the time leading up to the rental. I remember closing the lid, leaning down to flush but wiped the floor instead. Oh no…I must’ve forgotten to flush!

“So…was the pee in there before or after he realized the pump didn’t work? Did he get it fixed?”

“It was the pump lever. He figured it out. And yes, it was in there.”

Have you ever gotten a nice hotel room and walked into a toilet filled with pee? Gross!!! When we were walking through the rental, I was so proud of the work we had done to prepare it. It was clean, completely wiped down in every nook and cranny. How could I have forgotten that?? I wanted to hide. What a dumb mistake…and now I had to face the renters when they got back to return the rig!

Courage. If something uncomfortable happens, my initial go-to is to pretend it didn’t happen. In theory, facing these types of situations should be easy, but when there are so many feelings around them, it almost seems impossible. It takes courage to face the uncomfortable situations and do it, whatever it is, anyway.

God tells us that He will be with us always and help us. He knows that this life is not easy, and that we face many challenges. He tells us in Joshua 1:7-9 to “Be strong and very courageous. Be careful to obey all the law my servant Moses gave you; do not turn from it to the right or to the left, that you may be successful wherever you go. 8 Keep this Book of the Law always on your lips; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful. 9 Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.”

To start or to buy a business, to take the time and effort to learn something new, and then most importantly to act on it, I constantly lean on God as I walk with all of my questions and insecurities. But I’m doing it anyway, I’m learning how to start and how to buy small and medium sized businesses.

A message resonating with me this week is to post on and across multiple social media platforms. It seems scary to put my thoughts, ideas, face and life out there in the world. Going through the steps to get to the point where I can do this regularly, I have to clarify my own message, my customer, intent/goal which is to buy small and medium sized businesses through acquisition. So I came up with a new title for my website and messages, a new thesis to follow as I post: Canvassing for SMB Cache.

The message from experts is resounding to take this action daily. Even though I have so many worries about it all, it takes courage to face this new world.

Here are some resources from experts who I’m learning from:

1. Here is a video from GaryVee who focuses specifically on marketing using social media. He gives homework to post 12 times a day across 5 social media platforms to gain market share: The Only Marketing Strategy You Need for 2023

2. Here is a video from Tammy at Badass Small Business Owners. She explains how to use Facebook to build relationships and awareness in small business: You Are Using Facebook Wrong! Do This Instead to Grow Your Small Business

3. Here is a video from Alex Hormozi. He encourages people to do the work, be consistent, add value to people and just keep going: How to Grow an Audience if You Have 0 Followers