Join the weekly (ish) newsletter for business owners who want their copy to sell without the sleaze, excessive sales pressure, or disappearing into the AI-flavored sea-of-sameness. Served alongside embarrassing personal stories, the occasional (okay fine, *frequent*) existential crisis, and at least one parenthetical aside per email.
10 lessons from 10 years of business [part 2]
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My 10-year business-iversary was this July, and I’m marking the occasion with a classic “10 lessons from 10 years in business.” Part 2 incoming below. Catch part 1 (lessons 1-5) here ICYMI! 6) Perfectionism will be the (second) death of you. [Wondering what the first is? I was being serious when I said to check out part 1 if you missed it. Link here ;-)] Hi, I’m Nicole Elliott, and chronic overthinking and/or agonizing may as well be my middle name. (Yes, I totally overthunk – not a word, I’m aware, but a bonus lesson from 10 years in business is that you get to be the boss and do what you want! – and agonized about this email, thank you very much.) Which means perfectionism (and its subsequent paralyzing effects) are something I’m painfully, intimately acquainted with. And while this may have served me well as a former overachiever and in my client work… as a business owner? It *mostly* just gets in the way. If there’s one thing I’d tattoo on my forehead – not that you’d see it, because thankfully bangs – it’s this: better done than perfect. 7) Surprise! You are the differentiator. When I first started my business, I thought the only way I could get someone to hire me was by showing up as my most polished, buttoned-up (and frankly, a little boring) self. Which meant I did questionable things like jumping into consultation calls wearing look-at-what-a-professional-woman-she-is glasses that I didn’t strictly need. Deliberately removing the inflection from my voice and carefully sticking "to the script" during professional interactions. And wouldn’t have dreamed of showing up to an event wearing one of my beloved miniskirts or brightly colored high tops while still being taken seriously. (My, my, how things have changed!) Not only is this just no fun at all... It also doesn’t really work. Especially in 2026. Sure, people hire based on samples and results. But they also hire based on connection and who they believe you to be as a person. And they can’t do that if you’re too busy burying yourself under a flattened, personality-free version of yourself. This is true for your copy + messaging, as well. At nearly every Quick Copy Clinic I’ve run over the last year, the most common feedback I've given is some variation of: “This sounds alright, but it *also* sounds like it could have been written by literally anyone else in your industry.” These days, as you swim through the stripped-of-all-humanity sea of sameness that is online business today, the most differentiated thing you have is yourself. Which means that whatever it is that makes you you – your opinions, your stories, your one-of-a-kind essence – needs to be there. 8) New offers almost always underperform on the first launch. No matter how established you are. No matter how much audience research you did ahead of time. No matter how confident you felt going in. This is just… kind of how it goes when you’re in business for yourself. And no, it’s not inherently a sign that the offer is all wrong. Or that you should scrap it or spiral into an existential crisis about your entire business model (à la lesson #5). It just means it's time to make some strategic updates based on feedback. Potentially refine the messaging. Then give it another go. 9) Trying to do it all will be the (third) death of you. This one has two layers. The first: community. When I started my business, I came from a teaching background – which meant I didn’t know a single person operating in the online business space. I was completely on my own, with no one to answer my questions, no one who understood what I was even trying to do (full transparency: I *also* didn’t really understand what I was trying to do at the time), and no idea how to go about finding people who did. Finding your people – whether a mastermind, a community, or an accountability buddy you can send the most chaotic, brain-dumpy weekly voicemails to – is equal parts the smartest decision I’ve made and the biggest gift I’ve received as a business owner. The second layer: actually asking for help. I’ll admit I’m not great at this (what a surprise: the former overachiever and unwitting leader of every group school project ever doesn’t love relinquishing control). But trying to handle every.single.business.task on your to-do list 100% on your own is a fast-track to disaster, the occasional desire to pull out your hair, and just plain not the best use of your particular genius. Which brings me to: if copy is one thing you know is outside your zone of genius… Especially if there’s been a little AI assistance in the mix and you’re not totally confident in what’s coming out… There are a few ways I can help, from taking it off your plate entirely to giving you feedback on what you’ve already written. Just hit reply, and we can start that conversation :-) 10) Even on the worst days... I'd still rather be doing this. I know I’ve brought up a lot of the hard stuff of being a business owner over these two emails. The self-doubt, the comparison-itis, the wanting to become a dog sitter for dogs you don’t even like. And yet. I’m typing this email to you from Brazil (working, I should clarify, not just vibing) where I’ve spent a chunk of every summer for the last decade visiting my husband’s family – with no boss, no commute, and no one breathing over my shoulder about quarterly reviews. Even on the days when it feels hard. Even on the days when it doesn’t feel worth it. Even on the days when I genuinely entertain my own version of the dog sitter fantasy. I’d still rather be doing this. ~~~ Phew! That was a long one. Thanks for sticking with me. Now, I want to hear from you. Been in business for a while? Anything you'd add? Anything that hit a little too close to home? Send me over a reply! My inner ~Nicole
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Nicole's Notes | A Newsletter by Nicole Elliott
Join the weekly (ish) newsletter for business owners who want their copy to sell without the sleaze, excessive sales pressure, or disappearing into the AI-flavored sea-of-sameness. Served alongside embarrassing personal stories, the occasional (okay fine, *frequent*) existential crisis, and at least one parenthetical aside per email.
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