Why Waiting to “Feel Secure” Is Holding Your Business Back

January is a month for Fresh Starts and Brave Beginnings. For entrepreneurs, one of the bravest things we can do is challenge the belief that we have to go it alone. This month is often framed as a time to plan, strategize, and recommit to business goals; Revenue targets, marketing plans, systems and structure - All important, and also incomplete. Let's breakdown this common belief that we need to wait to "feel secure", and why it's holding your business back.

Because here’s the uncomfortable truth many entrepreneurs don’t like to say out loud: You can invest endlessly in your business, but if you don’t invest equally in yourself, growth will always feel heavier than it needs to be.

For many women in business, there’s a quiet belief sitting underneath it all:

“Once my business is more financially secure, then I’ll focus on me.”

It sounds responsible. Logical, even.

But in practice, it’s one of the most common ways we unknowingly slow our own growth.

Where This Belief Comes From

This mindset didn’t appear out of nowhere.

Many of us were taught - explicitly or subtly, that self-investment is something you earn after you’ve proven yourself. That personal growth is a luxury. That asking for support means you haven’t figured it out yet.

Add to that:

• Early money stories rooted in scarcity or responsibility

• Cultural messaging that glorifies “doing it all”

• The pressure many women carry outside of business: family, caregiving, emotional labour

So we grind, we delay, we tell ourselves we’ll work on mindset, clarity, confidence, leadership...later. But later rarely comes.

The Cost of Trying to Grow Alone

Here’s what happens when self-growth is postponed:

• Decisions take longer because confidence is shaky

• You second-guess pricing, boundaries, and direction

• Learning curves stretch unnecessarily long

• Burnout becomes normalized instead of questioned

• You rely on willpower instead of sustainable systems and support

Growing alone is not a badge of honour, it's an outdated way of doing business..

The new way is collaborative!

The old way is slower, and often far more exhausting.

This is why burnout is so prevalent among women entrepreneurs. Not because we aren’t capable, but because we are carrying too much in isolation.

What We Rarely Talk About

The entrepreneurs who build sustainable, fulfilling businesses are not the ones who waited until everything felt “safe.”

They are the ones who:

• Questioned their limiting beliefs about money

• Invested before they felt fully ready

• Let themselves learn by watching others model what was possible

• Sought out communities where they could learn and be supported in real-time.

• Asked for help when they hit the edges of their own skill set

• Treated personal growth as a business strategy, not a side project

Yes, business fundamentals matter, but fundamentals alone don’t address fear, confidence, capacity, or clarity.

At some point, every business requires skills, perspectives, and support that no single person can hold on their own.

Reframing Investment

Self-growth is not separate from business growth.

It shows up in:

• How you lead

• How you communicate your value

• How you handle uncertainty

• How resilient you are when things don’t go to plan

• How you protect your energy and avoid burnout

When personal growth is ignored, business strategies often stall - not because the strategies are wrong, but because the person implementing them is overwhelmed, isolated, or unsure.

If You’ve Tried “Programs” Before…

If you’ve joined entrepreneur groups, courses, or programs in the past and didn’t get what you hoped for, that doesn’t mean growth spaces don’t work for you.

It means:

• You now know what didn’t fit

• You’re clearer on what you don’t need

• You’re better equipped to ask stronger questions next time

Every experience teaches you something!

Growth doesn’t require blind optimism. It requires curiosity, openness, and the willingness to try again - with more clarity and confidence than before.

The Real Shift

The shift isn’t about spending more or doing more.

It’s about recognizing that:

• You are the foundation of your business

• Growth is faster when it’s supported

• Investing in yourself is not reckless - it’s strategic!

You don’t need to wait until you feel “secure” to become supported.

In fact, support is often what creates security.

Your First Brave Step

As we move through January, consider this:

What would change if you gave your self-growth the same respect you give your business goals?

Not someday.

Not once things calm down.

But now - intentionally, thoughtfully, and without guilt.

Because sustainable success isn’t built by doing everything alone - t’s built when growth is shared, supported, and human.

If this resonates, and you’re ready to explore what supported, sustainable growth

feels like, we’ve created a space for that. Made To Grow's signature programs are designed for women entrepreneurs who are ready to build their businesses by investing in themselves. It’s not another course; it’s a community of support, a resource for clarity, and a space to grow alongside others who get it.

Learn more and find your community here: https://www.madetogrow.ca/membership

Warmly,

Sherry Sobey

Founder + Program Director