Becoming an entrepreneur and starting your own business isn’t easy. It can be a lot of work and frustrating, especially when things don’t go the way you hoped or when you encounter setbacks. Just ask Grainne Kelly, creator and founder of BubbleBum. With a lot of hard work and persistence she took an idea and turned it into an award-winning, nationally-known product and company.
To help those with dreams of becoming an entrepreneur, Grainne offers some advice from her personal experiences along the way:
- Maintain a positive attitude, because that is essential for success. Energy is the fuel that feeds our attitude and it needs to be replenished on a daily basis. Having a positive attitude is a conscious choice, so when negative thoughts creep in, stop them in their tracks and replace them with positive self-talk. Repeat words or phrases that focus on affirming truths about you. Surround yourself with like-minded women who are an inspiration and who will provide encouragement. Positivity allows you to see the potential that lies within you and gives you the faith to step outside of the box to achieve your dreams.
- Have a motto that you believe in and live by, as it will motivate you when the work gets difficult. The one question I always ask myself is: What is the worst that can happen? Every day, I also always tell myself: If you do things for the right reasons, only the right thing can happen. Do whatever it takes for as long as it takes.
- Don’t let “no” or an obstacle stop you. Adversity cultivates inner strength, so don’t throw a pity party when life gets tough. Instead, look for the inner lessons to be learned and apply them to your life. Character isn’t born from an easy life– it is forged through pushing through trials and being persistent.
- You may find that you are much more productive on certain tasks when you work outside of the office. For example, when I drive, I have my phone on dictaphone because that is when I think (only on long drives on the freeway). I also make a lot of my calls when I am on long distance drives (hands-free of course), as long as I am not required to take notes.
- Also try to hold creative meetings outside of the office whenever possible, as I believe that new surroundings inspire. These meetings can be held anywhere from the local coffee shop to the library, to the local swimming pool. It is also better to work in short bursts of intense productivity, then take a short break and start something new. If you break your work into bite-sized chunks of time, you won’t get bored. Also, if there is something you would procrastinate on, have someone else break it into bite-sized chunks and check up on your progress. Do your tedious tasks when there is no one else around, as it will keep you from getting distracted.
No matter what, keep your chin up, stay positive and don’t give up on your dream!
About Grainne Kelly and BubbleBum
Grainne Kelly is a Safe Kids USA certified CPST, travel expert, and the inventor of BubbleBum, the first ever inflatable booster seat, which has made traveling easier than ever! It’s the perfect solution for car rides, fly-ins with car rentals, cab rides and everyday car pooling. Weighing in at less than one pound, BubbleBum can deflate in minutes making it simple to throw in a backpack or large purse. BubbleBum includes belt positioning clips in place of arm rests, so it’s possible to fit three boosters across the back seat of a car, minivan or SUV. BubbleBum was twice announced as an IIHS (Insurance Institute of Highway Safety) “Best Bet” in their booster seat evaluation report, where they branded BubbleBum as one of the best for safety!
BubbleBum is sold online at https://www.bubblebum.us and is now conveniently available at Walmart.
