5 Things I Wish I Knew When I Became an Entrepreneur
When I first became an entrepreneur, there were a lot of things I didn’t understand yet, things that only come into focus after you’ve carried the weight of the business for a while.
Here are five lessons I wish I had known earlier in my entrepreneurial journey. These are not tactical shortcuts or growth hacks, but hard-earned truths that have shaped how I lead, make decisions, and care for myself as a business owner.
If you’re early in your journey, I hope this gives you language for things you may already be feeling. And if you’ve been in business for a while, I hope it helps you reflect on how far you’ve come and what you want to carry forward differently.
Key Takeaways
• Why leadership can feel lonely, and why that doesn’t mean you’re doing it wrong
• How delaying hard decisions only makes them heavier over time
• Why people take you as seriously as you take yourself
• The one skill that quietly strengthens every other skill in your business
• Why understanding your numbers creates better decisions and less stress
• How urgency can serve you, but also burn you out if left unchecked
• Why the work will always be there, and why learning to step away matters
Want a Real-World Example of What’s Possible?
If you want to see how clarity, ownership, and intentional decision-making can transform a business, I’ve put together a case study showing how one pet care company grew monthly revenue from $19,000 to over $73,000 in a single year.
It breaks down the decisions, structure, and leadership shifts behind that growth, not just the outcome.
You can access the case study at dogcolaunch.com/case-study and see how DogCo Launch supports pet care owners who are building something meaningful and sustainable.
This episode is a reminder that entrepreneurship isn’t about doing everything perfectly or knowing everything ahead of time. It’s about learning, adapting, and giving yourself permission to grow into the role over time.
To learn more about how DogCo Launch helps pet care companies grow and scale, visit dogcolaunch.com.
Michelle Kline is the founder of DogCo Launch, and the host of the DogCo Secrets Podcast. Michelle spends her time helping pet care companies in the industry grow and scale their teams, increase their revenue, and increase personal profits - all while protecting their time. Learn more about Michelle here.