Vanquish the Villains on Your Entrepreneur Journey
By Aleya Harris
Ready to start your journey from burnout to breakthrough? Since you’re here, I know you are — and I want to commend you for taking the first steps to a brighter future full of abundance and purpose.
To achieve your business happily ever after, you need to tackle the ugly “villains” that are holding you back from reaching your full potential. These are the limiting beliefs that keep you stagnant and stuck where you are, feeling like growth is just out of reach.
If you want to identify and vanquish your villains once and for all, it’s important to understand the arc of the Hero’s Journey.
You see, you are the hero of your story — and every story has the same elements told in different ways. Understanding the Hero’s Journey helps you to better understand where you are on your own path and how you can take the leap to the next chapter.
Let’s dive into the 12 steps of the Hero’s Journey and how they apply to your life as a powerful Black woman entrepreneur.
This is the start of any story — it sets the scene, establishing the way things currently stand. By the end of the story, it will provide the harsh comparison of “how things used to be” — but don’t worry! This plays out in the hero’s favor.
In your life, this is likely your situation before you decided to pursue entrepreneurship. You were firmly in your comfort zone and all seemed well, but there was always a nagging feeling that things could be better…
Key Villains:
Staying so busy you can’t see new opportunities
Dealing with illusion not reality
Letting ego and ignorance run the show
How to Vanquish Them:
Overcoming these early villains is all about building self-awareness, establishing goals, and breaking negative thought patterns. This will require assessing your identity and taking control of your ego to see yourself through unbiased eyes.
This is where the story starts to pick up. An opportunity presents itself… But you’re uncertain of whether you’re the best fit. It pushes you outside of your comfort zone, but it’s been so long since you stepped beyond your boundaries that fear starts to take over.
Key Villains:
Not being open and curious
Not listening and paying attention
Underdeveloped skills
How to Vanquish Them:
It’s time to proactively get outside of your own bubble and start networking with those who know more than you. Easier said than done, right? Rest assured that, when you adopt the right mindset, the right opportunities will surround you.
You decide it isn’t the right time. You make every excuse in the book about why you can’t level up and everything inside you is screaming to resist. Yet, the call only gets louder and louder… Eventually, it becomes impossible to ignore. Perhaps you decide to try out your business idea as a small-time side hustle. Just to see how it goes.
Key Villains:
Fear and doubt
“Should”
Excuses
How to Vanquish Them:
Navigating fear and doubt is a scary endeavor, but one that’s necessary to break through on your journey. Spend some time writing in freeform to clear old thought patterns and contemplate on the pros and cons of where you currently are and where you want to be.
Opening yourself up to the pursuit of your calling reveals opportunities you never would have seen if you stayed in your lane. You never realized how many people were ready to help you on your journey!
You come across a guide who helps you reach your goals because they’ve already walked that path. See that tree carving? They left that years ago! They’ve built empires and learned hard lessons along the way. With their inner wisdom backing you up, you start to realize that this is the start of something wonderful.
Key Villains:
Not sharing challenges with others
Perfectionism
Insecurity and embarrassment
How to Vanquish Them:
It’s time to let your curiosity out. Ask all the questions on your mind! Of those who respond, you will get a good idea of who can serve as a trustworthy guide. The more you use their wisdom to drive your purpose, the more clarity you’ll get about your journey.
That’s it! You’re going to do it! You’re confident that taking the next step beyond your comfort zone will lead to extraordinary results. You build new habits and create new patterns that align with your big picture goals and dreams. Now, all you have to do is sit back and let the magic happen...
Key Villains:
Lack of belief in your ability to scale
Energy misalignment
Lack of willpower, weak “why”
How to Vanquish Them:
Getting out of your comfort zone can feel tense. You can get over the resistance by homing in on your “why” and surrounding yourself with motivating images and messaging. Aligning your business marketing with your heart’s purpose will give you the confidence to get out there and take some risks.
You didn’t think it’d be that easy, did you? Every hero has to face trials and tribulations along the way, which can also be said about entrepreneurs. All of those pricing uncertainties, bad reviews, confusing messages, all-nighters… Nobody said that building a business would be simple. (But, they did say it was worth it.)
Fortunately, for all of the enemies and tests you face, you also find your allies — the people who have your back no matter what. Your entrepreneur tribe makes you feel invincible, so who really cares about the challenges on the way?
Key Villains:
Lack of endurance
Fear
How to Vanquish Them:
Look to your allies for help! Find people who know more about marketing, finances, and operations who are ready to help you. Also, don’t forget to talk yourself up. Daily affirmations go a long way in helping to assure your decisions. And, when in doubt, just keep doing it even if you’re afraid. Fear is an emotion, not an obstacle. In the same way you can smile when you’re sad, you can do hard things while afraid.
On the other side of those tests, you’re feeling pretty confident about yourself. You’ve gained newfound skills and wisdom along the way and you’ve got a stellar crew to back you up. You can feel yourself rising to greatness, no matter what comes in your way.
Key Villains:
Avoiding challenges
Not realizing or accepting your wisdom
Lack of insight
Vanquishing Strategies:
It never hurts to remind yourself how far you’ve come! Write down your wins from the past six months and look at the before and after to see real progress. There’s nothing like appreciating your journey to keep you moving forward!
...but then you get slapped with reality. All of those tests and enemies you conquered a little while ago? They’re nothing compared to your biggest nemesis. While Voldemort, Darth Vader, and Sauron are all scary opponents, most folks come to realize that their greatest adversary is actually themselves.
This is when you have to overcome creeping insecurities and unresolved grief that has been holding you back all along. You may have been able to brush past them before, but now they’re staring you right in the face, daring you to make the first move.
Key Villains:
Avoiding the messy bits
Lack of forgiveness of ourselves and others
Ourselves
How to Vanquish Them:
Confronting your limiting beliefs and your inner villain is hard work, as it requires forgiving yourself. Welcome the light inside through mindful meditation and open yourself up to the possibility of being everything you ever imagined. Release the baggage! When you’re finished, write your business vision statement with your newfound clarity.
You know that epic moment in almost every action film where you think the hero is down for the count… but then they pull themselves back up with resolve and strength? Think Thor and Mjolnir, Luke and the Force, Harry and his wand — that’s YOU and your inner power.
Key Villains:
Imposter Syndrome
Lack of accountability
Need to possess and control
Vanquishing Strategies:
The only way to get past imposter syndrome and the need to control every little thing is to walk in gratitude. Be humble and recognize all that life has given you. Are there things you still want? Of course. But what you don’t have does not take away from what you do have. Now, go ahead and put your plan into action. It’s going time.
You did it. No, really — YOU DID IT. You overcame the greatest ordeal you’ve faced in life and you came out victorious. You can start returning to the Ordinary World (from stage 1!) with all of the new knowledge, skills, experience, and treasures you’ve gathered along the way. There’s no doubt about it — you are a far better version of yourself.
Key Villains:
Getting lost in the adventure and losing track of your goal
Old patterns
Worry
How to Vanquish Them:
When you’ve come so far and experienced your biggest win of all time, it’s essential to create new goals with intention to avoid backsliding into old habits. Focus on self-observation and set your sights on gaining deeper self-awareness so you can maintain your momentum.
On your way back, you face another challenge. Seriously? Again? Yes… But this time, you’re so much smarter. You know exactly how to overcome it, staying calm and at peace while you do it. On the other side, you feel confident that you can handle anything.
Key Villains:
Victimhood
Lack of a plan
How to Vanquish Them:
By now, you know you have all the answers inside. All you have to do is tap into your intuition and let your brain solve the problems that lie in your path. Keep moving forward and, when in doubt, turn to your guide for help.
At long last, you return to square one but you see everything through a new lens. You are utterly, irreversibly transformed. You realize that you bear the power to transform the world in the same ways you just experiences — you are ready to become the change you want to see in the world.
Key Villains:
Lack of acceptance
Lack of gratitude
How to Vanquish Them:
You made it. But, now you need to make sure your lessons stick. Let go of all the grudges and resentment that haunted you when you started your journey. That’s the old you. Then, reinvest in yourself and your business. Take it a step further and apply your new wisdom by sharing it with others and becoming a guide in your own right.
Now that we’ve walked through the Hero’s Journey—no, your journey—consider where you are facing the most struggles. Have you been resisting the call to action? Are you paralyzed by the reality of your great ordeal? You might even identify with several of these stages, which is OK! The point is to know the areas that present the most challenges on your path, so you can implement strategies that help you move forward toward your goals.
About The Author
Aleya Harris is a featured member of The BlackWomen Coach™ Directory. She is the Owner and Founder of Flourish Marketing
You can learn more about her work here: https://www.flourishmarketing.co/
Ready to start your journey from burnout to breakthrough? Since you’re here, I know you are — and I want to commend you for taking the first steps to a brighter future full of abundance and purpose.
To achieve your business happily ever after, you need to tackle the ugly “villains” that are holding you back from reaching your full potential. These are the limiting beliefs that keep you stagnant and stuck where you are, feeling like growth is just out of reach.
If you want to identify and vanquish your villains once and for all, it’s important to understand the arc of the Hero’s Journey.
You see, you are the hero of your story — and every story has the same elements told in different ways. Understanding the Hero’s Journey helps you to better understand where you are on your own path and how you can take the leap to the next chapter.
Let’s dive into the 12 steps of the Hero’s Journey and how they apply to your life as a powerful Black woman entrepreneur.
1. The Ordinary World
This is the start of any story — it sets the scene, establishing the way things currently stand. By the end of the story, it will provide the harsh comparison of “how things used to be” — but don’t worry! This plays out in the hero’s favor.
In your life, this is likely your situation before you decided to pursue entrepreneurship. You were firmly in your comfort zone and all seemed well, but there was always a nagging feeling that things could be better…
Key Villains:
Staying so busy you can’t see new opportunities
Dealing with illusion not reality
Letting ego and ignorance run the show
How to Vanquish Them:
Overcoming these early villains is all about building self-awareness, establishing goals, and breaking negative thought patterns. This will require assessing your identity and taking control of your ego to see yourself through unbiased eyes.
2. Call to Adventure
This is where the story starts to pick up. An opportunity presents itself… But you’re uncertain of whether you’re the best fit. It pushes you outside of your comfort zone, but it’s been so long since you stepped beyond your boundaries that fear starts to take over.
Key Villains:
Not being open and curious
Not listening and paying attention
Underdeveloped skills
How to Vanquish Them:
It’s time to proactively get outside of your own bubble and start networking with those who know more than you. Easier said than done, right? Rest assured that, when you adopt the right mindset, the right opportunities will surround you.
3. Refusal of the Call
You decide it isn’t the right time. You make every excuse in the book about why you can’t level up and everything inside you is screaming to resist. Yet, the call only gets louder and louder… Eventually, it becomes impossible to ignore. Perhaps you decide to try out your business idea as a small-time side hustle. Just to see how it goes.
Key Villains:
Fear and doubt
“Should”
Excuses
How to Vanquish Them:
Navigating fear and doubt is a scary endeavor, but one that’s necessary to break through on your journey. Spend some time writing in freeform to clear old thought patterns and contemplate on the pros and cons of where you currently are and where you want to be.
4. Meeting with the Mentor
Opening yourself up to the pursuit of your calling reveals opportunities you never would have seen if you stayed in your lane. You never realized how many people were ready to help you on your journey!
You come across a guide who helps you reach your goals because they’ve already walked that path. See that tree carving? They left that years ago! They’ve built empires and learned hard lessons along the way. With their inner wisdom backing you up, you start to realize that this is the start of something wonderful.
Key Villains:
Not sharing challenges with others
Perfectionism
Insecurity and embarrassment
How to Vanquish Them:
It’s time to let your curiosity out. Ask all the questions on your mind! Of those who respond, you will get a good idea of who can serve as a trustworthy guide. The more you use their wisdom to drive your purpose, the more clarity you’ll get about your journey.
5. Crossing the Threshold
That’s it! You’re going to do it! You’re confident that taking the next step beyond your comfort zone will lead to extraordinary results. You build new habits and create new patterns that align with your big picture goals and dreams. Now, all you have to do is sit back and let the magic happen...
Key Villains:
Lack of belief in your ability to scale
Energy misalignment
Lack of willpower, weak “why”
How to Vanquish Them:
Getting out of your comfort zone can feel tense. You can get over the resistance by homing in on your “why” and surrounding yourself with motivating images and messaging. Aligning your business marketing with your heart’s purpose will give you the confidence to get out there and take some risks.
6. Tests, Allies, Enemies
You didn’t think it’d be that easy, did you? Every hero has to face trials and tribulations along the way, which can also be said about entrepreneurs. All of those pricing uncertainties, bad reviews, confusing messages, all-nighters… Nobody said that building a business would be simple. (But, they did say it was worth it.)
Fortunately, for all of the enemies and tests you face, you also find your allies — the people who have your back no matter what. Your entrepreneur tribe makes you feel invincible, so who really cares about the challenges on the way?
Key Villains:
Lack of endurance
Fear
How to Vanquish Them:
Look to your allies for help! Find people who know more about marketing, finances, and operations who are ready to help you. Also, don’t forget to talk yourself up. Daily affirmations go a long way in helping to assure your decisions. And, when in doubt, just keep doing it even if you’re afraid. Fear is an emotion, not an obstacle. In the same way you can smile when you’re sad, you can do hard things while afraid.
7. Approach
On the other side of those tests, you’re feeling pretty confident about yourself. You’ve gained newfound skills and wisdom along the way and you’ve got a stellar crew to back you up. You can feel yourself rising to greatness, no matter what comes in your way.
Key Villains:
Avoiding challenges
Not realizing or accepting your wisdom
Lack of insight
Vanquishing Strategies:
It never hurts to remind yourself how far you’ve come! Write down your wins from the past six months and look at the before and after to see real progress. There’s nothing like appreciating your journey to keep you moving forward!
8. Ordeal
...but then you get slapped with reality. All of those tests and enemies you conquered a little while ago? They’re nothing compared to your biggest nemesis. While Voldemort, Darth Vader, and Sauron are all scary opponents, most folks come to realize that their greatest adversary is actually themselves.
This is when you have to overcome creeping insecurities and unresolved grief that has been holding you back all along. You may have been able to brush past them before, but now they’re staring you right in the face, daring you to make the first move.
Key Villains:
Avoiding the messy bits
Lack of forgiveness of ourselves and others
Ourselves
How to Vanquish Them:
Confronting your limiting beliefs and your inner villain is hard work, as it requires forgiving yourself. Welcome the light inside through mindful meditation and open yourself up to the possibility of being everything you ever imagined. Release the baggage! When you’re finished, write your business vision statement with your newfound clarity.
9. Seizing the Reward
You know that epic moment in almost every action film where you think the hero is down for the count… but then they pull themselves back up with resolve and strength? Think Thor and Mjolnir, Luke and the Force, Harry and his wand — that’s YOU and your inner power.
Key Villains:
Imposter Syndrome
Lack of accountability
Need to possess and control
Vanquishing Strategies:
The only way to get past imposter syndrome and the need to control every little thing is to walk in gratitude. Be humble and recognize all that life has given you. Are there things you still want? Of course. But what you don’t have does not take away from what you do have. Now, go ahead and put your plan into action. It’s going time.
10. The Road Back
You did it. No, really — YOU DID IT. You overcame the greatest ordeal you’ve faced in life and you came out victorious. You can start returning to the Ordinary World (from stage 1!) with all of the new knowledge, skills, experience, and treasures you’ve gathered along the way. There’s no doubt about it — you are a far better version of yourself.
Key Villains:
Getting lost in the adventure and losing track of your goal
Old patterns
Worry
How to Vanquish Them:
When you’ve come so far and experienced your biggest win of all time, it’s essential to create new goals with intention to avoid backsliding into old habits. Focus on self-observation and set your sights on gaining deeper self-awareness so you can maintain your momentum.
11. Resurrection
On your way back, you face another challenge. Seriously? Again? Yes… But this time, you’re so much smarter. You know exactly how to overcome it, staying calm and at peace while you do it. On the other side, you feel confident that you can handle anything.
Key Villains:
Victimhood
Lack of a plan
How to Vanquish Them:
By now, you know you have all the answers inside. All you have to do is tap into your intuition and let your brain solve the problems that lie in your path. Keep moving forward and, when in doubt, turn to your guide for help.
12. Return
At long last, you return to square one but you see everything through a new lens. You are utterly, irreversibly transformed. You realize that you bear the power to transform the world in the same ways you just experiences — you are ready to become the change you want to see in the world.
Key Villains:
Lack of acceptance
Lack of gratitude
How to Vanquish Them:
You made it. But, now you need to make sure your lessons stick. Let go of all the grudges and resentment that haunted you when you started your journey. That’s the old you. Then, reinvest in yourself and your business. Take it a step further and apply your new wisdom by sharing it with others and becoming a guide in your own right.
Now that we’ve walked through the Hero’s Journey—no, your journey—consider where you are facing the most struggles. Have you been resisting the call to action? Are you paralyzed by the reality of your great ordeal? You might even identify with several of these stages, which is OK! The point is to know the areas that present the most challenges on your path, so you can implement strategies that help you move forward toward your goals.
About The Author
Aleya Harris is a featured member of The BlackWomen Coach™ Directory. She is the Owner and Founder of Flourish Marketing
You can learn more about her work here: https://www.flourishmarketing.co/
