In this episode, Ruth interviews Diane Houston. She shares how she started her business journey, the biggest challenges, and the hardest decisions she had to make in this journey. She also shares some practical advice for people who wants to start their business. If you are thinking of starting something and an opportunity comes, the first decision that you have to make is to step out and go for it. It will always be better to make a mistake, learn from it, make a pivot, and continue to grow than to never take the first step at all.   Key takeaways from this episode: Make sure that all the decisions you make are your decisions. You will learn from things you do well and things you do not do well. First impressions usually tend to be right. If you are a solopreneur or just starting your business, one of the first hires should always be your right hand. Build habits and do positive things no matter what happens in the world. Read everything you can get your hands on. Make sure that you are everywhere, whether it's online and store, marketplaces, or direct selling mixture. Look after yourself first. Have something you can rely on, a favorite podcast, a good friend, or a book that you keep going back to. You have to keep being level-headed and you have to be open to all the opportunities that are coming to you. Be mindful of what you are consuming Communicating your brand story is the most important thing you can do in times like this   Episode Timeline: 00:04 Podcast Intro 01:09 Episode Intro 01:45 Who Diane Houston is and what she does 02:52 What lead Diane to the business she has today 06:29 Diane’s advice for people who want to start a new business journey  07:42 The biggest challenges with Diane’s business journey 11:12 What it’s like to work with friends and family 12:22 Diane’s advice for people with what’s currently going on in the economy 15:23 Marketing channels that work for Diane’s business 16:45 How to connect with Diane 17:25 Outro   Connect with Diane Houston here: Website: https://www.gildapearl.co.uk  More about Ruth: Hi, I’m Ruth, a business coach specializing in helping freelancers and business owners adjust their mindset and their marketing so they can get fully booked with clients they LOVE to work with. I’ve helped hundreds of self-employed women achieve the time and money freedom they craved. I’ve started this podcast because when I first went all in and left the corporate world to be a freelancer, I was grateful for any work that came my way. After over 20 years of freelancing and working for other people, I started to realize I’d created a glass ceiling for myself. In 2017, I finally started listening to that voice that had been telling me for a long time that I wasn’t doing what I loved and fulfilling my true potential.  It took a critical illness to give me that wake-up call.  I don’t want the same to happen to you. You can expect practical advice, inspiring stories, and a lot of aha moments as we uncover and kick to the curb all the obstacles you have been putting in your way. I’m on a mission to inspire women to start and play bigger in business.   Connect and know more about Ruth Gilbey here: Coaching: https://www.ruthgilbey.com/coaching Free Masterclass: https://www.ruthgilbey.com/the-sold-out-solution-2022 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ruthgilbeymarketingandcoaching/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ruth_gilbey/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ruthgilbey/