Lessons From a Year of Building a Business
- TARA MARTINA HAYES
- Dec 26, 2025
- 6 min read
Updated: Jan 1
Building a business is not easy. Not because you are not smart enough or talented enough, but because it takes patience, determination, and mental toughness. Oftentimes, things don’t move as fast as you think they should. Not everyone is built for entrepreneurship. I’ve heard plenty of people say they want to start a business, just as I've listened to people who love the idea of writing a book, but taking the action to make either dream a reality is another conversation.
Building a business is not easy. Not because you are not smart enough or talented enough, but because it takes patience, determination, and mental toughness.
If you’ve ever felt like you were doing “all the things” and still not seeing the results you hoped for, especially in the early to middle stages of building your business, this will feel familiar.
Entrepreneurship stretches you beyond your comfort zone. I know this has been true for me. And you will never stop learning and growing.
I want to share with you where I was mentally in December 2024 and where I am one year later, in December 2025 — and the lessons I’ve learned that may support you as you navigate your own season of growth. Ready?
2024: Forward Progress But Still Stuck
Last year, I began working with my first few publishing clients. And while I was grateful for them, I still didn’t feel like I had any real forward motion. I was pretty much keeping my head above water, prospecting here and there. I undercharged. I overdelivered. I told myself it was “part of the process.”
I was hopeful that a few opportunities were about to come to fruition—a partnership and a couple of promising prospects—but none of them worked out the way I expected.
Around the same time, I had joined a Manifestation Mastermind.
If you’ve ever joined something hoping it would be the breakthrough, only to feel more discouraged when nothing changed, you’re not alone.
The goal was to manifest one big thing within 3 months, and when I didn’t, I felt lost and confused. I remember sitting in one of the mastermind calls with tears in my eyes. I was networking… doing what I thought was “enough.”
Yet… nothing seemed to work.
One prospect that I was looking forward to working with last year told me that he was going to find a more affordable route. And my only promising prospect at the time could not work with me because she lost her house in the California fire.
I was attached to the outcome of each situation. And when they didn’t go my way, I felt defeated.
Shifting Beliefs
Then, during the mastermind call, the coach said something that changed everything: “You have to do the inner work.”
So I started meditating almost every day, listening to my favorite Transformational Coach, David Bayer.
In January 2025, I spoke with a Sales Specialist, who told me I had to start showing up consistently online. She advised treating my LinkedIn content like appointments because I show up for them. That was the shift that I needed, because I’ve been showing up ever since.
From February to April of 2025, I worked with a Coach who helped me with energy, mindset, and strategy. She even created a personalized “future self” meditation for me.
And guess what? The prospect who told me he was going a more affordable route came back to me in March when he got into a jam. We worked together, and his book received the Top New Release badge in Teen Health on Amazon.
I also found a mentor in the publishing space and began strengthening relationships with other publishing professionals.
No conversation is a waste of time. Conversations that you’ve had months ago could eventually turn into an opportunity. Nurturing and planting seeds have a purpose.
Charging Your Worth is A Wealth Mindset
If you’re anything like me, at one point, you may have had issues with charging what you’re worth. I believe most entrepreneurs have experienced this. A few years ago, I was hesitant to ask for $150! We are not charging out of greed, but because we value our time and expertise. We are helping our clients shorten the learning curve and stop spinning their wheels. This year, I landed my first high-ticket client ($5k+), and it felt absolutely amazing to ask for it — and hear yes. It gave me the confidence that my work was valuable. I also quickly learned that revenue isn't profit, and even though that price felt great, I still needed to raise it to be sustainable. Raising your rates raises your self-confidence. You can’t build a sustainable business by undercharging.
We are not charging out of greed, but because we value our time and expertise.
Consistency Builds Momentum
After I signed my first high-ticket client, I got multiple clients in a row. This was the first time I was working with more than one client at a time! I worried, how could I manage more than one person? Could I keep up the pace and the quality? Would I get overwhelmed? This is where prioritizing and organization come in. I built myself a client dashboard so that I could see where each client was in the process, and I no longer worried as much. I could handle multiple clients. And even then, not everyone said yes. I learned not to be as affected by the nos. Momentum feels slow at first, and all of a sudden it’s not. Entrepreneurship is full of highs and lows. Each no gets you closer to your next yes.
Get Into the Right Rooms
Not all rooms help you grow, but some just keep you busy. For example, when I started networking a few years ago, I was just going to any event someone suggested. And it became overwhelming because I was unsure if I was getting any closer to the rooms I wanted to be in. In March of this year, I was connected to Sabrina Victoria and attended the Ultimate Networking experience. It was unlike any networking event I had ever participated in, but it didn’t hit me or resonate immediately. Then by chance, I reconnected with Sabrina, was invited to H-Club, and joined right away. I just felt like I'd finally found the room I'd been looking for during my first three years of networking. A room full of ambitious women, all looking forward to growing and building together. Since being a part of H-Club, I’ve begun stretching myself even more, speaking, becoming more visible, and raising my prices from $5k to $8k-$12k. I started charging comfortably, sharing my pricing on the call instead of making myself comfortable, and following up with the proposal afterward via email.
The Takeaway
Getting into the right rooms will help you grow. Community enables you to grow when you show up and do the work.
Always Be Prospecting
Last year at this time, I had only the motivation to see what was right in front of me. I was so client-focused instead of next-client-focused. And then, once my contract with that client was up, I wondered why the gap was so long before I signed my next one. That’s because I wasn’t consistently prospecting. I wasn’t visible online, only networking sometimes. This year, I am always prospecting. It doesn’t stop when you’re working with clients. Your pipeline is your responsibility as a CEO. Growing your pipeline grows your wealth. When you have multiple people you’re prospecting, it doesn’t sting when one or two of them fall off. Planning and nurturing are essential for building wealth and sustainability.
Your Future
I know that the slow seasons feel tough. Hearing no can feel like a dagger in the heart. Prospects telling you they need to hold off stings as well. Sometimes you may feel like you’re losing faith in your ability, but I’m here to remind you that it’s not about you but about timing. It can get very discouraging, but keep showing up, and the right ones will say yes. There is no positive without negatives, no ups without downs, no days without nights. That’s just how the world and life work. Keep showing up as your authentic self, and growth will happen, one step at a time. You are meant for greatness, and we will get there together.
Meet the expert:
Tara Hayes is a publisher and entrepreneur who helps coaches, business owners, and thought leaders transform their stories into impactful, professionally published books. Through her work at Tarafied Publishing, she has supported authors at various stages of their journey, from idea to launch and beyond. Her perspective is shaped by building her own business while guiding others through theirs.
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