“It’s going to take at least 18 months to figure out what your business really is. So just treat it all as research and discovery.”
My friend, Ray, gave me that advice back in 2024 when I launched my company, Wolf House Fables. I believed him. But I believed I’d figure it out way faster.
I did not.
I had no idea how taxing (physically, emotionally, spiritually, financially, relationally) hanging my own shingle would be. I’ve been an entrepreneur since 2012. But always with partners.
Going it alone hits different. So many sleepless nights processing so many unknowns.
The biggest thing I’m working on right now is redefining my relationship with uncertainty. I wrote the following reflection to use in my own daily practice.
You can listen to it here with a little background music as well.
I feel the same question I felt last night. The nagging, impatient how. How am I going to make this work? How is it all going to play out?
But today, today, I’m going to try something different.
And it starts with a deep breath in… and out.
Another one. Deep breath in…. And out. One more. Real slow. In….. and out…
I want to be ok with uncertainty. Actually, I want to be friends with it. I want the interrogating unknown to have a seat. Right across from me. And rearrange how we’re speaking to one another. It’s no longer “how” in that accusatory voice.
It’s HOW is this going to work?
I smile. Not a big one. That’s not the feeling. It’s a curious grin. I feel a glint in my eye that suggests something good is out there. And I ask, full of wonder…How is this going to unfold?
It can feel like a mysterious game, with a small shift in tone. How. Suddenly, it’s an invitation.
Like a hidden door in wood paneled study that I didn’t know was there.
Like a brand new song that also feels familiar.
I remember that time I sat in front of the Grand Canyon, but it was filled with fog. I knew something beautiful was out there, just hidden. And I waited. Deep breath in…. I waited. And then, like a slow-motion magic trick, the fog began to lift. The unknown I was desperate to see, unfurled itself all on its own. More beautiful than I could have imagined.
How am I gonna make this work? I’m not. It’s going to unfurl.
And here’s what I believe about today… I’m going to stumble upon clues. How will clues show up today?
Not by overthinking.
Deep breath in…. Not by overthinking.
Curiosity is my superpower.
My need to know comes from a good place. It feels good to get to the end of the story.
But the middle can be magical.
The middle can surprise me. Deep breath in…. Today.. Will surprise me.
And when I find myself asking how with a pleading voice Are you sure about this voice I will take that as a cue to pause and simply shift my tone. Like putting butter on toast (ha) It’s still toast… just so much better.
Deep breath in….. Hello unknown. Hello uncertainty. Hello, self-doubt. You’re welcome here. Today, we’re going to receive exactly what we need.
About the Author
Brad Wise is the founder of Wolf House Fables, a wonder-building practice that helps people rediscover their creative courage. He’s an adjunct professor at his alma mater, the University of Cincinnati, teaching Creativity and Ideation to the next generation of world-builders. Brad and his wife, Leah, are raising three kids and one silver lab named Huckleberry in Cincinnati, Ohio.
www.wolfhousefables.com
Brad Wise is the founder of Wolf House Fables, a wonder-building practice that helps people rediscover their creative courage. He’s an adjunct professor at his alma mater, the University of Cincinnati, teaching Creativity and Ideation to the next generation of world-builders. Brad and his wife, Leah, are raising three kids and one silver lab named Huckleberry in Cincinnati, Ohio.
www.wolfhousefables.com