If you’re starting a business and will be its CEO then this post is dedicated to you. Congrats on mustering up the courage to take control of your own destiny, provide great products/services, and being able to employ others and provide for your community. Now what?

Being a CEO requires amazing leadership, especially when you’re the CEO of your own company.  One of the many things you will be required to do is promote the vision you have for the company. You’re going to have to be a Spartan cheerleader. You’re going to have to scream, yell (not literally, of course) and chant for your team. Keep people believing in you and your vision.

Surround yourself with the smartest people you can find.  We all don’t know everything all the time. Find people who are experts in different fields and bathe in them.  You also need to realize that experience, in this case, is the enemy. It’s almost better to have a blank slate of zero experience as a startup CEO.  Starting from fresh actually gives you a competitive advantage because it allows you to learn all the creeks and crevices associated with your company.

Starting a business isn’t easy but it’s very rewarding. When you hire your first employee, you’ll know exactly what I mean.

Britanie Olvera