As I reflect on Insanitek’s past and contrast it with current growth and opportunities, I realise there was a huge problem when we first started: We didn’t have a clear of vision as we should have, and because of that we started off with very low quality and very low standards. It shows in our monthly reports, and it is far from a source of pride for me as the captain of this ship.

In the beginning it was about starting somewhere.

The original vision for Insanitek was that we would work in corporate for a while, learn a bunch of things and skills, then break out on our own and create the big version of Insanitek, complete with labs, research facilities, training areas, and a network connection of amazing people in every sector that wanted the workforce we were helping to train and certify.

The American economy tanked, followed by the rest of the world. I was just graduating from my master’s degree and had put in over 300 applications over the last year. I got to the third round of interviews sometimes, but in the end they would always go with someone with a Ph.D. and more experience. As graduation loomed, this working poor person was not going to look for permission to survive. I created my own way with tutoring.

Like Doberman Dan says, “I’ve got an addiction to feed. An addiction to eating and sleeping with a roof over my head.”

I know I probably got the quote slightly off, but you get the point. It’s a level of desperation that more than a few know, but relatively few talk about. When you’re desperate to make money to escape the situation you were in, you don’t care about “clarity”, “vision”, and other nice terms like “standards”. All you want is a paycheck so you can feed yourself and sleep in some place more comfy than your car.

In the middle it’s about achieving something better.

Insanitek is in that middle phase right now. Yes, I’m still desperately trying to keep up with the bills to keep a roof over my head, but I’m starting to see the big picture and longer life of this company. I’ve already begun to redefine the clarity of what we want to do, who we want to serve, and the standards we have. It’s a process that will change over time, but as it goes I know who we don’t want to serve, what our standards are, and the clarity of what we want to do — and it all leads to that dream of the big Insanitek.

But to get closer to “the end” phase, you have to know your mission and message. You have to know your clients. If you don’t, you’ll always be chasing the dollar to put money in the bank to keep a roof over your head. And you’ll be miserable like I have been as I started.

Acting on your intuition to make the dream come true can be terrifying.

I made a statement to the rest of Insanitek with the release of March’s Transparency Report: We can not stay where we are. We have to grow. That means I have to step out of my comfort zone. I need to find new clients for homeschooling — that will both pay more and fit more into our “ideal client avatar”. We all need to step up our marketing efforts to get seen. We all need to reach out and show what we are capable of and draw people in for our science communication services.

While I said that, I knew I had to lead the charge. I had to be more present on social media to show off what the team is doing (ugh, social media time sink), I had to put forth more effort into finding infographic clients. I have to disappoint some older clients that just aren’t the ideal of who we serve as we raise the bar on standards. I have to risk everything by raising our rates.

I don’t just risk it for me, though. The terrifying part is the fallout if I gamble and lose. I couldn’t pay our subcontractors. I couldn’t pay for my part of utilities. And I would be hard pressed to find nutritious food on a budget that sucks. The worse part is that I wouldn’t get unemployment because I haven’t been paying the tax into it since we don’t bring that much money in. There is no room for failure here.

But you and I both know that without a little gambling, there is no growth. While you look for new dream clients, you can still work with the old ones. While you prepare to raise your rates, you can also prepare to add value to the offerings and raise the standards on the outcomes the clients get from them. The change doesn’t have to be instantaneous and drastic. It can, and should, be slow, purposeful, and deliberate so you know the changes will stick for the long run.

Getting to this middle part is half the battle.

Most of my clients have come to me saying, “I want to start my own lab and do the work I love.” That’s a great start, but it’s not a business. That’s a hobby. Clarity is knowing the who, what, where, when, why, how, and so what of the idea.

• Who: Who do you want to serve?
• What: What packages and services do you want to offer?
• When: When are you planning on being available for your clients? And by extension, what capacity will you be available?
• Why: Why are you doing this for yourself? Why these particular clients and these particular services? What mission do they serve in the end?
• How: Answering the previous questions will help you answer this one. How can you provide the services and products you want within the parameters of the when and who? Then, take it one step further to the systems you’ll create. How do you plan on integrating all these moving parts in your head into the real world? What needs to change to make this happen?
• So what: So what is the business mission statement that ties the spirit of the previous answers together. The first few times you stumble through it will sound clumsy, awful, and in need of work, but don’t give up. Remember it’s a work in progress and bound to change with the times — just as you and your company will.

This clarity gives you the spine and foundation to make your dream company full of the energy and with the reputation you deserve. It doesn’t come instantaneously, and there will be failure leading up to the point where you can say with certainty what you want. Do not be afraid, because you’re definitely not alone. You have me and the rest of Insanitek behind you.

Where are you in your story?  Do you find you struggle with your clarity? Chat below or in the Alt-Paths G+ Community.