Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in personal development but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Courtney Love Gavin, Founder of Perfectionist Solutions, located in Santa Monica, CA, USA.

What's your business, and who are your customers?

My business is Perfectionist Solutions, a consultancy that specializes in optimizing perfectionism using neuroplasticity. My clients are perfectionists, high performers with perfectionist tendencies, and Type A achievers who are fed up with the silent struggle: hollow victories, fighting against who they are, and wanting to feel as put together as their life looks. Their most stubborn perfectionism traits are my sweet spot.

Tell us about yourself

Perfectionist Solutions started when I was running global public relations for a $550 million media studio. I was frustrated that none of the coaches I hired knew how to work with my perfectionism; their solution to lower my stress was to lower my standards or less of what I loved (working). I decided there's got to be a way to turn all my liabilities into assets. So, I spent years doing the hard work and guesswork to create neuroscience-backed frameworks that work with a 100% client success rate.

I'm motivated each day by the belief that not knowing how to leverage your Ferrari drive — should not stand in the way of leveraging the gifts that come with your insatiable desire to succeed. I see perfectionists like the X-Men; we have potent powers but can feel like mutants because we've never been shown how to use them.

What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?

What I'm most proud of as a business owner is changing the narrative on Perfectionism without compromising who I am. Being my ADHD, vivacious, quirky perfectionist caught the attention of The New York Times, and as a former PR Pro, that was a big A-HA moment. Like I didn't seek them out, pitch them, or try to be "be seen."

What's one of the hardest things that comes with being a business owner?

The responsibility. I am the problem, and I am the solution. In corporate, I was responsible for millions of dollars and hundreds of people, but at the end of the day, I received a paycheck no matter what. Succeeding as a business owner requires murdering any speck of victim mentality you've been spoon-fed and developing the skill of leading yourself with curiosity instead of contempt. Being microscopically truthful with yourself to look at your mistakes sans judgment and stay in momentum while living in a culture that thrives on victim currency and shame is a mighty feat.

What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?

  1. Commit to it. Go all in. Set a date to re-evaluate if needed. Listen, if you're 100% committed to your business and yourself, you'll be able to push through when things look grim.
  2. Do without delay. Don't talk about it, be about it. You'll go farther, faster, and get richer in every sense by bringing your ideas to fruition instead of making plans, taking courses, and hiding behind your mastermind. Human brains can't tell the difference between doing something and the dopamine hits they get from thinking about doing it, so constantly push yourself to stay in motion when you're first starting out. It will feel very uncomfortable at first. That is what growth feels like. If you want to grow your business, get intimate with uncomfy.
  3. Shore up your internal resources before investing in the shiny outside stuff like a website, branding, etc. The only way that you overcome all the challenges in your business in life is by fully accessing all of the resources you have inside of you: your values, your perspective, your discernment, your emotional agility, and your ability to choose. When all of those are dialed in, you're unstoppable.

Where can people find you and your business?

Website: https://courtneylovegavin.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/courtneylovegavin/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/courtneylovegavin/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/courtneylovegavin/

If you like what you've read here and have your own story as a solo or small business entrepreneur that you'd like to share, then please answer these interview questions. We'd love to feature your journey on these pages.

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