When I started Ugmonk I knew very little about how to run a business and manage a brand. I didn't study entrepreneurship or take a special class on "How to Start a Tshirt Company." I just had a passion for design and wanted to create awesome products. Too many people are looking for the "3 Easy Steps to Creating a Successful Brand." They want to know the secrets of how to create "buzz", get better website traffic and sell more products. Unfortunately there's no magic formula and it's just about doing the work.
From the start I've always focussed on creating unique products that people will want to talk about which is key, but a lot of what has brought Ugmonk to where it is today is just putting in the time to figure things out for myself. Some people may think I get to sit around and design all day, but I actually spend a huge chunk of time every week doing less glamorous things like email, customer service, contacting sources, editing photos, ordering supplies, etc.
One of the biggest motivating factors about running my own business is knowing that if I don't get something done, it will never get done. I don't have a bunch of employees to delegate the things that I don't feel like doing.1 This means that even the boring, tedious tasks won't get completed unless I just do them (and trust me, I'm a procrastinator if there ever was one).
So my advice is simple: hustle, put in the time, and do the work!
[1] Though Ugmonk wouldn't be where it is today without a ton of help from my family.