Startup & Small Business - Page 11

Our minds possess a mechanism that functions like a central control station, tasked with overseeing the entire body, but its primary duty is to trigger action within us. It goes without saying that action is necessary for reaching your goals, even a mundane task like tying your shoelaces, driving a car, or deciding whether you want pizza or salad. All three require you to act. So do bigger decisions. Will you hang out with friends on Saturday night and catch up on old times, or will you get the much-needed rest you know you need because you’ve had an extremely tiring week and you’ve got an important pitch on Monday?

One of the reasons people settle into 9-to-5 jobs is that they feel comfortable having someone else make decisions for them, to run the show, to keep the business profitable. Branching out as an entrepreneur is the opposite: you are the sole individual responsible for the end-result of these considerations.

Think about the fitness and gym industry, for example. Many of us set goals at the start of the New Year only to lose the excitement and enthusiasm after the first couple of months. For some of us that happens in the first few weeks or even days. The fact that the fitness industry counts on unused gym memberships is an example of how expected it is that people will lose motivation and abandon their hopes of reaching their goals. In 2016 USA Today reported, “A gym membership may seem like the first step in any resolution to be healthier, but usage statistics suggest they may not, in fact, be that great of an investment. The average gym membership costs just under $60 per month, and 67% of memberships go unused.”

This business model exploits the laziness of people – and to fantastic success! So unless your dream is to create a business that caters to pure sloth, you need to retune your brain to the possibilities: the five-pound weight loss, the new career opportunity, an optimistic view of life, and so forth. When you shift from passivity to action, your life changes. You reawaken those long-dormant dreams and take control of your destiny.

Many people put off that dream for years or wait until some magical, auspicious date rolls around, such as New Year’s Day. Our list of resolutions tend to unfold like a crinkled sacred scroll, signed and ripped along the edges – you know, like in the Indiana Jones movie, except with all types of goals jotted down nice and neat and with much thought. We load ourselves up with all sorts of positive thinking toward achieving the aspirations we’ve now set for ourselves. We hit the ground running mere hours after overindulging at that New Year’s party on Third Street where we kicked back a few vodka shots and cocktails. It’s the start of a brand-new year, another opportunity to show up and do the things we’ve only dreamed about doing.

Our intentions to cross off each item on our New Year’s lists are aligned with our attitudes at that time: everything is jolly and we’re happy with all the wonderful prospects presented by a fresh start. Then we settle back into to our normal routine, our comfort zone, and the list is forgotten and we’re back to square one. While we might start off heading in the right direction and get several weeks of progress under our belts, somewhere along the way the act of doing something new becomes too much.

Even going to the gym becomes monotonous, as if we’re on an assembly line. One, two, three, LIFT. One, two, three, LIFT. We start to burn out and it’s barely mid-February. What happened to all the excitement? What happened to the promises that we made to ourselves?

Here’s my first tip: uncertainty is part of the growing and learning process. Courage, on the other hand, is the quality of facing such uncertainty and finding the strength to continue. While it may seem like starting a new venture is a lofty goal and completely out of reach, this is actually the perfect time to become your own boss. All you need is a little attitude adjustment – to grasp the importance of perseverance, positivity, and courage.

I don’t know if I’d be where I am today if I’d played it safe and stuck with a traditional career. Even when I was flipping burgers or serving as the office secretary for a furniture company, in the back of mind I always knew there was something for me beyond grueling, minimum-wage drudgery. Although I didn’t have a clue about my purpose or what was in store, my heart was always telling me it was possible for me to achieve something by running my own business.

The thing is, I was good at my jobs in customer service, and that was exactly what made me believe I could do more. I was limited by the chain of command, however, and although I didn’t know what “more” meant, eventually the time came when I just had to take the leap of faith. When I finally decided to fully ditch traditional employment around 2009, I quickly went from store clerk and aspiring entrepreneur to successful entrepreneur and business owner.

I don’t mean to say you should ignore uncertainty altogether, but you should definitely question its source and whether you want to give it more power than it deserves. More often than not, the uncertainty you hear in the back of your mind is the voice of someone else or even a more fearful, younger version of yourself. Instead, learn to be guided by sheer determination and faith, regardless of the cruel, everyday reminders of what’s practical or acceptable.

Although I’ve worked alongside business partners and collaborators, I consider myself a solopreneur. Still, I’ve always relied on the input of others for inspiration, especially from those working toward similar goals. I find it fascinating that so many people have such incredible ideas brewing inside them, just waiting to bubble to the surface, with things like productivity apps for more mindful and efficient living, technical fitness gear, eco-friendly home furnishings, pocket-sized grooming kits, portable pet baths, and food and beverage start-ups. While some of these entrepreneurs took a leap of faith in starting their businesses – leaving comfortable jobs to gain autonomy, freedom, and control over their destiny – others did so out of sheer necessity. Regardless of their businesses’ origins, all of these people have moving stories and provide invaluable insight into the nature of entrepreneurism.

Because there are so great many stories out there, I launched an entrepreneurial-based podcast in 2016 called “SOB: Style of Business The Podcast,” with the hopes of showcasing others’ work as well as different perspectives on what it really takes to launch and manage a business. I’ve had the opportunity to speak with some fantastic entrepreneurs and creators who have managed to launch businesses across various industries, including human resource management, financial services, food and beverages, marketing and advertising, fashion, entertainment, and technology.

During these interviews I try to capture the essence of their motivation in launching their own business and how did they went about doing so. The passion in their voices when discussing their ideas and what it was like for them to implement them reacquaints me with my own original vision. It’s important to get a sense of how unique the journey is for each entrepreneur, since there’s no specific formula for success, no right or wrong. One of the main purposes of “Style of Business” is not only to encourage aspiring entrepreneurs and business owners but also to show that they can carve out their own path.

As I speak with more and more individuals during my podcasts, I find that elements of their stories are quite similar. Many start out by simply reaching out to people with know-how and expertise and a good track record, such as a community figure or a local business group like the Small Business Administration – which is what I hope to do with this book: help you get started. I want to share with you my own experiences, what keeps me motivated and on track, and how you can stay positive throughout the challenges.

Another common theme is that these individuals make the decision to simply start. So if it’s your goal to launch your own company, explore entrepreneurship, or change careers, Courage is a Muscle is for you. My goal with this book is to share my journey and the obstacles I faced not so that you can avoid making mistakes – they’re crucial for learning and adapting – but so that you won’t get discouraged, so that you’ll have some strategies for dealing with the emotional turmoil that comes along with the highs and lows, and so you’ll come to understand that a little discipline and fortitude goes a long way. I’ll provide inspiration and a diversity of perspectives, and I’ll give you tips and solid advice for applying the methods herein, not just general platitudes.

New situations often freak us out, and it’s easy to lose hope when there is no certainty that a venture will succeed. Starting a business is the first step toward a life of independence and freedom, but there were many days when I realized my life would be easier if I was still working for someone else, fulfilling their dream. Then I’d remind myself that there was something bigger for me, and it didn’t include clocking in, Monday through Friday, from nine to five. It wasn’t until I started my entrepreneurial journey that things started to unfold and I learned who I truly am and my purpose here.

I invite you to sit with the idea of what launching a business or being an entrepreneur would look like for you. What goals, talents, or skills are you suppressing out of fear or the belief that you’re incapable of obtaining success? Keep that in mind as you begin this journey with me.

This one’s for you, Grandma.

And so it begins. Here’s the introduction to my new book “Courage Is A Muscle.” I’m sharing the first few chapters here on my blog – each week I’ll post parts of the first 3 chapters. Happy Sunday and I hope you all enjoy.

Most of us have experienced something that make us feel as if we’ve been swallowed up by a black hole of despair. It’s these experiences that flood our hearts with emotions, both positive and negative, but it’s at times like these that we learn what we’re made of. We might even be surprised by what we’re able to endure and accomplish once we’ve made it through to the other side. For some of us, it also inspires us to reacquaint ourselves with our dreams and even pursue them with renewed vigor.

One of the most profound moments in my life was when my grandmother passed away in 2013. As kids my brothers, sisters, cousins, and I had dreaded the thought of life without her, to the point where one of us would become visibly upset with tears and anguish if someone were to mention her fictitious death. I too believed she would always be with us – she’s Grandma. She was around long before I’d gotten here, and I wouldn’t dare picture her being anywhere else. 

I can still recall in the weeks leading up to her death how agonizing it was not only for me but for the entire family as we prepared for the loss of our beloved matriarch, but if there was one good thing to come out of it, it’s that something so drastically life-altering nudges you toward self-awareness: you find yourself wanting to know the purpose of it all, of your life. You suddenly find yourself almost desperate to get things right. 

 That was me. After cycling through confusion, frustration, doubt, disbelief, and a physical pain in the pit of my stomach, knowing that there was nothing I nor anyone else could do to change what was inevitable, I realized that my grandmother wouldn’t have wanted us to put the brakes on our lives. She empowered us with stories of her youth, reminding us that it took determination and persistence to move forward in life, especially instilling in us the fact that things weren’t going to be handed to us.

I think about her words often, especially when things aren’t going as planned, because it’s easy to lose yourself in the daily struggles of life and business. She always had a few wise words to let us know that opportunity was still out there, and that we were more than capable of accomplishing anything we wished. The only thing holding us back was our courage, which I came to believe was little more than a muscle that helps the heart get its work done.

I remember that when I was in college, one of my dreams was to write for an entertainment publication. It was my senior year and I was applying for internships and sending samples of my writing to any music-based magazine that listed an editorial email on its website. After taking some time to think about the publications I wanted to write for, I narrowed it down to about four or five. I got busy reaching out to the editorial departments, sending in my writing samples, following up, and crossing my fingers that someone would be interested – or at least give me a damn shot! Weeks and weeks went by… and nothing. It seemed like everyone else was landing their dream internship, and I was stuck trying to land anything I could.

I finally decided to settle, concluding that maybe my writing wasn’t good enough at the time. I recall the conversation I had with my grandmother about my failed attempt to land my dream internship, and as I starting shooting off my list of complaints and telling her how unfair it was, she said, “One person might tell you ‘no,’ but not everybody is going to. Eventually someone’s going to say ‘yes.’”

Although my life had always revolved around music, I ended up interning for a local film production studio, which turned out to be just as exciting and fulfilling. I understood that I could still write for an entertainment-based publication like I’d always wanted to do, but those internships that I’d applied for were not the right opportunity for me just then. I knew that I’d have to keep trying, because I believed that eventually someone would say yes. And, shortly after the internship episode, I ended up landing a freelance writing position with a local music magazine. I got to interview some pretty well-known local artists and the press pass allowed me to cover performances and events. Sometimes, all it takes is that one moment of “yes” to get you closer to your dream.

Losing my grandmother was a catalyst for me to move forward with the ambitious goals I’d set for myself years earlier. No matter what I was doing, whether it was working for a company or setting out to lead my own ventures, she was always 100% on board and eager to push me further. She believed in her grandkids’ and was always there to support us financially, spiritually, and emotionally.

She was the one person in the family who saw the potential in each of us, no matter how much the outside world conspired against us or tried to reinforce the notion that our goals were ridiculous or impossible to achieve. Her ability to encourage was phenomenal: after a conversation with her, you’d feel as if you were able to accomplish anything, no matter how far-fetched or unlikely. After that it was simply up to us to bring it to life.