So you want to be an entrepreneur?
There was a time in my life when I was obsessed with remembering peoples names. Whenever I met someone new, I would repeat their name in my head until I found a quiet place where I could take out my phone, open up my notes application, and enter the relevant information that would help me remember "Mark" at the end of the hallway. After a couple years of being known as the man with the incredible memory, my notes application was loaded with entries, but as time went by, I began to lose interest. I got tired of having meaningless conversations with people that (due to the fact that I remembered their names), truly believed I thought they were special. I needed a break. Fast forward what feels like a hundred years, and I can barely remember the names of my own kids! My name remembering practice stopped, but there is still a part of me that would love to be that guy again. Not the guy who simply remembers names, but the guy who diligently set out to master the little things.
While I was on Instagram the other day I stumbled across a meme that said, "You want to be an entrepreneur...act like one." That 2.5 by 2.5 inch square was impactful because it reminded me of an eternal truth. We are what we practice to be, and practice requires work. If you want to be the best version of yourself, then you must practice being that person. If you want to be an entrepreneur than you must practice being just that. Realistically there are probably going to be some standards that other highly efficient people have set. You need to match or exceed all of those. This is the world of entrepreneurship. If you want to be a business owner then you better analyze the playing field, study best practices, and get ready to work your ass off.
Here are 3 tips for the practicing entrepreneur.
1. Mentors are a dime a dozen- A good mentor is priceless. They can motivate you, provide insight, and maybe most importantly, save you time and money. But the truth is that there are many people around you that can act as a mentor, or even a micro-mentor. Be like a sponge and move through life absorbing information from whomever and whatever you can. Even bad information can help you leverage good opportunities.
2. Become a creature of habit- We are developing habits all the time. Whether you realize it or not, your actions are not without some form of reaction. With enough frequency, that reaction will simply become repetitive. Don't form habits passively. Take one thing that would like to change, and actively alter your behavior one day at a time.
3. Sell something everyday- I have a 'no soliciting' sign on the door of one of my businesses, but nonetheless I still get people coming to my door to sell me something. I try my best to be as polite as I can, but I almost always turn them away relatively quickly. As much as it annoys me that they don't read the sign, I am amazed that these people have the determination to keep going door to door to make a sale. This is their job. They do it all day everyday! I am certain that most of these people do not own the company they are selling for, or even have stock options in it, yet they take 8 hours a day to go around and try to close deals. As an entrepreneur I think we can learn something from your average sales person. Every single day you should be trying to make a sale. Sell something! It doesn't matter what it is. Just sell. That sale could be service, product, or process, but in the end...just sell it!
To learn more about what it take to be an entrepreneur listen to The Art of Brewing Success with Serial Entrepreneur Todd Holmes on The Rebel Mindset Podcast.
~cf