, , , , , ,

What’s Your Periodic Life Check?

Where do you want to go? Where are you now? Are you getting to where you want to go?
These are questions I’ve been fielding recently. However, these are questions that should be periodically asked and answered. More than likely, myself and many others ask these questions only when things are bad. That is, thoughts arise like, “I don’t like where I am, what should I do next?” It’s akin to reevaluating bad habits or poor exercise form only when pain occurs. Even less often is when longer-term questions are asked.
It’s a problem.
We shouldn’t ask these questions so rarely. We definitely shouldn’t ask these questions simply when things are not going well. (“Don’t go to the grocery store when hungry” comes to mind.)
We should ask ourselves several times a year where do we want to go. Has this changed since the last time we asked? Why?
The difficult part of not asking these questions periodically, then, comes when we have to ask the question not out of a want and simply to stay aligned. Instead, the difficulty comes when the change must come out of necessity – when a drastic change must occur. The difficulty comes when we find ourselves further beyond our locus of control. The difficulty comes when things have become easy or comfortable, and we’ve adopted a higher luxury. That’s when lethargy comes in and we forget about our why.
Ask yourself: Where do I want to go? Where am I now? Am I getting to where I want to go? If not, how do I get back on-track?

/by
, , , , ,

Starting Your Career or Seeking an Internship: Seek Answers Where You Have the Most Questions

I met with a young college student recently to talk about how best to utilize the summer – specifically, internships. 2018 marks 13 years since I started the co-op program at Georgia Tech. Since then, I have been fortunate to pivot my career to what I do (and love) now including working with young interns.
My tips:
  • Early years (college, pre-college, early 20s, etc.) should be geared towards learning. Most students do not have much real-world working experience. Yet, our lives beyond college means we must work to constantly put food on the table. Prioritizing learning early on enables students to identify what one enjoys early on, as well as what one does not enjoy.
  • Be courageous – it’s okay to fail. It’s advantageous to build a foundation of putting one’s self out there (e.g. reaching out to idols, learning to code, etc.). Being courageous even “a little bit” can create a habit for the future.
  • Seek answers where you have the most questions. In the case of the student, she was considering two different paths – one in healthcare, one in development. It can be difficult to choose a path for the summer when both offer unlimited opportunities/ benefits. I advised her to opt for the path she has the greatest questions about. Again, it’s okay to fail and pivot, especially early on in life where there is less risk.
  • Start developing your WHY and your PURPOSE. I’m a fan of Simon Sinek’s message to understand what drives people. This will be nebulous for most young folks, but it’s a great place to start building self-awareness.

Everything can seem new and confusing early on for this young student. It’s all a process. Take a deep breath. Now is the time to cultivate never-ending curiosity.

/by
, , , , , ,

Growth-Oriented or Lifestyle-Oriented Entrepreneurship – It Begins with Why

I was talking to a mentee this weekend, and he made reference to the lifestyle entrepreneur vs. the growth entrepreneur. He believes he’s a growth-type of entrepreneur, or at least, he’s growth-oriented. This led to friction when he was working with a friend who was more lifestyle-oriented. He pointed out how the business could have done more. He came into his friend’s company with suggestions on where and how to grow. The business owner, however, was less than interested. They eventually went separate ways.
There’s an important realization here– we have different aspirations. As much as everyone wants wealth, we should recognize that wealth comes in many forms. To that, folks have varying views on what their purpose and drives are. Where do they want to go? Why?
Yes, lots of folks these days look at successful entrepreneurship as billion-dollar exits. That’s extremely, extremely rare. Getting to millions in revenue is difficult. It requires lots of work to build a sustainable business.
Instead, many entrepreneurs may find happiness as lifestyle entrepreneurs – those looking to grow organically (if expansion is even a top priority) and one that maintains a small infrastructure. Here, the pressures of board members, high infrastructure costs, growing payroll, etc. are limited. Instead, lifestyle entrepreneurs are building a business that maintains a way of life. They want to achieve and maintain a level of living and business.
Most businesses in America are lifestyle – making up a large chunk of small businesses (those with 500 or less employees). In fact, small businesses also make up 99.7% of all U.S. firms. (SBA)
Also, the type of entrepreneur can shift depending on situation. I’ve watched many entrepreneurs shift from growth-oriented to lifestyle-oriented. There’s nothing wrong with being one way or another. In fact, there’s nothing wrong with notwanting to be an entrepreneur. In today’s age of glorifying entrepreneurship, there’s little recognition of the difficulties of entrepreneurship. This causes many to plunge into entrepreneurship ill-prepared and not recognizing their WHY and PURPOSE. Why are they interested in this direction?
When considering any venture, be it growth-oriented entrepreneurship, lifestyle oriented, or even a new job change with a big corporate, think more about WHY. How does this new focus align to the why?
/by
, , , , ,

For the Love of the [Entrepreneurial] Game

For me, entrepreneurship is a game. It’s a game where the odds are heavily stacked against my team and me. As I sit down here on a Saturday afternoon at Starbucks typing out my blog post for Thursday (published today), I realize that I’m doing something unconventional for most. It’s all for the love of the game.
This morning, I played a good, healthy game of pick-up soccer with friends. This afternoon, I challenged my mind in a more mindful way with meditation. Tomorrow morning, I will go to the gym and grimace and fight against some iron. Other than that, I’ll likely get a good bit of “work” in. I put work in quotes because to me, it’s actually a game, a sport for my mind.
I’ve chosen this life to work at a startup, to be entrepreneurial, to read and to write because I love the challenge of it all. These challenges are like sports, but for my mind.
As it pertains to Entrepreneurial Ninja (this blog), it’s my way of learning and teaching myself. The competitive aspect is to be a better self – to always learn and improve. It’s to be consistent. I’m playing against, perhaps, my favorite opponent – myself.
I love challenging myself to do things I found uncomfortable years before. I love saying that I’m building a new sales process or creating the new marketing strategy on a day and an hour where others aren’t. I love getting up to work out early in the morning or go lift even when sick because I know most others wouldn’t, and I aim to be the best.
So, today in this startup, I consider this all a game. I want to win. Stats say 90% of startups won’t be “successful”, but I love that, too. I love looking into the mirror, and saying, “look at what I’m about to do”. I’ve come here to win with my team. I’ve come here to build something great. Yes, there’s the mission to provide jobs for others and to create a loved brand, but make no mistake – I love playing the game… love for the entrepreneurial game.
Why are you doing what you do?
/by
, , ,

Book Review: Start With Why

https://smile.amazon.com/Start-Why-Leaders-Inspire-Everyone/dp/1591846447

I recently finished Simon Sinek’s Start With Why. I didn’t even know about this book despite knowing of his infamous Ted Talk, but when I did hear of this, I was excited to go in-depth on the subject.

If you’ve been reading my blog for a while (or probably even recently), you’ll know that I’m a big proponent of being grounded in purpose and why – as an individual and as a company.
My take-aways:
  • Leaders and founders utilize WHY to set the vision of the company. Typically, too, the founders are complementary in one providing the WHY while the other enables the HOW. For greatest effect, both must be present. Note: one is not “better” than the other. They’re complementary.
  • We (and companies) are good at espousing the WHAT and HOW we do, but are “fuzzier” on our WHY. Starting with WHY allows us to build on an emotional pull with our audience – a trust. When we sell on our WHAT and HOW, we differentiate by features, price, etc. Why allows us differentiate on a deeper level – a belief and compelling motive. Our WHAT and HOW aligns to (and amplifies) our WHY.
  • Most companies start with some WHY, and reason for being that was born out of a need and a vision. The challenge, then, for companies is maintaining that WHY. Typically, companies start espousing WHAT rather than grounding into the WHY. It’s a shift in culture – the “split”.
  • Leadership change can have a drastic shift in a company’s culture (and indeed, a shift from WHY to WHAT). Culture is driven top-down.
  • WHY can pull your company through the tough times. WHY creates loyalty amongst “followers” (consumers) who are willing to pay a premium or bear an inferior product.
  • Do not sell a 500GB music player… sell 10,000 songs portable anywhere.

I’m definitely not doing Simon justice with this book review, but hopefully, it’s enough to motivate you to check out the book. It’d be great to hear what your personal WHY and PURPOSE are.
/by
, , , ,

Want to Be An Entrepreneur? Take Deliberate, Small Actions

John Greathouse wrote back in May about practicing entrepreneurship with a purpose. John talks about deliberate actions before (or during) diving into entrepreneurship.
It’s a great reminder-type post as to what drives many entrepreneurs beyond building a company and, yes, the chance at making a substantial lifestyle change. For many – me being one of them – there’s a drive and passion about the challenge and impact of building something great from nothing.
A few points John shared that I strive to practice everyday:
  • “Advise A Startup”. I love speaking to startups, entrepreneurs, and wantrepreneurs. Networking is great, but hearing the problems others are solving and how is highly educational. As John also said, teaching others is a great way to amplify and accelerate learning.
  • “Don’t Throw Up, Speak Up”. I grew up as an introvert, but realizing what I wanted to achieve, I wanted to be more extroverted. So, I hacked my personality for years and got comfortable doing uncomfortable things (i.e. giving presentations as often as possible, meeting others by simply starting with “hi”, etc. It starts with deliberate, small actions. Overtime, it gets easier – not totally comfortable, but you develop a strength to be successful at it.
  • “Entrepreneur It”. Entrepreneurship really builds on my past life as a consultant (looking for problems, finding solutions, and implementing solutions). I do this often in everyday life including random interviews of flight attendants during flights or door-to-door surveys at local restaurants. There are problems everywhere, and you can exercise that creative, problem-solving muscle everywhere, too.

Find ways to practice entrepreneurship with a purpose. Take small, deliberate actions consistently. You’ll be amazed how opportunities start to flow. Then, take the leap.

/by
, , ,

Grounding Into Your Why

I was recently interviewed for a documentary about an entrepreneur I wrote about last year. I was asked what I saw in the entrepreneur and the entrepreneur was asked what I brought to the table, especially when we first met.
The entrepreneur cited how early on, she consistently pitched what her app was about, and found little traction. After she and I met, we talked about sharing more of her story. Since then, she’s been featured in numerous magazines, radio interviews, free invites to technology conferences, and meeting all sorts of powerful, influential figures.
What my friend didn’t see initially was the opportunity to share her WHY and her PURPOSE. Her app was all about helping others. Her very powerful, hit-home story could coalesce the masses, if shared.
What I advised was really bits and pieces from my learnings from Joey Reimanof BrightHouseon purpose and Simon Sinek’s TED Talk on “How Great Leaders Inspire Action” — specifically, “people don’t buy what you do, they buy why you do it”.
In an age of data bombardment and advertising, it’s amazing how personal stories can create strong empathy towards the purpose of brands and people. It creates a strong rallying point for employees building influential values, and can be a powerful tool for marketing. Sharing our purpose and our why amplifies our message to the masses.
/by