Success is Personal

In recent days I learned that a family-run business I grew up with experienced some overnight teenage trouble (captured on security cameras). The young people stole, damaged property and caused issues for the people who not only run a business on that property but live there. I’m connected with some of the family on social media and they shared their hurt as well as asked for support from the community in response to these events. Of course I was upset reading about this because their business is definitely an institution in the area and it hurts as a fellow business owner that people would do this to something that you work so hard on.

As I reflected on these feelings, I was reminded of how personal success should be. It should be something we’re invested in, it should mean something to us, we should be passionate about it, and there should be purpose behind it. In this day and age there’s no reason why you shouldn’t choose a job or build a business around something that matters to you. There are so many things that can and do go wrong in our lives, so many things that challenge us, so many changes we have to work through, so much growing to do, that it is almost illogical how many barriers we put between both our success and happiness.

Directly connected to being invested in your own success, we also have to do better about respecting and recognizing that others are invested in and work hard for and are passionate about their work. We should take care with the things that make up other people’s success, and remember that a fellow human is trying to earn a living as well. We don’t have to have the same passion or level of interest that they do (even though we greatly benefit when they are that invested in their success), we just have to understand that they have a personal stake in their success journey, just like we do in ours.

If success isn’t personal for you anymore, if the work you’re doing has lost value or you’ve lost sight of what you were investing in and why, it’s a good reminder to dig into that, and there’s no better time than this virus pandemic that has upset much of our world and encouraged us to rethink so much of how we’ve lived and the decisions we’ve made. What’s your ‘why’ to your success?

Write for Success

The first Thursday in March is World Book Day, so today I thought we’d talk about books and the lessons we as business owners can learn from books, and the people behind them. Let’s take a look at 3 March-born book guys and what they can teach us.

Dr. Seuss, born Theodor Geisel, wrote over 60 children’s books, and was also a political cartoonist, poet and artist. Many of his books seem strange and have made-up words and beings. Part of their appeal is the wild and crazy creativity that he showcases. Many of his stories are more than just funny words and creatures though, they tell an important story, or share an important concept with people, one of the most well-known being How the Grinch Stole Christmas. What’s the lesson for business owners? Sometimes the creative and the crazy just works. I don’t know any other authors whose works are as creative and they’ve had as much success and have become as much of a household name for several generations as Dr. Seuss’ books.

L. Ron Hubbard was the founder of the Church of Scientology, but was first known as a science fiction and fantasy writer. Using his writing background and doctrines he developed, he wrote the texts that are the “Bible” of the Church of Scientology. Whether you agree with the church/doctrines or not, I think there are two things we can learn from L Ron Hubbard. First, writing is an excellent launching point. Writing books is one way that many successful business owners, leaders and authority figures have gotten their start. Second, some things just sell, and one of those things is religion. Religious texts are some of the most recognizable literary materials in the world, bought in many forms and formats by people, and are really tied hand-in-hand with the success or notoriety of many religions.

Finally we’re looking at Randolph Caldecott who was an illustrator, but is best known for being the namesake of the Caldecott Medal, an honor given every year to the artist of the most distinguished American picture book for children. Caldecott was successful as an illustrator, his illustrations/books were well known in his time (pre-1900). Some 40 years after Caldecott died the award and medal were created and named in his honor. One of the things we can learn from Caldecott as business owners is that sometimes you can be exceptionally successful if you do what you’re good at. Caldecott may have thought about writing books, after all lots of people are successful writing books, but pursued his gift for illustration and as a result not only had an excellent career, but has a prestigious medal named after him that continues to recognize and honor him over 100 years after his death. Writers are great and very important, but without illustrators children’s books would lose the majority of their appeal for children.

What have you learned from authors and illustrators that you’ve applied to your business?

Secrets to Success: Passion and Drive

In thinking about President’s Day which is today in the US, I was reminded of exactly how much work is involved in becoming president and then in being president. It’s not something that you wake up and say that tomorrow you’ll be president, this is something that takes years of preparation, if for no other reason than you have to be at least 35 before you could be elected. But whether they’ve spent years working the political side of things or they’ve just started, presidents always have some type of leadership and success background. They’re not average Joes who come to Washington DC directly from a cornfield or wharf, they’re educated men who have life and leadership experience. And one of the reasons that some of them are more memorable and remembered favorably than others, is because of their passion for life and the job.

While most of us will never experience the stress and power of being president, success is something that we can all achieve. The past few weeks we’ve talked about different aspects of what can lead to success, and today I wanted to talk about one that anyone with any level of experience can bring to the table: passion and drive. Some people are successful not because of how many degrees they’ve earned at school or how well networked they are, but simply because of how passionate they are about what they’re working on and the unending drive they have to achieve that success.

Why is passion one of the keys to success? Because when others see how passionate and excited you are about the journey, they become excited too and want to be part of the journey and help you get there. But even if you’re not truly working with a team to achieve your success, your passion and drive can speak volumes to the people in your life who support you emotionally and verbally, like your partner and extended family. So often business owners and entrepreneurs speak of their early days and how they didn’t feel they really had the support of the people in their lives while they worked to get things rolling, and what a difference it made when they finally had that emotional support.

Whether you’re a business owner or entrepreneur or a stay-at-home parent if you want to see some immediate victories in your success journey, focus back on the passion that got you going in this direction in the first place. Bring that passion to life and refocus on your drive for success and you’ll have even more victories to celebrate.  What are you passionate about in your life or work?

Put a Spring in Your Business

As we finish out this month and our discussion on spring I wanted to talk about one last and very important topic when it comes to spring and life and our businesses.  One of the biggest aspects to spring is that it means life.  I see so many unfortunately dead and lifeless businesses each day.  It makes me sad to think that somewhere between their creation and now the spark has disappeared.  While I do know that some businesses are meant to exist for only a (short) period of time, I still feel sad about it, just like I do knowing that dogs only live about 15 years.  Don’t give up on your business yet if you’re able to identify with the lack of spark, let’s talk about it first.

First, just about every one and every thing goes through seasons of “winter.”  This is when we do let go of things, things die down, things slow down etc.  Don’t be ashamed or concerned because you’re going through this season, take the time to work on that which you’ve been putting off, or do the cleaning up that you’ve been meaning to do for a while.

Second, know that people would much rather buy from someone who is cheerful and looks like they enjoy what they’re doing and that the business is alive, if not thriving, rather than one who is not.  If you’re not feeling the passion, take a back seat for a while and let your team do more of the interaction, or decide that it’s time to move on.

Third, if you don’t want to move on and don’t have a team you either need to hire one and/or need to rediscover your passion and excitement for and about what you do.  Create a schedule that allows for some balance of life and work.  Take time to really think about what you do and how you do it and see if there isn’t a better way to do everything.  Or maybe it’s time for a fresh coat of paint or a new location or rearranging your office.

I hope that you got into your business because you were passionate about it, not (just) for reasons of money.  But it turns out that when we’re happy doing what we’re doing we actually have a better chance of being successful.  So this week take time to explore your business spark, and if you don’t know, it’s time to find out!

Are You Motivated?

The reason that we do things is something important to consider. Each day we’re given a finite amount of time to do things, and how we use that time means we’ve got less time to do other things as the sand slowly pours out of the hourglass of our life. Knowing that we’re on a clock that’s running out is a good reason to never do anything bad or waste any time, but the simple fact is we aren’t machines and it’s just not possible. But we can do a much better job of using our time wisely and making as many good decisions for our lives as possible.

So what helps us make decisions? One of the biggest things is what motivates us in life. Maybe the big motivating factor for you right now is money. Maybe that’s what gets you out of bed in the morning. Maybe you’re motivated by the people in your life and wanting them to have the best opportunities possible. Maybe you’re motivated by the death of a close friend. What motivates you?

If you can’t answer what motivates you and don’t really feel like anything is motivating you it’s time to take a serious look at your life and what you’re doing with it. It’s about more than just wasting your life or missing out on opportunities, it’s about not being able to thrive. You can’t thrive when you’re playing catch-up or when you’re just getting by in life. Thriving only happens when you truly pursue life and all you were meant to do with it.

So this week I encourage you to find something to motivate you and keep it front and center as you go through the week.

“When grandpa was ill and could’ve died, I would have swapped all my record sales so he could get well. He is the reason I am a singer. He was my best friend growing up.” Michael Buble

Lessons from Trump

This may be one of the only time you ever really hear me talk about it, but today I want to talk politics.  To be clear, I do vote but I don’t enjoy all this nasty back and forth they do up to the voting day or the ridiculous amount of money spent on politics that could be used much better elsewhere.  One person I’ve been following, naturally being a business owner, is Donald Trump.  What I want to talk about today was said well by a 65-year-old retired teacher in Michigan who drove an hour to see Donald Trump speak this month, on his candidacy (shared via NY Times), Jan Mannarino:

“Even if he doesn’t win, he’s teaching other politicians to stop being politicians. He comes on strong. He could say it gently. But I think no one would listen.”

Wow.  It’s a great lesson for politicians, and an important one for us business owners too.  Let’s take a look at some lessons presented by Donald Trump and this very smart retired teacher.

First, go ahead and break the mold.
Lessons from Trump: Trump knows exactly what is expected of people in politics, or what’s been the norm, he has to be if he’s considering being president.  However, Trump knows that the mold needs to be broken or at least changed a bit if we’re going to have any chance of fixing what’s broken or not working to its fullest potential in this great nation of ours. Beyond that, Trump knows that the mold won’t work for him.

Lessons for your business: The mold is great for someone, but that doesn’t mean it has to or even will work for your business.  You can learn how one business, Amazon for example, has been successful, but that doesn’t mean their techniques and tactics will work for you right now or ever.  Go ahead and see what their mold looks like, take some lessons from it, and then decide if it’s really feasible for you, your vision, your passions and your community.

Second: speak up and stand out.
Lessons from Trump: Trump is OK with leading the pack and standing out for being difference. It’s never easy to stand out as much as he does, but he seems to be comfortable and certainly unapologetic about it.  Whether he wins or not he’s certainly changed politics forever because it’s no longer possible to just quietly say what you think will get you the votes and spend the big bucks bashing your opponents.

Lessons for your business: if you really want to make an impact you have to get your voice heard.  That means doing the work to cultivate the relationships and partnerships, building trust little by little with potential customers, spending the money on the marketing and creation/implementation of your services.  If you want success you have to make a difference, and in order to do that you have to get the message to people that you have solutions and answers for them.

What lessons are you learning from this year’s political adventures for your business?

Are You Wasting Your Mind?

Your mind is one of the most powerful, complicated, confusing, frustrating, gifted aspects of you.  Even if your physical body isn’t as capable as it used to be your mind can be super sharp and able to make connections and make a difference in the world.  One of the most damaging conditions are Alzheimers and dementia because it slowly ravages you from the inside out in ways that cancer usually never touches.  Having been through the different stages of Alzheimers before and going through it again with a second grandmother it amazes me how her mind has turned her from a fun, capable human into a record becoming more broken with each story I hear.  It’s something I hope you never experience because they have no sense of what’s going on anymore and while even a kid can tell you what hurts or how they’re feeling when dealing with most diseases or conditions, there’s no way to get people with Alzheimers or dementia to communicate to you what’s going on, they don’t have the brain power anymore.  I’m thankful for all of the work that doctors and researchers are doing to help us understand these diseases, it’s some measure of peace that there are some answers or at least some test results that give some insights into something we have so much trouble understanding.

But in this month on health I don’t share this to dwell on all that can go wrong with our health but to remind you to celebrate and use it while you have it.  Life is such a gift; one that most of us accept as standard and just the way things are.  But when I see things from people like Stephen Hawkings or Sean Stephenson I’m reminded how powerful we are and what’s possible if we choose to make it happen.

Whether you’re in business for yourself, you have a job you love or hate, you’re a stay-at-home parent, you have kids or not, I hope you have big dreams and you’re determined to see some of them come to fruition.  I have to admit, I’ve gotten distracted from some of the dreams I have.  Life can get complicated and sometimes take things over and pull you away from your dreams for a time.  If that’s you too, know it’s OK. But it’s time that you take a step back and remember those dreams.

Dreams are powerful and not for the faint of heart. But dreams help bring a spark to our lives that would be missing otherwise.  I encourage you to unleash the power of your mind on your life and dreams this week.  Don’t be afraid to make some tough decisions about the direction your life is heading in to better align with your goals and dreams.

Credibility and Competence

This week I was approached by a business owner who has been in business less than 2 years and is having some difficulty getting clients. He’s not in one of the big industries (marketing, coaching, health), but it’s not a super obscure niche nor is it one without obvious customers; many businesses could be helped by his services. While many of the usual issues were obviously present (website issues, indecision about customer base, lack of marketing etc.) the one thing that he mentioned specifically was his challenge with credibility. He said that his main goal since he started was to establish credibility. That’s not a bad thing in and of itself; one thing that businesses should be doing is continually proving their credibility and how their knowledge and services/products are still current given whatever changes have happened in the industry that customers would be concerned about. But what this guy failed to realize is that credibility is more than proof of how you’ve helped clients.

Credibility starts with your subject or niche. Very few people choose to go into business in a niche they’re not somewhat knowledgeable in. I would not start a business that sells wine because I don’t know much about it and I’m not really interested in it, so it would be like pulling teeth for me to learn enough about it to create a successful business. You will have a very difficult time establishing credibility and competence with potential clients if you know nothing about the industry and don’t have a passion for it.

Credibility continues with education. If you don’t have the experience yet to prove you’re competent in your business the next best thing is to show you’ve got the smarts. Show that you know your niche inside and out, show that you know the big questions clients have, the concerns they’re dealing with and your insights to solve their problems or avoid them. Use social media, blogs, podcasts, videos and interviews to show your expertise even if you can’t share a long list of clients you’ve helped.

Credibility is confirmed with experience. Just like I wouldn’t start a wine business because I don’t have much knowledge about wine, I’m also not a big wine drinker so I don’t have the experience at all to back up my (nonexistent) knowledge. Just because you don’t have hands-on client experience yet doesn’t mean you don’t have experience working for a company in the industry or experience in your life on the subject.

Credibility is more than just your client experience, it’s the reasons you’re in your business, your education on the subject and your personal or professional experience with it, and it’s something everyone can build on.

Loving Our Labels

Something I have to emphasize to so many people and companies is that the world is full of people, not robots. People who have kids and families and lives outside of their jobs and how they spend the money they make there. These people should be passionate and thriving members of society but all to often we’re just exhausted at the end of the day and unable to get things moving in a way that shows that we are more than robots. So I say it’s time that we stand up!  Let’s stand up and say that we’re more than the career we have, the mistakes we and/or our kids or partner have made, and have great value to contribute to the world.

It’s time we stop creating permanent and limiting labels on people and start understanding that what we see and what is presented to society is only a small portion of who they really are.  Cindy Crawford is more than a model. Tom Brady is more than a football player. Angelina Jolie is more than an actress. Melanie Sprouse is more than Cole and Dillon’s mom.  Kat Von D is more than a tattoo artist.  The lady down the street is more than a school teacher. The teen in the next town over is more than a gamer.

So while I know that it will take a long time to change the stereotypes that have stuck on people, the best place to start being more understanding is with yourself. Don’t be afraid to fill up a wall or several with different labels about yourself; labels that only some people see because they’re close with you or have a history with you, labels that describe your passions and heart for different causes, and labels that remind you you’re more than the label society has tagged you with. Then go ahead and look at someone else. Find out what makes them tick beyond what you know to be true about them. Don’t let their outward appearance fool you into thinking they don’t have multiple layers or aren’t a good person, they’re just as complicated as you are.

So let’s talk about this: what labels have you been stuck with, and what labels would you give yourself?

“The pro skaters I know are responsible members of society. Many of them are fathers, homeowners, world travelers and successful entrepreneurs. Their hairdos and tattoos are simply part of our culture, even when they raise eyebrows during PTA meetings.”  Tony Hawk

A Passionate Business

As we close out this months’ talk of love I wanted to take time to talk about something that should be close to your heart, your business. Businesses are started for many reasons, sometimes for multiple reasons. Some start a business because they see a need and believe they can fill it, others start it for the money. Both of those are good reasons but I believe there’s an ingredient that neither of those two reasons have that is essential to being truly successful: having a passion and love for your business. You can make the business all about the numbers, you can focus on the market reach, you can talk about how many satisfied customers you have or how many new products have taken the world by storm.

But I believe that unless there’s a passion, a love for what you do not only will your success be empty, you’ll also risk blowing it all because you get tired of it and don’t have a reason to continue. Sure, some businesses can be created with the goal of selling it off when it reaches a certain point of success, and that’s not a bad thing; no one ever said that you had to run the same business for the rest of your life.

But when you’re looking at your business from a strictly numbers perspective you are limited to what you can reach and what’s feasible. But when you’re in business with love and passion, the possibilities are endless. Then there’s more to your business than just reaching your monthly goals, there’s more to it than counting customers for number’s sake, there’s more to it than having the most connections on social media. When there’s love and passion the business becomes an agent of change, a bringer of hope, a fulfiller of dreams and a freedom machine.

As we close out this month I encourage you to take time to consider what you love. Are you still in love with your business or do you need to make some changes to bring back the passion?