Category Archives: success

The First 2 Keys to Being A Successful Entrepreneur

There’s a difference between an entrepreneur and a small business owner. Small business owners own small businesses. Entrepreneurs solve problems.

-Simon Sinek

If you are struggling getting your new business venture off the ground, it is time to visit with one of the masters of business success, Peter Drucker. He was the leader in the development of management education and invented “management by objectives”. He wrote dozens of books about business and management. Drucker was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2002.

The article by Eric Wagner, contributor to Forbes Magazine, lists Drucker’s 12 Keys to success (http://www.forbes.com/sites/ericwagner/2013/05/07/entrepreneurship-according-to-drucker-your-12-keys-to-success/).

Today, we are going to look at the first 2 keys and see if you fit Drucker’s keys to being an entrepreneur.

Key 1: “Those who perform love what they’re doing.”

This is an important first step to your knowing if you can fill the shoes of an entrepreneur. If you are working because you have to and are only working to make a living, you are better fitted to be in a business or to work in a business. Entrepreneurship may not be in your DNA.

However, if you love doing what you are doing and also of course, want to make money doing it, then you fit the first key of being an entrepreneur. To many people this seems strange, or even revolutionary, the very idea that you can love your work. Many people have lived their entire lives so run by what they are supposed to do, or with what will make them look good to other people, that they have never discovered what it is they truly love to do. It’s never too late to find out; without it you will quickly lose interest as you begin to develop your business.

You may find out that you are not suited for entrepreneurship when you hit the first or the tenth pot hole in the road to success. Suddenly, you hate your work and can’t wait for each day to end. If you are reading this and say, “that’s me”, it’s time to re-examine your commitment to the venture.

Key 2.“Successful entrepreneurs do not wait until “the Muse kisses them” and gives them a bright idea; they go to work.”

The key here is the last phrase: they go to work. Are you waiting to start starting? Then go to work. Are you waiting for X to occur? Take the first step; go to work. X will either happen or not, but the going to work will lead you to the next step and the next step—you get the picture.

Might you make mistakes? I certainly hope so, since that will show you what is working and what is not. Remember failure is good. All failures show that, number one, you are working, and that, number two, the failed action wasn’t the right one. Only by going to work will you find out what is next.

I am looking forward to your comments and reactions about the first 2 keys to entrepreneurial success. As always, I appreciate you and your comments!

Photo Courtesy of Oomf.

Banish Your Predictable Future – Try This!

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Chaos often breeds life, when order breeds habit.

Henry Adams

As you look forward to the future of your business, is it ho-hum or exciting? Does it bore you? Does it energize you? Does it make you want to go to work, as opposed to having to go to work?

If thinking of the future makes you uneasy or bored; if it is something you have to do instead of something you want to do, I assert that your future has become predictable.

Predictable futures are good in some instances: For instance, you can predict that the newspaper will be delivered in the morning and that you will receive an electric bill at a certain time of the month. That type of predictable event provides a stability that enables you to live without sweating the small stuff. Predictability also gives you a certain rhythm and comfort in life. Predictability is generally a good thing as it pertains to life’s necessities; however when your future becomes predictable, then you get bored, tired, cranky, listless. Where did the excitement go? The looking forward to life?

Has predictability taken the joy out of your business future? If so, try taking these actions:

Make a list of 3-5 business results you are committed to accomplish by the end of this year.
Condition the end results: Conditioning is looking at what elements need to be present to have the results occur. Include any costs or expertise of other professionals.
Define the qualities you want the results to have.
Determine the actions you need to take.
Put a “by when date” next to the actions.
Schedule the actions and the “by when dates”, and put them on your calendar.
Begin implementing your plan which is already a success – you planned it from the future.

Please let me know what it is that you are going to do to stir up an unpredictable future. I am here to support you in causing a hoo-hah of unpredictability in your business.

My goals are there for me to take action…

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“My goals are there for me to take action, and if I can stay somewhat unattached to the outcome I can deal with setbacks with more grace and ease, while inventing a new course of action.” Chris Henry, Fine Art

Last week, our focus was on making mistakes instead of New Year’s Resolutions ( http://susanjamescoach.com/new-years-resolution-hack-a-guide-to-making-them-work-out/ )

I hit a nerve. Readers know that there is more to making a resolution than just making it and hoping that it will work out. In fact, in a study by University of Scranton, Journal of Clinical Psychology, 2 out of 3 people make resolutions, but only 8% of the people who make resolutions keep them.

Look at what Chris Henry says: “I like what you said about mistakes, and for me it’s always a question of how long will I let this issue or mistake stop me? As an artist it’s a prerequisite to doing good art. I need to make mistakes and create bad art before I can create good or great art.

“I know from experience that having a support structure: a coach, or a team of people to go to when things get difficult, allows for new ideas or courses of action that I may not see on my own. Thanks again Susan for your words of wisdom! Here’s to an awesome 2014!”

Here are the cogent points.

1. How long will I let this mistake stop me? The best practice is, first of all, to know that you will make mistakes and then set a limit on how long you will beat yourself up for making one. 5 minutes? One day? Your lifetime?

2. Know that making mistakes and correcting them leads to making something great. You might have to “pivot and switch” what you are doing. Really, if it works great by changing aren’t you happier?

3. Have a support structure: a coach, a team of experts, a person who is committed to your success. Trust them; ask them what they would do. Allow them to point out what you haven’t thought of on your own.

4. Try new things, know they might work out, or not. Your intention to succeed is more important than the mistakes you make. Most of our greatest inventions were the result of a mistake. Penicillin was a lab accident. Thomas Edison, the inventor of the light bulb, said: “I have not failed. I’ve just found 10,000 ways that won’t work.”

I am looking forward to hearing from you regarding making mistakes and what you have learned!

art courtesy of Chris Henry, Fine Art http://chrishenryfineart.com

New Year’s Resolution Hack – A Guide to Making Them Work Out

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This New Year, 2014, stands shiny and bright before you. It’s the time when you are prodded to by coaches, gurus, wise persons of every ilk, to make resolutions, new plans for your future. There are even free courses on the internet about how to design your new game plan, your new 2014 business.

And all of that is good, I think. BUT… I notice a certain desperation, a certain hopelessness, already creeping in around the edges of the new year, even with the promise of a brand new beginning. I hear from some of my clients, in a breathless voice, “I must get in shape!” Or, “I will make $100k this year—No, that’s a promise . . . or at least a go for.” Then the hopelessness creeps up.

When I saw this quote from author Neil Gaiman: I hope that in this year to come, you make mistakes. Because if you are making mistakes… you’re Doing Something. I said to myself, “Finally someone who is making sense of this nerve wracking season of new goals and resolutions.” I couldn’t agree with him more. This is what I wish for you too. I too hope that you make mistakes. Because if you are making mistakes… You are doing something.

I am all for setting intentions which are conditioned by measurements similar to promise numbers and go for numbers. Your intentions, promises and go fors are even more powerful if you share them with someone who is committed to your success. But I want you to be realistic. It will probably not be smooth sailing. You are going to make mistakes, but instead of finding that part of the process to be humiliating and frustrating, have it be the best part. The most useful part of your process. Be prepared to pivot and switch to a new way to solve the challenge. Reach out for help if you need it. It is refreshing to hear, “Hey, I was going to start a new store front on the web. Then I found out…someone else beat me to it using the same idea that I had.” Now what? Yes, indeed now what. You have no time for a pity party. Seriously, now what?

How can you pivot and switch your idea to be even more powerful? Even more compelling? If you cannot figure out your new path, talk to someone who can help you. Do not even try to do this alone.

I invite you to think about what mistakes you will make in 2014. I am all ears!

photo courtesy of freedigitalphotos.net

Sound Business Advice from Project Runway

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Sound business advice from Project Runway? For those of you who don’t watch television, Project Runway is a break out television show in its 12th season. It’s a reality series about undiscovered fashion designers, one of whom wins as the best designer of the season. Tim Gunn is the mentor for the designers and works with them to do their best designs.

I think what he says about being in business and life are worth considering. This is what inspired me about his New York Times interview.

“There are many ways you can establish your own path,” he said, sounding very much like the teacher he is. “The reason I love my catch phrase, ‘Make it work,’ is because it is not just about what is happening in the workroom, it is about life. Taking the existing conditions, the things we have available to us, and rallying them to ascend to a place of success.” Tim Gunn: A Lifetime of Making It Work.
New York Times, 10.11.13

Looking at this quote from a coaching perspective, I find its true for successful entrepreneurs. They succeed because that’s what they do. They are presented with a set of circumstances that challenge them, and they literally mold those challenges into success.

You have done that yourself or you wouldn’t be reading this newsletter. However, we forget sometimes that we have that power. We lose heart; we think we are failed business owners when things we want to happen don’t. This is exactly when the brilliance of Tim Gunn steps in to save the day. What he recommends is this: “Take the existing conditions, the things we have available to us, and rally them to ascend to a place of success.”

I think the first thing is to realize that we are successful in life. We have created success before and can and will do it again. And when you forget about your strengths perhaps you can remember Tim’s words. And that you and what you do both matter. You are a success and can stare circumstances in the eye and “Make it work”.

I invite you to share in the comments below about how you have had your business work. I am looking forward to hearing from you!

*photo courtesy of Free Digital Photos

Are You Trying Too Hard?

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Have you ever really thought about the verb: to try? As in, have you tried that new restaurant? Or, I tried to finish the marathon. Or, I tried to make my business a success.

When I was young, every time I gave up on something—often after expending little effort towards reaching the goal—and told my father, “I tried,” he would respond, “Trying don’t count, its results that do.” – Tweet That! He never let me off the hook with the explanation, “I tried.” With him I was doomed to actually do the thing, rather than try.

So let’s look at this verb try, and see where you may be using it perhaps a little too much (at least by my father’s standard).

The verb ” try” is defined by Merriam-Webster:

: to make an effort to do something : to attempt to accomplish or complete something

: to do or use (something) in order to see if it works or will be successful

: to do or use (something) in order to find out if you like it

For the sake of this conversation, let’s just go with the first two definitions. Obviously, the third one “to do or use (something) in order to find out if you like it” is very useful with foods, haircuts, new clothes, a new boyfriend etc.

Seeing IF something works is entirely different from being committed to doing it. Attempting to accomplish or complete something takes less intention—and it’s far less uncomfortable—than actually doing it, no excuses allowed. Which is it going to be? “I’ll try.” Or, “It will happen.”

From what I know about people who are successful in business, they don’t try or attempt things. They do them. And that is exactly what my father trained me to do as a young person.

That is also what coaching is about. It’s a collaboration between the performer and the coach to be successful in the goal decided upon. It is not to attempt to be successful.

For those of you who wonder why I am writing this, you are probably not playing the “trying” game. And I would imagine your business is successful.

For those of you who find this blog thought provoking or if it gives you an AHA! moment. Congratulations! Now you can quit “trying” and produce some results.

I would love to hear from you about this topic. Please tell me what you thought about it in the comments below. I am looking forward to hearing from you.