Business Lessons

Honestly, I could write a book about what it was like teaming up with a mentor ...... and perhaps one day I will. 

Success often begins with a choice and deep passion for what you do. Find a business or career path that aligns with your passions and values.

Resilience and Perseverance: Success is rarely immediate. Be prepared for setbacks and challenges. True success often comes to those who persist through difficulties with determination and resilience.

Integrity and Ethics: Build your business on a foundation of honesty and ethical conduct. Trust and reputation are invaluable assets that can lead to long-term success.

Innovation and Creativity: Encourage a culture of innovation within your organization. 

Be open to new ideas and creative solutions. Innovation can set your business apart from competitors.

Lesson 1: Failure doesn't "happen"; it's a choice.

There were only two ways you could "fail." You could give up and quit. Or you could decide not to learn from your mistakes.

Test new ideas, learn from what works, and what doesn't. Then apply those lessons to your next test or idea, do this until you get a satisfactory result. Even when mistakes occur, seek out the positive in every bad situation and say, "Well, what did we learn from this?"

... And, more important, "Will we do it again?"

Every costly lesson was going to result in exponentially greater success in the long term.

Lesson 2: Assume nothing, test everything.

Theories, assumptions, and guesses were the enemies of success you should either go straight to the source for the answers or test it yourself. Sometimes you even need to test the

"Facts." For example...

• The customer demographics you collected through a survey last year may have drastically changed. 

• And some of the most interesting statistics may be based on flawed data. (Always read the "fine print," and if there isn't any, ask for it!)

Before you make decisions, ask questions. Assume nothing. Test everything.

And don't be afraid of offending someone -- even an "expert"-- by questioning their logic. The true experts will applaud you for this. And your questions will expose the fakes.

Lesson 3: Make opportunities to learn and take notes.

Be absolutely relentless in reading. Always look for new strategies and marketing ideas that you could pluck from other industries.

The secret is making notes about everything you read and keeping all your thoughts in a couple of "master project documents" that you could refer back to every month.

The "genius" ideas... comes from these notes.

That way, even if an idea didn't work today, you could refer back to it sometime in the future.

"genius" doesn't just happen -- you need to look for opportunities to learn and keep track of your thoughts. Your best ideas will frequently be sparked by new information, or 

new approaches to old information.

Lesson 4: Seek out great teachers and be a great listener.

Never be afraid to ask "great people" for advice...

Never be concerned about looking dumb. There is absolutely no need to be the smartest guy in the room, always be focused on learning. Be a student of everything...and everyone.

If you want to fast-track your success, it's critical to learn from those who have gone before you... even if you just have the opportunity to learn from their mistakes.

Find people who are getting the results YOU want to achieve and ask them to mentor you. even if that meant paying hefty consulting fees for their guidance.

Ask people around you for feedback...How could you improve as a leader?

How could you be a better public speaker?

It takes guts to ask the people around you for feedback. But it takes wisdom to openly listen and learn from it.

Lesson 5: Define your own success and live with passion.

One of the most inspirational beliefs is that absolutely anyone can be successful.

You can learn anything... be anything... do anything.

If you decide that your age, background, and education limit your potential, they will. But if you decide that you can do anything, you will...

It's absolutely shocking what ONE step a day... just 10minutes a day... one hour a day... can accomplish over one month... three months... six months.

Just imagine where YOU would be in six months if you dedicated even 20 minutes a day to working on your business... learning new strategies... or building a "swipe file" of marketing ideas!

Success isn't determined by genetics. It's about Persistent, Consistent Action, Teamwork and Collaboration: 

Recognize that you can't do it all on your own. Surround yourself with talented and motivated individuals who share your vision and work together to achieve common goals.

These are personal philosophies I plan to continue.

I wish You Success.