Entrepreneur Advice Archives - Page 5 of 15

The Good and Bad of a Title

29 October 2013October 30, 2013Eric

The good and bad of title is found in the heart of the one who holds it. As things go, titles communicate much. Titles can make you happy, angry, and certainly intimidated. All this relates to the titles humans are given.

So what’s your title and what does it mean to you?

The people who are interested in changing the world are typically unfazed by their titles (given or taken). Think Mother Teresa, Billy Graham, Seth Godin, and Harry Connick, Jr. All of those folks have/had titles, but I can’t remember anything about them, except their work and mission. Beautiful! This is the good of a title.

Now the bad goes something like this. “I’m the senior, senior, senior _______ of this and that.” These bold proclamations are typically rooted in deep insecurity and fear. I know because I lived it and I was insecure and I was afraid. Now, the sad irony is found in a world that won’t say a word about the problem. The world typically applauds the “proclaimer.” I wish I could help these folks, but usually these folks are not looking for help, they’re looking to hide.

Consider the remainder of the bad:

These types of influencers really don’t like people. They see people as part of the problem. Be it the father, the husband, the old boss, the friend who went missing, and on and on.
Often the bad carries a deep need to medicate. This is a searching for something under the sun that will “make it go away.” Never satisfied, they often don’t wake up. I consider myself very lucky.
Titles used for bad, block the opportunity for change and growth. I don’t think our business culture really understands this.
We’ve confused a title with real substance. We’ve become shallow, and we’ve forgotten what depth feels like.
The bad leads to a big mess down the road. We’ve forgotten what down the road looks like.

In the end, there is nothing wrong with titles. The issue is found in the heart and mind…where good and bad are found.

Striving Within a Not-So New Reality

22 October 2013October 22, 2013Eric

“I find Zegna, with Gildo at its head, to be extremely open; they desired a collaboration with someone who could challenge their position.” – Stefano Pilati

I am a creative, so I get chills from a quote like the above. Mr. Pilati expresses the reality of what must be done in industry and beyond. It really doesn’t matter if you are a creative or not because the idea of challenging, openness and movement forward, is a process for all.

What if I told you that the manual needs to be thrown out? It’s not the foundation, just the manual. All those old rules gone like dust.

The world in which I live changed about ten years ago. It was and is the economy, the government, culture, and the spiritual. I know a few who are navigating in that reality, I know more who are arranging furniture on the Titanic.

Where are you at?

What I Love About Entrepreneurs

2 October 2013October 2, 2013Eric

In a lunch this past week, I rediscovered what I love about entrepreneurs. I observed an entrepreneur (other than myself) in their zone. It was a cool moment for me. Listening to his ideas, listening to the what could be dreamed, listening to what problems could be solved. I felt at home.

More and more, I am embracing the meaning of entrepreneur. Being a risk taker is the difference maker.

We all are entrepreneurs, whether we know it or not.

The Deal on Money

1 October 2013October 10, 2013Eric

I haven’t dedicated much space here on the subject of money. The deal on money for me is pretty straightforward:

Give 10%, Invest 10% and live on the remaining 80%
Don’t chase money

Number one is a guideline and number two is a non-negotiable.

The deal on money is also about the crazy stuff people will do to get it. And by the way, it applies to the poor and the rich. Equal opportunity stuff in every shape and form. For example, some pro athletes make multi-millions over a short period of time and many will end up broke a few years after retirement. All that chasing for what? Crazy.

Focus on creating great art and work. Money always follows that, sometimes in a wierd way, but eventually it will. Good financial wellbeing is found here.

The Fog

27 September 2013September 27, 2013Eric

Had a conversation with my wife last week, indirectly about the fog that comes with life. The conversation was my wife talking and me listening. I learned a lot about her and I learned a lot about myself.

So what about this fog?

In that conversation with my wife, she expressed her unhappiness with the current state of things. Normal. It wasn't about our marriage, but the fog of life. The Circumstances that press against us. Since I've got a good pulse of who's out there, I know you feel me. We concluded once again that life is tough work. Regardless of what you hear from _______, life is tough work.

When she finished and we moved on, I asked myself why I'm often not fazed by the fog thing. All of sudden a rush of memories came over me. I started 40 years backward. Each one checking a box. I came away not just knowing, but understanding.

It is abundantly clear that I have had a life checkered with fog (tragedies, struggles, crossroads, etc.). I'm sure, upon reflection, you might say the same. The point is not about which is better. Even though, in America, many have duped into believing that the best life is the one absent of problems. We act in a manner that says this is true. One thing is clear for me. A good part of my life has been shaped by my fog. I seriously doubt that I would be doing what I do, if it wasn't for those crucibles. I am thankful.

My understanding today is we need to see fog as clear. Real life is found here.

Going in With Eyes Wide Open

19 September 2013September 19, 2013Eric

Every human has emotional, mental and spiritual needs. And certainly those differ from person to person. The trick is who or what you use/ask to meet the needs.

One area that I have observed that is way out of whack is our use of work in meeting needs. Many folks have expectations of their employers that are totally unrealistic. One of the best examples is unspoken (unwritten in most cases) agreement when a job is taken/filled..Often the employee sees it as a statement of worth that "xyz" employer would hire him or her. Conversely, the employer assumes the employee knows that the relationship is conditional. Conditional in that the job remains as long as the economic output justifies it.

I belieive you're responsible for yourself and not your employer. My point is the necessity of going in with eyes wide open. Doing and creating great work doesn't hurt either.

Are You An Entrepreneur Yet?

10 September 2013September 10, 2013Eric

One of my coaching clients sent me this article on entrepreneurism. Specifically, the coming change in our workplace landscape. Many would say we're under way and I agree. The article includes a telling infographic as well.

So what are you doing about the shift? No drastic measures needed (maybe), just some hard looking and processing. One of the best ways to do this is written planning. Brainstorm the thing and ask lots of questions. By the way, throw the glamour, riches and elation around your employer out the window. This is about your work (the unique talents, gifts and passions forged into one), not your career, not your 401K.

I've written about this topic for some time. It was nice to have a client forward on an article of this magnitude. It encouraged me and it made me realize the work still to be done.

The Value of Life, The Value of Today

27 August 2013August 27, 2013Eric

Got to thinking this morning about worry and the time extinguished by it. I can't think of one instance in my life where worry has produced a breakthrough, happiness or satisfaction. You are probably thinking I've just entered the "duh" zone because we all know this. Right? The truth is many know, but few do.

So why bother worrying? Who taught us how to worry? Who wrote the book on the 10 Proven Success Strategies of Worrying?

The take-away is found in our lack of embrace of life and the time given (implies a gift) to us on this big ball known as Earth. We don't see our life as a whole, but parts. We pick and choose what we like (usually the pain-fee comfortable ones) and ignore or run from the others. Believe me, I understand that it's not all a matter of choosing the path you might be on. Some of us were influenced by parents, teachers, marketing, and society's version of the truth. We thought we were making the right choice. Like the person who places their trust in someone who seemed honest, but was just a good actor/actress. Regardless of that, we cannot excuse ourselves from making a change for the better.

The value of today has all but been erased in our thought process. We're too busy to stop and look around. Wer're rushing to things and outcomes that we can't be sure have any value at all. Almost like closing your eyes, jumping and hoping that what you've been taught will deliver. This is really a vivid portrait of a culture taking much for granted. We don't stop and ask the tough questions of why, does this fit who I am, is this meaningful to me?

So how much time do you have to get this life in order?

I'm throwing the following out to you as way of stopping you in your tracks:

Stop denying who you are! Stop stuffing the real you in a closet for the sake of the opinions of others. I think Steve Jobs referred to this as "others dogma." If you've decided to put all your chips on being someone else, then prepare to meet the real you further down the road.
Stop thinking you have time to get around to X or Y. This is akind to someone who continues to ignore their human relationships. They figure the other person doesn't need to hear certain words (I Love You) becuase they already know it's true. Goodbye is the usual outcome here. Warped logic.
Stop embracing your career as if having a great career will make everything else fall into place. Listen up, I tried this and it does not work.
Stop bankrupting your opportunities for happiness. This happens when you abdicate the choice of happiness to circumstances, people, etc.
Create a stop-doing list and create the margin your life has been screaming for. A stop-doing list is simply you evaluating the habits, events, etc. and making the concisous decision to stop.

The Looking Back Thing

22 August 2013August 22, 2013Eric

Looking back has tremendous value. I'm not referring to looking back with regret. Looking back with regret usually leads to mental paralysis. I'm speaking of looking back to gain perspective and clarity.

For me, a large part of the looking back thing is getting a sense of the notes God's been playing in the symphony of life. This has helped me be more aware of what the future could look like. My gut becomes centered around knowing what my next move should be. Here recently, the movement in that symphony tells me change is coming in my life.

Now before you think this is some overly spiritual pursuit or a complex riddle to solve, it can be very straightforward if you let it. For example, let's say your history in work has been most successful in large organizations. Maybe you've excelled there because of structure and well-established processes. Now, a new, smaller organization wants you to come on board and do your magic. Looking back will help you understand where you've performed best and what environments work best for you. It doesn't necessarily mean you shouldn't work for a small organization because they're still forming, it just means looking back can inform you of where you perform best. It might even be a predictor of your success. I've had to make more than a few mistakes in this dept. to learn this.

The following are what I consider to be keys to the looking back thing:

Stay away from regret when looking back. You can't rewrite history, so no sense in lingering over what could have been. This is hard work and your wellbeing will be the better for it.
Be humble. Don't think of yourself as rock star. An inflated ego will always distort your view.
Look back to inform and keep record of it. Refer back to it often.
Don't look for guarantees. Be willing to make a mistake. Often, mistakes lead to breakthroughs.
Find someone or people to be a sounding board for what you're thinking.
Get a coach. It can help you clear the clutter and find the gold hidden.

Recognizing Talent.

3 July 2013July 3, 2013Eric

The below video clip was shot a couple of years ago. The relevance continues, especially in these upside-down times we find ourselves in. We're in a place where recognizing talent is essential. And by the way, it starts with your soul and the art of searching people.

I could write further on this, but check-out the video clip for more.