Stepping Out Into The New: Advice for New Entrepreneurs…

feel the fear but do it anyway! Damon Johns, Business Executive of Shark Tank asked the question: “if you had a piece of advice for someone just starting out, what would it be?” People all over boldly shared…

Derrick has been frustrated in his job as manager of operations. He has been at it for years but his job has lost its zeal. He could apply for the Branch Manager’s position but he wasn’t sure he had what it takes to manage the responsibilities. Besides, he has been thinking about following his passion for design and wants to launch out into his own business. But the sense of Qualm he feels has put him in a state of inertia. He has been afraid that he might fail.

Many are the dreams of people like Derrick. The fear is real but like I’ve always said…feel the fear but do it anyway! Damon Johns, Business Executive of Shark Tank asked the question: “if you had a piece of advice for someone just starting out, what would it be?” People all over boldly shared their views. Because Collaboration is key, I’ve compiled a list extracted from their direct responses. Choose one, two or a few, and apply as you like.

Advice for New Entrepreneurs

Cashflow is king. Make sure you’ve got cash in the bank to ensure you’re covered for not pulling a wage in the early days
Work on yourself to know what you’re doing very well. Be persistent and consistent.
Document every step of your journey, no matter how trivial you think it may be. The data you think is not important today, may prove to be invaluable tomorrow.
Money talks.
All progress not saved will be lost.
Always find reasons and new motivations to keep going at it.
If you hang around 9 people that are ‘broke’, chances are…you’re going to be number 10.
Its rough… I mean really rough. Stick to it and take the bumps in stride.
Do something you love so you never work a day in your life.
Doing what you love and are great at-is the easy part. Mind the business with equal effort or you’re doomed. Marketing, networking etc. and don’t ever forget … never play it safe. Take risks, and go after it.
Work hard. Focus and be unreasonable. This is what creates discipline and growth.
Don’t get so busy that you forget to say your prayers.
Value yourself, believe in you when no one else will. Right before you quit, try one more time with a different plan of action. Always be true to yourself and others. Make time for fun, not all work.
It’s not going to be easy but know that with paitence and persistence it will happen. Be around the people going in the same direction that you want to go.
Never give up. Fight for your dreams.
Just be yourself. Don’t try to do what everyone else is doing just because everyone esle is doing it. The business model that works for others might not work for you. Being an entrpreneur is your chance to do it just the way you want to!
To work at it every waking hour.
Say the phrase…finish it.
Believe in yourself and take risks.
Best advice I learned from running my company is it’s ok to be a bitch sometimes. Clients and customers will treat you with respect sometimes. Other times they run all over you taking advantage of your kindness. Balance is key. Ya gotta know when to put your foot down and look people in the eye with “that look” and speak your true mind instead of putting on the “professional front” through their bullshit.
Stay laser focused on the goal even if your strategy isn’t perfect yet. Make progress daily.
Keep going.
To start.
Find someone that has something you want. Do what they do and you will get what they got.
Start …like the end doesn’t matter.
A winner never quits, and a quitter never wins.

So that’s the list. Different opinions but great diversity. Are there a few that resonates with you? Anything missing that you could add? Take a look again and if you’re still busy dreaming…start doing today!

Cheers!

Need help? Let’s connect!

Follow me on instagram for daily motivation.

Failure: The Final Frontier…

Failure, is it the Final frontier? Oprah Winfrey learned that failure is only an illusion after her cable network started off poorly. She said the worst time in her professional life came when the Oprah Winfrey Network’s (OWN) ratings plummeted a year after launch. Later, in a Harvard commencement speech, Winfrey said that she told herself repeatedly that failure is an illusion. She said “there is no such thing as failure. Failure is just a lie trying to move us in another direction.

Brian Tracy asked the question “What is the best advice you have ever received for overcoming your fear of failure?” Responders shared:

Don’t hate your weaknesses, God will meet you there!
You will never experience true success without learning from some level of failure
No matter how slow, just keep on moving
FAIL = First Attempt in Learning
Think BIG. Act BIG. Get BIG.
Don’t bury your head in the sand and expect a pat on the back from me. It’s hard. You go to hustle but you will be fine.
The worst that can happen is you mess it up, or get told no.
We fail every time but each time we must fail better
Failure never fails you as long as you’re willing to learn from it
I don’t need to overcome fear of failure. I seek failure.
Believe.
I reckon I’d be amazing in my job if I could get past the fear of failure and what everyone will think
What’s the worst that can happen?
Behind fear is desire
Nothing ventured, nothing gained
Don’t ever quit. Keep going
Motion conquers fear
Work hard and be patient
You can’t be successful without failure
That’s ok…do it scared
You have to get uncomfortable to be comfortable
Break it up into small parts when you get scared. Then take small steps. Never give up and you will always find momentum…and you’re off…that’s the magic
The fear of failure has killed more dreams than failure ever has
Not Trying- that’s the only failure
Nothing ventured. Nothing gained.
Keep going
Take massive action

Diverse responses but you get the picture. My personal mantra remains ‘feel the fear….but do it anyway’. Essentially, don’t let fear get in the way of you going after your goals.

Oprah encouraged when you’re down in the hole, when that moment comes, it’s okay to feel bad for a little while. Give yourself time to mourn what you think you may have lost. But then learn from every mistake because every experience, encounter, and particularly your mistakes are there to teach you and force you into being more of who you are.

So don’t be afraid. Failure is only Temporary. Pursue your passion. Win, lose or draw…you tried! No regrets.

Cheers!

Let’s connect!

Follow me on instagram @drshellyc_success

Just Write…

Panicked? Don’t. Just Write.

Promote Yourself! 13 Ways To Do it…

Often your Manager values your input so much that they don’t want to lose you. So they smother you with challenging tasks, praises, and more but fail to allow you to move.

Company won’t promote you? Get out of the shadows! Promote yourself! You’ve been toiling at your job for many years. Your reviews have been excellent! Your managers sing your praises! They value you!

But None of that can free your mind. You still haven’t received that promotion. Don’t be alarmed. Many times this has nothing to do with you. Often your Manager values your input so much that they don’t want to lose you. So they smother you with challenging tasks, praises, and more but fail to allow you to move.

It’s Time! Break that Barrier!

Show them what you’re made of. Take Control. Stop being taken advantage of. Bruce Kasanoff tells all. Here are 13 ways for ambitious careerists and new entrepreneurs:

13 Ways to Promote Yourself

Self promote – offer to do work that shows your knowledge throughout/across the wider business
Help others as you promote yourself.
Speak with energy. Show your passion.
Serve, don’t sell. Your action says it all.
Become a reliable source of good information
Don’t be shy! Share your achievements.
Spend time with people of like mind. For example, if you are ambitious …spend time with ambitious people.
Seek new and valuable experiences.
Never stop learning.
Never stop growing.
Exceed Promises.
Get in front of people. Don’t hide behind emails or phone.
Be persistent. Aim High. Eventually, you will achieve.

Cheers!

Lets Connect

Follow me on Instagram for Daily Motivation

Sometimes You Win. Sometimes You Yarn…

Sometimes you win, sometimes you Yarn…more popular sometimes you lose. Sometimes you fail. Many examples exist of well known leaders who tried, failed and eventually succeeded including the likes of J.K. Rowling, Stephen King, Oprah, Steve Jobs, Einstein and many others.

So whatever you do, keep going. Don’t give up.

Cheers!

Success Can Happen At Any Age. Here are 25 Successful People Who Did It…

You have been trying, yet in spite of all your efforts, you have not been able to see the real fruits of your labor. Be encouraged…don’t give up. Pablo shared 49 examples of people who achieved Success at different ages. This shows that whatever your dreams, goals, and aspirations you can do it. The individuals listed were no different from any of us. Though Knackered, they just gave it their all…never gave up, and it worked. From his list, here are 29 of my faves.

Mozart was already competent on keyboard and violin; he composed from the age of 5.
Anne Frank was 12 when she wrote the diary of Ann frank.
Pele, a soccer superstar, was 17 years old when he won the world cup in 1958 with Brazil.
Elvis was a superstar by age 19
John Lennon was 20, and Paul McCartney was 18 when the Beatles had their first concert in 1961
Beethoven was a piano virtuoso by age 23
Issac Newton wrote Philosophiae Naturalis Principal Mathematica at age 24
Albert Einstein was 26 when he wrote the theory of relativity
Michaelangelo created two of the greatest sculptures by age 28
J.K. Rowling was 30 years old when she finished the first manuscript of Harry Potter.
Amelia Earhart was 31 years old when she became the first woman to fly solo across the Atlantic Ocean
Oprah was 32 when she started her talk show, which became the highest-rated program of its kind
Martin Luther King Jr. was 34 when he wrote the speech “I Have a Dream
Neil Armstrong was 38 when he became the first man to set foot on the moon
Mark Twain was 40 when he wrote “Adventures of Tom Sawyer”, and 49 years old when he wrote “Adventures of Huckleberry Finn”.
Christopher Columbus was 41 when he discovered the Americas
Rosa Parks was 42 when she refused to obey the bus driver’s order to give up her seat to make room for a white passenger
John F Kennedy was 43 years old when he became President of the United States
Henry Ford was 45 when the Ford T came out.
Leonardo Da Vinci was 51 when he painted the Mona Lisa
Abraham Lincoln was 52 when he became President
Ray Kroc was 52 when he bought the McDonalds Franchise and took it to unprecedented levels
Colonel Harland Sanders was 61 when he started the KFC Franchise
Ronald Reagan was 69 when he became President of the United States
Nelson Mandela was 76 when he became President

There you have it. 25 Blanket examples of those who dared to step out. Success came their way because they pursued their passion and never gave up. Remember it’s never too late!

What are you afraid to do today?

Cheers!

Let’s connect!

Follow me on Instagram for Daily Motivation

Think it. Ink it.

Gray Roots

Stuck: The 5 Signs…

Steve heard that his company had been sold. What should he do? Wait forever expecting that call? Get sick because of the impending job loss? He, like so many others, remained stuck, steadfast, unmoveable…waiting.

Need a change? What do you do? Getting married, what do you do? When you have an exam, what do you do? When a storm watch is on what do you do? When a mother is expecting, what does she do?

The above are Avid life situations that are common to us. So what do we do when these situations draw near? It’s simple…we prepare, we act. It’s no different when other unfamiliar situations approach.

Steve heard rumors that his company had been sold. 60 percent of the employees would be integrated into the new company. Unfortunately, he was not contacted by the new management so it was highly unlikely that he would go with them. In that situation what should he do? Wait forever expecting that call? Get sick because of the impending job loss? He, like so many others, remained stuck, steadfast, unmoveable…waiting.

5 Signs of Being Stuck

You remain focused on the past.
Even if you want change, you feel safer doing the same things over and over again.
You avoid talking to people fearing that they will ask you how things are going
You have nothing to look forward to.
What is the point? What am I doing with my life? are questions you often ask yourself.

7 Things To Do When Stuck

Do something! Step out! Complete that application! Try something new!
Plan an escape rather than daydream about different scenarios. Go on a trip to relax and reboot your thoughts.
Switch up your daily activities.
Don’t envy and compare yourself to others.
Do one positive thing for yourself today.
If you want to change your life, Pray. Change your environment.
Find a mentor or coach. Ask for help

Today, Zip it up! Be Brilliant. Just do something. Don’t leave your future in the hands of someone else. It’s Your life. Make it count.

Cheers!

For help let’s connect

Follow me on instagram for Daily Motivation

Who Has Ever Died Because They Were Fired?

Life throws us off at times. It’s filled with surprises that knocks us off our feet. That burst our dreams, and Fry our goals so they seem unreachable.

Who has ever died because they were fired? Being fired customarily means being let go from your job for cause, because you underperformed or did something contrary to policies. Bad as it is …no one. Some may ‘die’ because of their reaction to the devastating news that their job was outsourced, restructured, replaced. But the loss of a job has never ‘killed’ anyone.

Life throws us off at times. It’s filled with surprises that knocks us off our feet…that bursts the Spike of our dreams, and Fry our goals so they seem unreachable. But it is what we do with the hand that’s given to you that counts.

You may also like 3 Directions: Which One Are You

Be wise, stay strong. Get back on your feet, and forge ahead. There’s hope.

Cheers!

Let’s connect

Follow me on Instagram for daily motivation

3 Directions. Which One Are You?

John Maxwell speaks about the 3 kinds of people when it comes to directions in life. People who Don’t Know…

Melanie is at a crossroads in life. She graduated college, got a job and has been working ‘just because‘.

David has worked as a senior manager for over 10 years but over the past 3 years he has been dreaming of more. His sense of purpose has been lost. He feels he is drifting.

It’s been 4 years since Carol lost her job due to restructuring. Since then she has worked odd jobs, has big dreams but through fear hesitates to take the step to accomplish her goals.

Mark dreamed of his passion. Took the steps to achieve and now enjoys the benefits of his entrepreneurial ventures. Still he seeks more ways to learn, develop his skills, and grow.

We have all been there. Life’s crossroads beckons times of reflection pushing us to search deep within our souls to find out if there’s more to life. We ponder about the next step. Where should we go? What should we do? How should we do it? or should we do it at all. John Maxwell speaks about the 3 kinds of people when it comes to Viable directions in life. These are:

3 Kinds of People in Pursuit of Goals

1.People Who Don’t Know what they would like to do.

These people are confused. They dabble, drift, with no sense of direction. If they grow, it is without focus.

2. People who Know what they would like to do but Don’t do it

These people are frustrated. They worry, they fear. They want to step out but are afraid they won’t be able to take care of their responsibilities. Sometimes they are not willing to pay the price to learn, grow, and move closer to their dream. Sadly, these people also miss out on reaching their potential.

3. People who know what they would like to do and do it.

These people are fulfilled. They possess a strong sense of passion, they achieve their purpose, they grow, they learn, they develop. As they strive for more we Chuckle thinking they are perfect but they know better as they seek continuous development.

You may also like What Does Success Mean to you?

Look back on the list, which type resonates with you? Consider. Reflect. Share. Puzzled and need help? Let’s connect.

Cheers!

What Does Success Mean To You?

Brian Tracy asked the question “What Does Success Mean to You?” Responses came in Opaque forms…

Get an education. Become a lawyer, doctor, get a cool career! Marry Prince/Princess Charming. Buy that nice big house. Have the perfect kids. These are some of the wishes that moms and dads often want for their children to Jolt them to success or to Restart. But I have always stressed that you should not let anyone define what success means to you. It’s entirely your decision.

Brian Tracy asked the question “What Does Success Mean to You?” Responses came in Opaque forms including:

Doing what I want when I want and helping others so that they can to help themselves
The highest level of success is happiness
Do the right thing and be a great person or human being
Not caring if it is Monday or Friday. Loving every day of the week the same. Having a good relationship with people. Making a difference. Continuously learning and doing more and more to improve yourself as a human being
Freedom
Being happy with what you do
Success is being able to do what I want, when I want and with whom I want with the ability to help and lift up others along the way
Success is when you have freedom financially, debt free and you see the success of other people through you. Success is not only money–if you are happy in all areas of life and have peace of mind.
Getting all dreams or aims in life by way of planning and professional development
Success brings happiness and high satisfaction…smiles
Success is knowing what you are sent to do and giving it all that’s required to accomplish it. Success is discovering something interesting about your life and going the extra mile to manifest it
Being able to manage my time and be at places I want with the people I love. But the best part of success is finding our purpose in life and giving it away
Self development is the key and success will run towards you
Success is when I’m proud of me
Starting my own business
To always focus on my own business
New birth
Rewrite my life
Success means balance to me
Being able to provide, being at the top of my game doing what I love, my own large home, nice car, decent healthcare cover, happiness
What I have done compared to what I could have done
Inspire people to think like me
Prosperity, peace, and contentment in every area of my life
Being happy in everything that I do. Feeling loved in my work and trying to see the result of my efforts
To be free with this what I love. Helping!
My definition of success…my family

Does any of these definitions resonate with you? What’s your own definition?

Do share!

Success Starts Here….

Peter Souza, former official White House photographer, when asked about his success said “you have gotta start somewhere and there is no one path to be successful” (in his case photography). But I extend it to say, it is the same thing for any endeavor we strive for in life. You have to start somewhere.

So when you feel Cranky, keep Climbing. Give it your best shot. Believe and you will achieve.

Cheers!

Follow me on Instagram for daily motivation

Let’s Connect