Video's That Will Change The Way You Think

Helpful Materials -

The structure of this next post is a little different from most.  I thought it might be helpful to include a number of videos that I watch.  A number of the videos are successful people talking about how they built their empires.  A number of these businessmen I've had the pleasure of meeting.  Enjoy!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Civg4ydO7po

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=imLVFCyl5DI

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M_OSmjn2l_w

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-x29vj5AslY

Each of these gentlemen have helped me to see the other side.  All of them come from very humble means, but they found a way to make an impression on this world.

Sincerely,

Enterprise Warrior

Work Life Balance

  

Work -

In today's environment spending wasted time can be detrimental to any business.  The world is a competitive place, and everyone wants to increase their share of the pie.  Many people spend time working, but don't spend that time effectively.  In order to have a work life balance, entrepreneurs must make sacrifices in other areas of life.  We love our businesses more than anything else on this planet, but there needs to be time spent reflecting.  Reflection allows us to often times come up with our best ideas.  Taking a break from work can help foster new ideas, and give us exposure to new opportunities.  Make sure that when you body is telling you to take a break that you do.  I have been working crazy hours recently, and missed four months of my life.  Only until I got sick did I realize how much time had past by.  Make sure to take a mental break from working on your business.  This will ultimately help your mind look for creative new ways to operate your business.

  

Life -

The sooner we realize that our lives are short, the more we will get out of this life.  If everyone was told at the start of our lives that we are dying, I believe more people would accomplish much greater things.  It is only until its too late that we realize the decisions we made were not to the fullest.  I read a great article recently about this topic.  Entrepreneur magazine contributor, John Brubaker spoke about his life experiences.  Please take a look at his article here.  John talks about the hard truth that we must ask in order to achieve the life we want to live.  Make sure that in everything that you do, you spend time going for your dreams.  All too often we are told that we can't do something.  Go ahead and attempt the impossible.

  

Can This Work? -

Make sure that you feel you are getting something out of this life.  If your current work schedule doesn't allow you to enjoy the basic life necessities that YOU believe you deserve, then you might need to make a change in your daily routine.  Forget everyone else's expectations and live out your dreams.

I hope that this helps.  Enjoy your week.

Sincerely,

Enterprise Warrior

Time To Build A Team

  

The Turning Point -

The company has grown too large for one person to manage.  The sales are starting to pick up, and it's time to think about hiring.  This is an exciting time for any business, but also a time that needs to be strategically thought out.  A company that fails to attract top talent will not be able to compete in the global marketplace.  I've noticed that the best employees are not always the smartest people.  The individuals who embody the company mission, and feel as through they have a stake in the success of a company, tend to perform well above the average output.

  

Employees vs. Teammates -

Business organizations have become more conscience of how they treat their employees.  In a startup company it is even more important to treat everyone with respect.  Respect means creating a work environment that feels more like a team.  Nobody wants to play on a basketball team where each player doesn't pass the ball.  The team will perform worse when each player has this attitude.  A business is run in the same way.  One person can not make an organization run perfectly.  Each person has a certain set of skills that they contribute to the company.  All too often, the focus is only on the bottom line.  I have meetings with people in the purchasing department, and I always take note of how they react in their job.  Do they communicate with other employees?  Do they take time to make their office personal?  These questions will help you to connect with people, but more importantly, look for signs that your employees are satisfied.

  

How To Find The Best Of The Best -

Company culture is has become very important in the technology sector.  Google is notorious for creating an environment that fosters unique ideas.  CEOs need to set the tone early for how they want  their employees to operate.  Google's founders wanted everyone to have free flowing ideas, and they built an office space that sets this tone.  It is clear that building a great workspace, not dedicating attention to one person, and creating company wide respect lead to a attractive company culture.

Good Luck!

Sincerely,

Enterprise Warrior

What Do Successful People Have In Common?

  

Dream Big -

There are constant forces in the world that try to convince us that certain goals are not possible.  If we accepted this way thinking how do we enjoy electricity, planes, or personal computers today?  All of those human inventions were considered outrageous at the time!  If Thomas Edison, the Wright Brothers, and Steve Jobs decided that their ideas were NOT possible where would we be?  The recent news surrounding Virgin Galatics space project reminds me of this discussion.  The companies recent crash would have most people giving up on this idea.  Rather than give up, Richard Branson continues to move the company forward, and is going to be the first one to fly commercially.

If you are currently hitting a roadblock, think about the people in your life who you are creating your business for.  Maybe you want to make your family proud.  Hone in on those types of feelings, because they are the ones that allow people to keep going during incredibly difficult scenarios.

  

Emulate Who You Want To Be -

Who do you want to become in this world?  This is a question I find myself asking a lot these days.  All too often I see people who have not asked themselves this question.  Maybe you want to be a doctor, business owner, scientist, construction worker.  Whatever profession entices you find out who are the best in that field, and figure out what they do better than everyone else.  There are many examples of people in history and at present that we can emulate.  It is up to YOU to decide which path to choose.

  

Personal Finance -

I've been blessed to have exposure to some of the most successful business men and women in the world.  There are clear similarities between these individuals on personal finances.  One very important factor is not spending beyond your means!  American culture has convinced everyone that you constantly need more of everything.  The individuals who can afford everything are the ones who save up during the journey.  You need to think about the threshold of how much you'd like to spend in this life.  Based on that response, there are certain goals of how much to save an invest so that you can enjoy the finer things in life.

Have a fantastic week!

Best Wishes,

Enterprise Warrior

Business Is a Roller Coaster

  

Timing is Everything -

During every moment of our lives there are new opportunities waiting to be explored.  We need to first Recognize when a favorable situation presents itself.  These points in time can be very quick, infinitesimal, and inconvenient for us to Act on.  I've noticed that many people are willing, outside of our immediate network, to help others succeed.  Do not disregard this gift out of pride or overconfidence.  Help from the right people will come in time, and you have to be in the present moment.  If we do not continue to invest in creating positive relationships there will be too many tasks for one person to handle.  Once you have discovered how to recognize and act on certain situations continue to Repeat these steps.

  

Patience -

I've experienced many different feelings about this next point.  In my own experience it can be very upsetting to continue to promote your ideas, and people not showing much respect towards the things you have worked so hard to create.  Make sure that you stay patient, because there will come a time where someone does love your product or service.  Sometimes you have to meet five people before you find your target customers, and in other businesses it might be one hundred people.  If you can recognize that what you are working towards will have a greater impact it will help the business going forward.  Believe in yourself, and that no experiences are wasted time.  Each moment might bring about a new opportunity if the timing is right!

  

Respect -

I recently listened to a very successful businessman speak.  There was one point that really stuck out to me.  He mentioned that part of his criteria for investing in companies is making sure he believes that the management can lead.  Many books would create a technical analysis about signs to look for in a CEO.  Instead, this businessman said he would take the managers of the potential investment company to lunch.  While at lunch he would watch to see how they took care of the waiting staff.  I always knew about treated people with respect no matter what the circumstances, but it was great to hear it from this individual.  No where else have a read about these subtle nuances in human behavior, and yet there is a ton of research on this subject.  It struck a cord with me that simply respecting others can make you more fit as a CEO than someone with a Harvard degree.  That's really something if you spend some time thinking about it.

I hope these points help you through the roller coaster ride.

Sincerely,

Enterprise Warrior

A Deeper View on Time Management

  

Time is Our Most Important Asset -

I don't want to sound cliche when writing this entry, but there are moments when we forget even the most obvious statements about our lives.  Time on this planet is the only asset we can never get back.  I've read many stories about people who have gone from rags to riches.  There are also people who have experienced the other side of that journey.  You can always work hard to regain wealth, reputation, health, passion, and accomplish other dreams.  The only consistent theme among all human beings is the fact that each one of us has a specific timeframe to accomplish those goals.  We feel that there is a significant amount of time on our hands, because of our ability to dream, think intuitively, and plan for things in advance.  No other species comes close to this kind of mental fortitude.

  

What would you attempt to do if you could not fail?

Take a moment to think through this exercise.  I'm not going to ask you to write anything down, but pause and think after reading.  This might be able to change your perspective on how you respond to situations in the future.

Ask yourself the question above; What would you attempt to do if you could not fail?  This is a very powerful question if you decide to give it some thought.  Whenever I find myself questioning my abilities, I ask myself this question.  It is comforting to imagine a world where you never made a mistake.  When you take that leap of faith you will make mistakes, but if you continue to press forward you will no longer care about the results.  It's about proving to yourself that you made the attempt, and recognizing that something positive has come from the experience.

People are more willing to forget about your mistakes if you keep trying.  It's amazing that after one success the rest of our mistakes are written off anyway.  My point here is to go after whatever it is you are holding back.  It's personal to the reader.

  

Break The Tough Stuff Down -

I often feel overwhelmed with tasks that need to be completed.  I don't have a boss giving me a timeline, which is a blessing and a curse.  The responsibility of when to hand in certain deliverables is completely up to you!  Your reputation, business, and finances are all on the line.  Make sure that you prioritize each task and break down what needs to be completed first.  Once you've mapped out the best plan it starts to feel less overbearing.

Good luck in your endeavors for the week, and try to apply some of these techniques.

Sincerely,

Enterprise Warrior

How Important is Branding?

 

Look Internally First -

When entrepreneurs are considering launching a new product or service it's important to establish a company vision.  In my post, The Starting Point, I spoke about how individuals need to have a vision of what levels of success they think they deserve.  Those principles might appear to be just personal, but they will also have an impact on your organization.  This transformation might occur without you even noticing.  The best brands in the world are a combination of their founder's ideology, and also how they were able to inspire others to believe in their personal visions.  It is impossible to separate the two, because a business should be an extension of your being.

  

Technical Definition -

If you are looking for a more technical definition, I would suggest reading an article posted by Small Business Encyclopedia.  Click the link here.

The definition that the article provides is,
"The marketing practice of creating a name, symbol or design that identifies and differentiates a product from other products."

The hardest part is creating a "marketing practice" that is true to your company.  What's true to your company is also what matters to the entrepreneur.  Nine times out of ten the business reflects the owners personality.  Just think about this for a second.. isn't it crazy how true that statement is?

  

Industry Leaders -

There must be a reason for certain brands to stand out.  Have you ever asked yourself why this is the case?  Many of these companies focus on delivering a consistent image, so that consumers will eventually recognize their brands when they walk into a store.  The focus is towards spending billions of dollars a year on print, digital, social, and other types of media ads.  Mega corporations can't be solely reliant on just spending.  None of these businesses were started as mega corporations!  The question then becomes, how did they develop market exposure without the large budgets that they use today?  Who are the master minds behind these companies that we take for granted in society today?  Believe, Stay Hungry, and Creativity are the three most important factors.  Sometimes having a small budget is a blessing in disguise, because it will make you think in creative ways.

There is no short road to success, because then everybody could do what we do!

"Stay Hungry, Stay Foolish"- Steve Jobs

Sincerely,

Enterprise Warrior