Tag: entrepreneur - Page 10

As an ex-journalist, interviewing people of all backgrounds and walks of life is second nature to me. I've interviewed police officers, politicians and met the Prime Minister, but have never been asked to have a sit-down interview with my former news organisation's owner (who would be Rupert Murdoch himself - eep!).

Today, I'm on day two in the marketing industry and have been given the chance to pick the brain of Marketing Eye founder, Mellissah Smith – it’s a slightly daunting ask, especially when you consider that she was little older than I was when she first branched out and went solo in her first agency.

“I’ve been in marketing for 20-odd years and was 25 when I started my first agency – what inspired me to start was an account opportunity falling in my lap,” Mellissah said.

A moment to spare between meeetings and a laptop in hand, there is only one place to go.

Caribou Coffee Shop on Peachtree Street in Buckhead Atlanta.

As I ask for a coffee with skim milk, they ask my name. Not too dissimilar to a Starbucks Coffee shop but for some reason, I like the coffee more and I love that it is conveniently located near where I am staying.

It's time. We are ready. The curtains have been drawn. In 3 weeks, I will be living in America to follow my dream of building a global small business marketing firm.

It's summer over there and winter here in Australia, so the weather is definately a big plus. Cost of living is significantly less which means I can buy more shoes. There is a god after all ;-)

And... the business is ready. Most importantly, we have dotted all of our 'i's' and crossed all of our 't's'.

So, what's next?

Many entrepreneurs believe that if you embrace failure on your path to success, you will succeed. In fact, most successful entrepreneurs have failed many times, but the difference between them and the rest of the world is that they don't internalize failure - instead they embrace it.

Failure sometimes helps us better understand what we are trying to do and how we should go about it. It sets a clearer picture for the direction that we should head.

"I honestly think it is better to be a failure at something you love, than to be a success at something you hate." George Burns.

Is failure just part of the parcel? Do we need to fail in order to succeed? Bill Gates did. Michael Jordan did too.

If you feel that your spirit is being squashed down, then push as hard as you can and stand up for what you believe in.

Key to success is being able to withstand the negativity that may cross your path, and rise to any occasion with the same enthusiasm and depth that you had the first day you came up with your new business idea.

At times, being an entrepreneur can be daunting. There are so many things to consider. Great entrepreneurs, you will find, listen to what people have to say and then make decisions based on a combination of their gut instinct, the advice given and their own knowledge and expertise.

This week, I have had to re-think what I am doing and what a great exercise that has been!

Seriously, I have learnt more this week, than I have in the entire year. I have listened to a number of key influencers in my life and taken onboard their advice and mentoring, while still staying true to myself and my own dreams.

If you spend some time to consider your options, often you will find that the solution falls on your lap - just like it has with me today.

Running a successful business is exciting and in the true spirit of being an entrepreneur, I am fulfilling my dreams every single day.

When things don't go to plan, I always remember:

Bill Gates dropped out of Harvard and his first company failed, yet he still built a global empire and was for a long time the richest man in the world due to Microsoft.

Stephen King, one of the world's best selling authors, received 30 knock-backs for his iconic thriller Carrie and ended up throwing it in the trash. Luckily for him, his wife fished it out and it went on to being one of the best novels of all time.

Michael Jordan tells a story of how he failed over and over again in his life, and that is the reason he has succeeded.

So, by not being afraid to take risks, to put yourself on the line, to accept rejection and to compromise only when it is right to do so, you will succeed.

"Onwards and upwards" is definately a direction I am taking. After further consultation with my mentor, I realised that some of things they pointed out were very correct and the Australian market is one that should not be ignored. However, if you have a dream, and you truly believe in it, you should follow it. So I am doing both! I have listened and taken on board great direction and I am going with my gut instinct and research and developing a business that will one day be global. You wait and see!!!!

Driving down the streets of Munich, I looked ahead to see three vehicles in a row. It immediately had me thinking - what makes one car stand out from the rest when every car has a purpose?

Simple. The car that stands out is the one that is best suited to you as an individual. Not the person sitting beside you. But you.

In Australia, it's Mother's Day today.

A day that we show appreciation for our Mother's and tell them how important they are to our lives.

My Mother is an interesting woman. She is highly religious, has an incredible sense of resilience and shows compassion to people around her like no-one I have never seen before.

As a child, I remember looking up to her. I loved that she wasn't showy like some other people's Mother's and that she always stood in the background, quiet, yet very supportive. She was the type of Mother that would bake a cake, pop into the school unannounced and give a slice to each of the kids in our class so that they could enjoy her delicious baking for morning tea. Knowing that I had a phobia of eating food out of a lunchbox, she also use to drive 10 kilometres to drop me off fresh lunch, or my favourite fish and chips, on days when the canteen didn't operate - so I would not starve.

I woke up this morning at 3.30am and could not stop thinking. My brain was on overload. All I could think about was business.

Expanding a business internationally is not exactly the easiest task to undertake. It requires a lot more work than you think and some serious planning.

When a person has a big business goal, it can be all-consuming. It's a 24 hour, 7 day a week gig. And when you put that sort of effort into something, you are looking for one hell-of-a-return. I know I am!

Most entrepreneurs think about the end goal. What is it that they are trying to achieve. Then they work back from there. What steps need to be taken to achieve this goal.

To me, this is the norm, but what sets one successful person apart from the run-of-the-mill entrepreneur can often come down to a set of traits. So, what traits make a successful entrepreneur?

21 Traits of a Successful Entrepreneur

A wake up call for me wasn't so dramatic. In fact it was something that I hold dear to my heart and appreciate more than the words that were written.

We think we have it all - a good business, people who follow us and even some who say they are inspired by us, yet have we really got it all sorted?

Entrepreneurs are unique. They have drive that comes from an inner place that very few people understand. Instead of laying in front of the television every night, entrepreneurs usually pick up their ipads or a good book and learn about how other entrepreneur became successful. Coffee on the go is essential and sitting still for too long usually means that there is something going wrong - or at least entrepreneurs think this is the case.