So, you want to be an entrepreneur
Are you thinking about starting your own company? Are you in the thick of it right now? hear from 4 entrepreneurs how they made it work.
Builder Brock, Co-Founder and CEO of WAYPOINT, has been right where you are and now leads this top tier modern media company reaching millions of viewers monthly. Here's what he has to say as you start this journey:
"Don’t do it alone. Building a business is lonely and challenging. You’re not good at everything and you have limited time. Bring others in. Whether they are formal partners, informal mentors/advisory board, early team members, etc : bring others in early, share your vision, be vulnerable. They will help you avoid major mistakes, pick you up when you fall down, show you your blind spots, and open doors.
Document the journey / Share the story publicly. Keep a notepad, record videos and share them, monthly update email to a small circle, etc. You’ll thank yourself.
Create an internal dashboard for yourself immediately. Know what matters and track it diligently from the start. Don’t fly blind.
Manufacture milestones & wins and celebrate when you reach them. Seriously. Building a business is a marathon of sprints - and there will always be something to worry about and another peak to reach. Critical that you create wins and break it up to avoid burnout - and enjoy the journey."
Whiteboard Co-Founder, Eric Brown , shares LESSONS IN THE “IN-BETWEEN” for an entrepreneur.
"In-between the work we started and the work we’ve completed are the moments that have mattered most.
It’s the in-between work that has taught me the most about discipline and sacrifice— the good ideas, bad ideas, countless meetings, emails, infinite emails, designs approved, designs rejected, etc.
If you want to be an entrepreneur, it also means showing up to do necessary tasks in-between your work today and the work you hope to accomplish.
I worked at a local furniture store on the weekends in high school. Before customers arrived, I would peruse the parking lot, picking up trash and cigarette butts.
The in-between is full of moments most people will never see.
They’ll never know what it really took for a project or idea to ship.
They’ll never understand the anxiety that comes before victory.
They’ll never see the e-mail you sent in the middle of the night that swayed a decision.
They’ll never understand everything you sacrificed to come through on a commitment.
Businesses live and die by what happens in-between the work they accomplish.
If you want to be an entrepreneur, it means showing up to do necessary tasks in-between your work today and the work you hope to accomplish.
The in-between is a good thing. Keep pushing."
Founder and CEO of CoThryve, Blake Bozarth, CFA, built his own executive search firm over the last 5 years. To create a successful business, Blake says that it all starts with one mindset.
"If you want exceptional results in your career OR you want to be a successful entrepreneur, it starts here: radical ownership.
When someone drops the ball and doesn't follow through on their end of the project – radical ownership.
What could you have done differently to select a better partner or drive more real time accountability?
When you release a new product and the market doesn't respond – radical ownership.
How will you adjust to fit what your target customer wants?
When your top customer runs out of funding and doesn't renew – radical ownership.
How will you diversify your client base so something like this doesn't crush you?
When s[tuff] hits the fan, you ultimately have two options:
Default to Victim mode (natural for most of us).
Choose to be a Victor (requires conscious choice).
One results in more woe. The other, empowerment.
And the people who consistently choose the latter are both happier and more successful."
Our Founder, Hudson Brock, shares how he has grown our company from 3 people and a basement office to 11 people and a lively AlloHire headquarters:
"Play the infinite game.
The business world will push you to chase outcomes…
% growth
$ net worth
# of followers
But the best entrepreneurs create rhythms of development…
Building character
Fostering innovation
Cultivating community
Over your lifetime, these rhythms of development will mold you into someone who people want to do business with and you will start to attract opportunity without chasing it.
This is the infinite game -daring greatly to be / become yourself and giving others the courage to do the same."