entrepreneur

December 8, 2015 by sereynolds

3 Questions Every Entrepreneur Should Ask Themselves To Stay Positive

In our culture, we have clichs to describe the idea of staying positive, even when facing great challenges. “Everything works out for the best.” “If it’s meant to be, it will happen.” While many people believe at some level that “things happen for a reason.” Adopting this mindset can be more than a set of platitudes; it can be a significant step toward a positive future.

If it really is true that that everything works out for the best, then every situation is perfect in some way.

For an example, take Zach. Zach was an attorney who learned his business partner, Kareem, was leaving the practice. Zach and Kareem had built a business from scratch; he thought growing it big was what they both wanted. But people change. Kareem wanted to join a bigger firm, not build one. Zach tried everything to help Kareem see the possibilities, and he tried to see every possibility for himself. But Kareem’s answer was no. After the emotions subsided (anger, resentment, denial, and determination), Zach took the practice over by himself. “Well, at least one positive thing came out of this,” Zach thought as he signed the documents. “Now I get to be president.”

But Zach got to be a lot more than that. As he started to shoulder the practice, he became more confident as a businessman. He took the practice in his own direction. He made bold decisions, branched out and hired more attorneys. The business grew, as did his reputation and profits. Best of all, he maintained a friendship with Kareem. Zach didn’t know when Kareem said “no” to the business that the business was saying “yes” to Zach.

A situation that at first seems to be a disaster can actually turn out to be perfect, and looking for the perfect is especially helpful when you get an untimely surprise. Here are three questions to ask yourself to look for the perfect in every situation, and to help you stay positive during challenging times:

Recall a time in your life when you got a “no” or “yes” that you weren’t expecting.
How did the situation work out?
In hindsight, what was perfect?

Believing life might be perfect as it is doesn’t mean you play a passive role in your life. You are still leading your life; you are still becoming the leader you want to be and creating your vision. But you’re doing so with an open mind, realizing that for reasons we don’t understand, some things might be “right” for us that we wouldn’t have chosen for ourselves. Other things might be “wrong” for us even if we thought they were right. Sometimes we find the opportunities we’re looking for, but other times those opportunities find us. By asking yourself the three questions above, you’re helping those opportunities to find you.

The previous article appeared on Inc.com today as a part of my column, “Behind The Desk.” Look out for new columns every week!

November 24, 2015 by sereynolds

10 Questions Every Entrepreneur Should Ask Themselves

Have you been running a million miles an hour, trying to keep up with the busyness of the season? Many entrepreneurs, especially this time of year, feel like they are so busy they’re starting to lose control. Losing control–over your schedule, your priorities, your ability to manage all of the details–isn’t just stressful, it’s a big red flag. Recognize the symptom of overwhelm as a cue to STOP and take control. In just 15 minutes, you can move from feeling overrun by your schedule to being back in control. You can empower yourself to be in charge again with a few minutes of reflection.

Empowered reflection is an ongoing, even routine process of paying attention to your progress–especially as a leader and entrepreneur.

Basically, it means taking a time out to think about your vision and ask yourself, “How’s it going?” You step out of the busy-ness of life to ask yourself a series of reflective questions about your life and leadership. If you do this regularly, say once a month or even a few times a year, you will keep your finger on the pulse of your development as a leader and your progress toward your goals.

By practicing empowered reflection you make it a habit to assess your progress. To get the most out of your empowered reflection, try bringing the following questions to your next meeting, or schedule a 15-minute block for yourself to write them out:

What’s working?
What’s not working?
What would you like to change?
What accomplishments have you achieved?
What lessons have you learned?
Are the goals still the right goals?
What do you still need to know or learn?
How might you be sabotaging your own success?
What do you need to start doing, keep doing, and stop doing?
What’s next?

Every time you go through this process, you are putting a stake in the ground for what you want. You are declaring, “My vision is important to me, and I’m willing to continue thinking about it and reaching for it until I achieve it.” Practicing this form of reflection on a regular basis is a technique for accountability and focus.

Empowered reflection isn’t hard. It doesn’t take long, and it doesn’t cost a dime. You can practice empowered reflection while driving, jogging, walking through the park, meditating, lying down, or even sitting in the bath. You can almost think of this practice as “visiting your vision” to see how you’re doing. That way it never gets forgotten.

Whenever you’re feeling detached from your long term vision, whenever you could use a boost to get back into action, or whenever you want to step back to get an overall perspective on your progress, take a few minutes to run through the ten questions above. Doing so will resurface the motivation you need to make your vision a reality.

The previous article appeared on Inc.com today as a part of my column, “Behind The Desk.” Look out for new columns every week!

November 4, 2014 by sereynolds

Self-promotional Tips Entrepreneurs Should Avoid: My First Inc Column

The following article is appeared on Inc.com yesterday as my first column. Looks out for my columns every Monday!

How many times have you received a newsletter or heard a marketing pitch and recoiled with an uninspired, “Ick?” We can spot an insincere, self-promotional message from a mile away–and yet, as entrepreneurs wanting to communicate our message, we may be sending those same “icky” messages out, sometimes without even realizing the long-term negative affect it can have.

You can promote yourself in a way that engages others and draws them to you. When you do, you will stand out in the crowd, as well as grow your business.

You likely know many of the common tips for how to promote yourself and get noticed, but you also need to know what self-promotional strategies to avoid.

Don’t ask for business when you’re desperate. The time to promote yourself is when your business is doing well, not as a last resort. Every entrepreneur has been there–when times are tough and new business seems hard to come by. The key is to trick yourself into residing in a more confident place by getting into the right mindset. Even if things are going wrong and you’re desperate for business, take the time to ground yourself, meditate on your successes so far and those yet to come, and get clarity on what you’re trying to create in your business. Remember who you are and who your clients are. There will be plenty of business coming your way. There always is.

The key to self-promotion that works is to come from a place of confidence so you’re not asking for business from a place of fear. Moving to a place of trust and confidence will represent you in a better light and is more likely to get you the kind of business you want.

Don’t be a toddler. If you’re a parent you’ve been there–you’re at the store and your child innocently asks for a piece of candy. So you say maybe. Then they ask again. And then again, until finally, unable to withstand the whining, you say no! Entrepreneurs–and all of us, really–turn into toddlers when we don’t’ get what we want. Sometimes we believe that if we ask enough times we’ll get the “yes.” The truth is you may ask your way into a no. The lesson here is that asking again isn’t going to help.

As an entrepreneur you have a vision in mind for yourself. If you’re a business owner, it could be a vision for new partnerships or clients. If you’re part of a bigger firm, it may be asking for promotions, raises, or better opportunities. You can keep your vision in mind and work towards it with intention, but without asking so often that you turn people off.

The trick is to show instead of tell.

If you want a new title, don’t say you deserve it. Instead, actually deserve it. The way to get noticed is to become invaluable so that other people can’t overlook you, showing that you deserve it intrinsically. For example, if you’re a consultant, don’t tell people you’re a fantastic consultant and they should hire you; instead, actually provide valuable advice and guidance to a prospective client so they can see you in action. If you’re a salesperson, don’t tell people how great your product is and implore them to buy it; look for opportunities to show them your product in action in a situation in which they genuinely need your product. If you work for a bigger firm and want new responsibilities you want, don’t tell someone you want that certain responsibility, just take it on. Deliver on a project, and express interest by directly engaging in the effort and asking good questions to move the project forward

Don’t let your self-promotion stand for itself. Don’t let the only thing people remember you for be your self-promotion. Instead, provide value.

I once attended a full-day workshop designed to help entrepreneurs set up a successful business, but it turned out to be 95 percent self-promotional, putting emphasis on what the sponsoring company had to offer rather than what attendees could take away. I thought to myself, “I spent an entire day here, and what have I really gotten?” Entrepreneurs who are too self-promotional either consciously or unconsciously design events, communications, newsletters and client meetings that can be viewed on the receiving end as pure marketing events–and nothing will lose a client faster.

Shift the emphasis off yourself and onto to your clients. What do they need from you? What do they want to hear? What help do they need? By listening to your audience and trusting that your commitment to them will pay off, you will set yourself apart. Your audience will see you as a trusted advisor who can truly help them. You will steer clear of irritating self-promotion and find yourself in a much better place–a healthy, long-standing, profitable relationship with your clients.

As an entrepreneur, you have something valuable to offer. Your talent is enough to impress your customers and draw them in. Trust your results and look for opportunities to help. Today, reflect for a moment on the promotions you have planned. Choose just one of the techniques above and experiment! See how it changes your results.

You can also connect with Joelle on Twitter and Facebook, she’d love to hear from you!