Last night I got lucky. No, it’s not what you think (remember I am happily married) – here’s what happened- I was in San Francisco yesterday preparing for my upcoming client seminar Feb 10+11.
Anyway, I took the red-eye flight from San Francisco to Atlanta cause I am speaking this weekend at Jim Edwards’ seminar here in Atlanta.
Well, I am not much for sleeping on planes – it’s actually one of the best places for me to get work done because I am strapped in and the only other alternative to sitting and working is going to the bathroom.
Back to how I got lucky.
The person sitting next to me was a successful entrepreneur whose name you’d recognize if you read even half the number of business books I do. So I introduced myself, and to my surprise he actually knew my name and had read the manifesto. (Apparently it’s been passed around in a lot of circles outside of internet marketing which is why we still have over 100 people a day opting in to get a copy!)
We passionately shared our insights about small business, big business and where an entrepreneur fits into the process. We agreed on many things – but there was one especially important point he told me about, that he’d figured out after his second success, which I didn’t realize it until my third success.
That’s what I want to share with you today.
He said he knew he was really an entrepreneur when he started his second business – when his aspirations were to one day be the Senior Vice President in charge of acquisitions. When I pressed him to clarify what he meant – he told me that all the excitement for him comes during the startup phase and that he hates having to create all the structures and processes needed to build and grow the business. So, by his second business he decided he wouldn’t do that all himself and instead he would get the business going and then bring in the right CEO, President, and people to work it — until the business grew so successful that he only served one small role in the company — the one that was once just an idea in his head to head up acquisitions.
I was struck by how similar our experiences were because I had a similar shift when I started Strategic Profits. I knew my current role, in the content creation side and coaching successful entrepreneurs, was what I wanted to do the most and that the day to day operations, marketing, etc., would be handled by my superstar team. And it’s happened…
If you are a real entrepreneur this should sound very appealing to you. You get to do more of what you want as you build and grow. Plus, as my company continues to grow and I see our profits climbing, I also notice that my calendar is getting lighter and lighter. The company that my ideas gave birth to is now grown up enough to take care of itself without me shouldering the bulk of the day to day load – actually it has already started to take care of me.
And this gives me tremendous freedom. Which is the whole reason I am entrepreneur in the first place – to create and be free.
Two weeks ago I was reminded of how important freedom and fun are to me. Yanik Silver, Mike Filsaime, and yours truly went on a special flight called a Zero-G flight. It’s an incredible experience where you get to feel true weightlessness.
After the experience, Mike Filsaime and I were talking about how much fun we had and how important it is to make time for fun. We also promised each other we would make sure to plan a few extra fun experiences for 2007.
Think for a second. When was the last time you really had fun? Not just a giggle, but when you had a big stupid smile stretched across your face and you were laughing and feeling like you did when you were just a kid playing?
If it’s been over a month – then you’ve got to ask yourself: Why am I working so hard? What position do I aspire to have in my company? And what could I put on my ‘to do’ list that would be incredibly fun?
I’ve got more to share with you about what I was doing in San Francisco and the plane ride but I’ve got to run right now. Check back on Monday.
To Higher Profits
Rich