What doe we give up...

Do we give up our values for the benefits of profits?  I was able to read and listen to some entrepreneurs and their experiences of success.  I keep on thinking of people like Bernie Madoff and Jeffrey Skilling of Enron and think what were they thinking of before they got caught?  Did they have morals and values to guide them in their journey?  I believe they did and they probably followed those morals for a while.  Then I ask myself what made the change in letting go of their moral and values?  Are we vulnerable like them when we are faced with big payoff, IF you can make it?  Is it a sudden change or does it come little by little like a flaxen cord wrapping around and before you know it you are bound?  I have come to believe that if you don’t have the values up front and reinforce them periodically then we are doomed to what success can bring.  The world teaches that values are of the way side and no one should mind if you bend your morals or values for progress. 

I don’t believe we have to give up our morals for success.   I don’t believe that money, power, or fame corrupts us. It is ourselves that are corrupted and those objects or ideals are just that. With money, I could do a lot of good.  With fame and power, you are able to influence people in a good way and help people rise.  The world has been made and broken on those who have chosen to stick to morals and those who do not.  

Are we converted...

I have found that conversion is a strong part to our success in our business.  I had an opportunity to read a great article by one of my leaders of my church.  He talks about conversion to the gospel of Jesus Christ.  As I was reading it I was impressed to discover I was thinking how I can apply this principle of conversion in the business world.  He brought in the religious side about testifying and that some would confuse testifying and conversion is the same but it is not.  He went on to tell if we are truly converted to our religion then we need to live it. 

I took this principle and I wanted to apply this idea to the business world and how does it apply?  I figure the best way to show you are converted to your business, product or idea is how do you live your life.  If you just sell (testify) of the product, then later you buy another product similar then you are not converted.  I think of Nike or Apple and those people who work there.  At Nike if you are not wearing Nike you are shun on, if you are wearing another competitors apparel then you will be asked to go home and change wardrobe to fit the culture. 

I believe in my product at my family business, when I talk about it I smile about it.  I truly believe my product is the best nursery stock out there.  With my daughter business, I am always talking about the product to my co-workers and having people look at what my daughter has created.  I feel the entrepreneur we have to be converted to whatever product or idea we are selling.  If we don’t we will not be successful. 

Like what my leader exclaimed, we need to go and do.  If you are converted then go and produce, sell, and promote your product.  

Our Plateaus

This week I realize the ability to keep focus is not the easiest thing to do.  I feel we plateau in life very often.  How do we overcome this plateau?  What do we do overcome these feelings of despair, tiredness, frustration, or even plain laziness?  This week was a week where I could not get excited to think like the entrepreneur that I know I am.  I couldn’t get the flow back where I could spend hours thinking of ideas or making previous ideas better.  I want my drive back.  I do not want to take side seat to life.  I have always felt that my life was destined to be the driver, the leader, the instigator to everything I do. 

One of my weakness is not letting people take the driver seat.  Maybe this week was a week to help me to realize that down times can help put perspective in life and how I want it go.  I know when I am really driving on the road I don’t always get to enjoy what scenery has to offer.  When I get to be in the side seat I get to have more time to enjoy what God has given to me.  Life is what you make of it, I want a good life, so I need to work for it even if life throws me a curve ball.  The life of an entrepreneur must never let life take you down.  Take the plateaus that are given as time to reflect and practice the previous lesson learned and perfect those aspects of business. 

An Entrepreneur challenge

What does it take to be an entrepreneur?  I wrote a little about this in the first blog, but doing research and reading since then.  I have come to conclude what an entrepreneur is and that is perseverance.   I bet each one of us on this journey have asked ourselves why am I doing this?  We are the heroes to the journey of business.  We go to battle each day to make sure our product survives, that our employees are paid, our customers are happy.  We will never let ourselves fail in life.  If we fail in business we pick what is left and start a new.  We are  like the pioneers before us and we forge a new path to great lands.  There is much opportunities out there to be taken. 

When doubt comes into our lives to prevent us from our destination, we must remember why we started in the first place.  If we let doubt in then failure will come right after.  I believe our journey through to success must be made each day when we wake up and psyche ourselves that today is going to be a great day and that it is a gift from God, that is why it is called the present.  

I am about to start a business and I need to believe and persevere that it will be a success.