RE: Quote per day challenge - Day 1
My entrepreneur journey has been much the same. But I have learned to re-frame my thinking on who my friends really are. Friendship. Two (or more) friends in the same ship, navigating by the same stars, and headed in the same direction. These are your real friends. :)
It's interesting but as soon as I defined what a real friend was... I was able to identify them easily. Once I knew who they were I knew who I should be spending my time with. I have found that if you want more support (because lets face it! Being an entrepreneur is tough and lonely in the early stages) you simply need to support those friends who really appreciate you and are headed in the same direction as you are. They may not be exactly at the same place you are but one thing is certain... The paths you walk on run parallel to each other.
Another thing I look for is people doing extra... It's the people who are doing extra that are exceptional... That's the kind of energy you want to have around you. It's ok if the rest of those old acquaintances don't get it... When you have great friends who do get it around you it's a lot easier to identify the qualities of great friends!
What's your entrepreneur journey? What do you do? Or, what do you live for?
That is that. You start a business and hoping that everyone will support you like before, than you see that it doesn't work like that. Eventually you get support only from those people who are in the same/similar journey and understand perfectly how you feel and what you go trough.
I like that you differentiated between doing and being @lanmis. Because that's the key to living a fulfilled life of self-discovery. For me that's what business is all about. Self-discovery and the pursuit of meaning and insight. The better I know myself the better I do in my business activities... It's all about being. Be. Do. Have. In that order.
So that's what I would say first... My entrepreneurial journey is all about being who I am meant to be. Being a New Pioneer.
It's these identity statements that we tell ourselves and others that convince us to authentically be ourselves and genuinely connect with our stake holders our supporters. When we have our identity and value figured out our action and message is clear. That's when we know if we are being successful or not... If we are in alignment with our identity. I view building my business as building an extension to myself.
I know what you mean. It's strange how, when your starting out, you think all of the people you know will unconditionally care enough to support you. Instead most of them stand on the sidelines and watch you struggle.
It's like the tomato plants I grew the other year... When they were weak and frail. When they were small and insignificant. When they were wilting in the sun for lack of water. No one would water them. They could walk past them all day long and not even think to give them a drop of life saving water...
It was up to me to care for those little plants. Without me... They would have died. And here's the thing... It wasn't until the tomatoes started materializing that the people who should have known better in the first place began watering the plants! I guess it's human nature hey...? We just got to continue watering our ideas. My mantra for this: "If it is to be it's up to me."
So I guess that's why I ignore all the critics, downers, negative naysayers, and speculators... They simply do not have the vision required to bring the idea you have to life... Nor do they have the impulse to encourage you to do so... either because they want to protect you from failing (which is what the business cycle is all about... failing your way forward!) or they want to maintain the power dynamics of your current relationship.
That's why it's good to form your own T.E.A.M. (Together Everyone Achieves More) of supporters... Because when you give support to the right people... They support you. It's why I have met with my business and investing T.E.A.M. weekly for the past 6 years! I don't know where I would be with out those guys! :D
And yeah! Since you asked @lanmis... I have been building and running a fitness business called @beachready since 2008. I'm now in the middle of launching a business/investment company called... You guessed it! @newpioneer!
I'm glad your one of my top supporters @lanmis... Honestly... It's been a real pleasure getting to know you and I hope that I can support you and your entrepreneur efforts as well!
Thanks for all the great conversations. I look forward to more as these motivate me and brighten my day! :)