There is an ethos—character, spirit, feeling—that is an integral part of your DNA. It may include the desire to be a parent, an athlete, a banker or even an actor on the Broadway stage. While your life may not always turn out exactly how you once had imagined, that ethos within you will somehow find a way to be embraced.
Photo: Courtesy of Wix Media.
For me, and perhaps for you, that ethos includes entrepreneurship. And while I didn't know that this ethos was being hardwired into my being early on in life, when I did feel it's tug, I embraced it wholeheartedly.
In my formative years, when I was a child in elementary school, I had the benefit of good teachers who were models of ambition. They always led by example. There were simple disciplines like my headmasters polishing his classic cap toe Oxford shoes and ensuring they were always kept clean and in immaculate condition. Everything about his appearance, from his suits to his accessories were detailed and very neat. And the teachers working alongside him would not only model his exquisite attention to detail, they encouraged us to follow suit. Collectively, they instilled in me, and my classmates, that importance of setting high standards for ourselves. Bring your very best and people will be more apt to react in kind. And the same is true with my parents and how they taught the importance of paying attention to details. As I reflect on it, my parents had always modeled appreciation for what little we had. They meticulously cared for everything they owned so that it would last longer and bear greater fruit. There was a lot of creativity and resourcefulness around me, because many people, like my father, came from meager beginnings. As a little boy, I remember being taught to pay attention to the nuances and details of how people around me lived their lives. Whether they were teachers or parents, I took note of how they appreciated their resources and attended to all the little details. Later on, I realized that those were the early seeds of an entrepreneurial mindset. One of the lesson instilled early on, and I still consider of greatest significance, was how to take very little and turn it into a lot. It is commonplace to begin the entrepreneurial journey with very limited resources. It is equally typical to be expected to maximize the return on investment in your role as leader, whether of a department or an entire organization. Converting limited resources into sizable desirable results, successes and financial reward requires being creative and imaginative. Successful entrepreneurs and leaders take raw materials and very simple ideas and forge them into an abundance of products and services that satisfy demand and improve lives. I saw creativity and resourcefulness displayed in my own home with alarming frequency. I often tell the story of how my mom could literally take a handful of beans and a few vegetables, and weave them into fifteen or twenty incredible, nutritionally dense and tasty meals. She expected the outcomes of her efforts to be highly admired and appreciated. So, with the limited food items she had or chose to use, she prepared and presented meals that were both aesthetically and gastronomically delightful, while still ensuring nutritional soundness. All my life, I've built on this early exposure to resourcefulness, attention to detail and creative imagination. I didn't know it then, but it was certainly the beginnings of what would later manifest itself in a entrepreneurial mindset. This ethos, which was instilled in me early on, is at the heart of my solving problems and succeeding as an entrepreneur. It's this ethos that I encourage you to embrace, whether your intent is to be an entrepreneur or it is to lead others to maximize their contribution and impact.
I want to help you unlock your ethos and embrace the entrepreneur that's within you. Together, through intentional and achievable steps, we can make your future bright, build your wealth and give you the freedom you deserve, in your business and life. Today is your day. Let’s get started. Contact me here.
Kommentit