An inspiring weekend
You know when you get one of those moments where you just feel inspired? It can come from a video, a song, a podcast/TED talk, or something as simple as a sentence someone you respect says. Well this weekend was full of these moments.
My wife and I headed east after work Friday to a friend of ours holiday home, situated next to a beautiful lake in an idyllic mountain setting. Two other friends traveled south to join us. I have known two of these friends for a good 10 years now, and always new there was something special about them. They are both entrepreneurs in very different fields. One is an app developer and one has his own clothing brand. Both are constantly developing and improving their businesses and becoming highly successful.
We had an incredible weekend, with great food, good wine and of course lots of hiking to take in our fantastic surroundings.
If you want to see any pictures then follow me on Instagram @laptop_equals_freedom
I wanted to pick their brains as much as possible, but was very aware we were all there to unwind and relax. It turns out however that business owners are actually very willing to talk and talk (and talk some more) about their passions, business and own personal growth and experiences. I knew i was going to forget a lot of what they told me, but over a few beers I asked them both what their top 3 tips would be for starting a new business (I'm pretty sure they could have given me a list of 50)....
1. Make sure your Niche is something that you are passionate about. Otherwise you will find you lose interest and motivation down the line.
2. Create yourself a plan. Have your 3yr goals, 1yr goals and 3 month goals. Then break that 3 months down into individual months. Make sure the goals are realistic. Keep your focus on what you are wanting to achieve that month, but keep looking at your long term goals. Is what you are working on now going to help you achieve these goals?
3. Learn, learn and learn! The old saying 'Don't try to run before you can walk.' perfectly sums this up. Both of my friends learnt many new skills to help them be highly succesful in their businesses. Talk to people and even more importantly, listen to what they have to say.
It would be great to hear if those experienced WA'ers would agree with these. I took so much from these 2 guys and felt utterly inspired to grab my niche by the horns and put everything I have into it!
Colin
Recent Comments
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Hi Colin, I am so grateful that you shared your inspiring weekend and such motivating advice from two obviously dedicated and successful entrepreneurs.
I am really encouraged to hear that I seem to be working in the right direction... now just to keep climbing and not get sidetracked by unnecessary distractions! No shiny stuff on the horizon! Onwards and upwards, keep smiling, Sue :)
Glad you enjoyed Sue. Being Friday, its normally my procrastination day, but still inspired by these 2, so have actually had a very productive day!
Colin
You paint an engaging picture of the perfect motivational getaway, Colin! Inspiring surroundings and the company of friends who are also successful mentors - Wow!
And you worked it beautifully - squeezing the emotional and practical value from this situation and sharing it with your new WA colleagues. This, sir, is how growth is done.
I plan to keep my eye on you as you conquer your business objectives and do what I can to help and be helped in the process.
For starters I'll set up an Instagram account just to follow you on that channel, and I'll ask for you to network with me on my channels, all listed on my profile.
Let me know if you need comments or feedback - I'm eager to be part of your powerful growth...
Many thanks for a great post and an excellent example of how we can leverage our 'me time' for happier, better business growth...
Steve
Many thanks for the reply Steve. I will certainly be checking out your profile and work. As someone new to blog writing and this whole online business I really appreciate comments like this.
Colin
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Hey, I just gave you a follow after hearing about your new website being put up. Congrats by the way. I'm also noticing these moments occur in my life and am ready to learn all that I can. Follow my daily blog whenever you get the chance. I'll be sharing one of my experiences today. Also i'll be giving you a follow on instagram. I love photography.