I help entrepreneurs leapfrog over the typical potholes that derail most small businesses with inspiration, motivation, education, and support across a wide range of business topics drawn from over a decade of running my own business, teaching entrepreneurship for the City of New York, and coaching and consulting privately with dozens of women and minority small business owners. Honestly, why go it alone when help is an email away?
The Biggest Obstacle to Success
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I was recently asked what’s the biggest obstacle entrepreneurs face that keeps them from true success. It’s a question I’ve been asked in one way or another many times. Every time in the past I’d answer that it’s a lack of understanding how marketing, sales and pricing work together to drive profitability. I still believe that’s a huge obstacle. But what I said this time is something I’ve realized over this pandemic year—that the biggest obstacle is a lack of faith. I don’t mean that entrepreneurs don’t believe in the validity of their idea or business concept. I mean they don’t believe in themselves enough to overcome fear—fear of failure, fear of rejection, fear of looking foolish, fear of not being worthy or good enough or simply enough. And, that lack of faith is an insidious thing, whispering in the ear, talking trash and casting doubt, driving small actions and small thinking and safe bets. Every single successful entrepreneur I know and have met fails over and over again and learns from each failure, experiences rejection and just keeps putting themselves out there, risks looking foolish and is the first to laugh at themselves, feels unworthy at times and seeks out evidence to the contrary. The biggest changes my clients and students have made this year are all due to faith in themselves being sparked by our work together. When you live in that faith you have the courage to make bold moves and strategize from a place of strength and confidence. And, that's when a good entrepreneur becomes a smart, savvy business leader navigating a path to success after success. If any of this sounds familiar to you, then we should definitely talk. IT'S SPRING! Go out and smell the daffodils! Your success is our strategy! |
Easily Said & Done
I help entrepreneurs leapfrog over the typical potholes that derail most small businesses with inspiration, motivation, education, and support across a wide range of business topics drawn from over a decade of running my own business, teaching entrepreneurship for the City of New York, and coaching and consulting privately with dozens of women and minority small business owners. Honestly, why go it alone when help is an email away?
Hi Reader, Something I've been enjoying of late are multiple influencers showcasing the limits of ChatGPT and the like. One guy asks it some pretty basic questions, such as to name a number between one and one hundred that includes the letter 'a.' (Spoiler alert: there aren't any). ChatGPT lies to his face over and over again. Another one provides examples of business fails due to AI. Some are pretty extraordinary. But here's the thing, this isn't just a harmless gimmick, it's a warning cry,...
Have you seen the video of McDonald's CEO Chris Kempczinski trying to promote the new Big Arch burger ahead of its March 3rd launch? How about any of the many, many videos or memes negging on it for a host of reasons, including how Kempczinski refers to the burger as "a delicious product" or his failure to take a real bite of it, seeming almost disgusted by it. To me, there are three great marketing stories going on here. 1. Going Viral Isn't the Goal Yes, there is such a thing as bad PR and...
This fall my mom was diagnosed with mild-to-moderate dementia. While sad, it did not come as a surprise. It's one reason I sold her house and we moved in together late last summer. At first, I planned outings to the Y and other senior programs, scheduled visits from family and friends, coordinated physical therapy appointments, and designed little daily activities to keep her engaged and stimulated. This winter it's gotten harder and harder to get mom out of bed let alone dressed and out the...