Whether you’re faced with an obstacle or an opportunity in life or business, such moments can offer important life lessons that can help you grow.
Certain business or life lessons tend to stick with you through the years, shaping your personal and professional mindset. That’s why we asked a group of Young Entrepreneur Council members to weigh in on the following question:
Q. What business or life lesson has stuck with you through the years? What can other business leaders learn from it?
1. Surround yourself with good people
A lot of being successful in business and in life is about who you surround yourself with. Do everything you can to have a tribe around you that is supportive and will be there for you in times of need. If you find people who will work for you and are the perfect fit, do everything you can to keep them around. The same goes for your friends in life. —Zach Binder, Bell + Ivy
2. Remember when you wanted what you currently have
Having an ongoing gratitude practice is important in staying calm and grounded through the ups and downs of business ownership. Gratitude helps you celebrate the journey, rather than mindlessly jumping into the next goal, and can help keep you in a great headspace to make decisions. —Rachel Beider, PRESS Modern Massage
3. It’s about the ride
Everything we do, we do because there is something we want. But with business and life, if you only cherish the moments where you are getting that thing you want, you may very well be miserable the rest of the time. Find a way to enjoy the ride. It will make the journey much more enjoyable. —Rana Gujral, Behavioral Signals
4. Fear is the most important emotion
Whenever you start something new, great or risky, the fear and doubt will start to set in. If you can focus on acknowledging those fears, addressing them and moving forward regardless of how scary it is, you will surpass those who get hung up on fear. Most of the things that don’t get done in entrepreneurship are because someone was too afraid to execute. Fear is a mindset one chooses to have. —Jeff Keenan, LeadsRx
5. Collect nos
No one loves failure and rejection, but it’s a part of life and growing as a person and business. Knowing this, I have flipped the script and now try to collect “nos.” I know that the more “nos” I hear, the more likely it is I will soon get a “yes.” It also removes the fear of taking a chance on things. If I know that putting myself out there might get me more “nos,” then I am in! —Colbey Pfund, LFNT Distribution
6. Be good to your talent
Show real appreciation for those who work for you. Having loyal employees is so valuable and it’s something people don’t focus on. It’s a big mistake to take talent for granted or let them know they can be replaced. We can’t treat people like products as part of a throwaway society. That talent will leave and you’ll then realize how important they were to your success. —Peter Daisyme, Hostt
7. Keep your ethics and values no matter what
I’ve learned the importance of sticking to my guns about ethics and values no matter what opportunity presents itself. Nothing is worth compromising your own values to achieve, even if it means more money or success. Always being true to what you believe in should come before business. —Serenity Gibbons, NAACP
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8. There are no problems, only challenges
The language you use to tackle tasks can determine how well you actually accomplish the task. Often the very words we use can define who we are. That’s not just in the behavior we are using, but also in the way we think and the way that we approach things. A challenge is something that can be faced in a positive manner; a problem is something that can drag you backwards. —Nicole Munoz, Nicole Munoz Consulting, Inc.
9. Always have a backup plan
Have a backup plan for everything. This allows you to be flexible and change needs. Try to anticipate what happens if a key employee or client leaves, or a new competitor comes into the market. Plan what you would do in as many scenarios as possible and have a backup plan in case your first option fails. —Peter Boyd, PaperStreet Web Design
10. Stay hungry
As an entrepreneur it can be easy to get comfortable when things are going well. Your traffic is growing month-over-month, the team is taking over more responsibilities, and processes are better than ever. That doesn’t mean you can kick back and relax. Things will change at some point, and if you keep putting in the work when things are trending upwards, you’ll be better prepared for it. —Karl Kangur, Above House
11. Get out of your comfort zone
Nothing great ever got achieved by people staying where they’re comfortable and doing the same things over and over. If you want to succeed, you need to put yourself out there and push yourself to do things you’re uncomfortable doing. I used to struggle with social anxiety, and the thought of networking and meeting other professionals scared me, but the more I did it, the better I got at it. —Jared Atchison, WPForms
12. Be patient
Some entrepreneurs expect overnight success, but you never know what’s to come or what hurdles you’ll have to overcome along the way. We have this mindset that if we don’t reach success quickly, we’re failures, and it’s detrimental to our progress. Remember to be patient and that it’s a process. Learn to enjoy the hardships, because you won’t be stuck forever. —Stephanie Wells, Formidable Forms
13. Communication can fix almost everything
I have found that proactive communication can resolve most issues before they even develop. Explaining the situation clearly and outlining potential outcomes before things get out of control can minimize most problems while still maintaining relationships in the business. —Matthew Podolsky, Florida Law Advisers, P.A.
14. Be grateful
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