Do it now! Lessons from a millennial entrepreneur…

Have you ever felt like you had to fully understand something before getting into it? I think we all have at a point in our…

Have you ever felt like you had to fully understand something before getting into it? I think we all have at a point in our lives. Examples can be identifying the challenges and consequence that could occur before going into a career, relationship, making a purchase, investment, etc. While you may not find all of the answers to your questions, other people’s experiences can at least provide guidance for you. I have decided to share a few tips from my own entrepreneurial experience, to assist of those who aspire to become an entrepreneur or those already in the game.

First of all, be sure about your purpose and vision: As cliché as this may sound, not many people take it seriously. It is very important to know your purpose because that’s what gives you a sense of direction. Your purpose births a passion and that passion keeps you going against all odds. Although there will be challenges, disappointments and perhaps failure on the entrepreneurial path; regardless, your passion keeps you going and your purpose keeps you focused. Don’t do stuff because other people are doing it or because it looks cool!!! The consequences of that will be quitting when it does not work out. Be cautious about starting something without being able to follow through, it could end up reflecting poorly on your brand and places your integrity at stake. Stick with your purpose.

Beware of placing too much emphasis on criticism and praise: No matter how well you think you are doing, there will always be people who will criticize what you have done or the approach you take in doing it; likewise there will be people who will praise your work and approach. Don’t let that make you overconfident and don’t dwell on it for too long. Take the constructive criticism and move on. Know that your best may be another person’s worst and your worst another’s best. But guess what? That’s ok!

Invest in yourself: Most millennial entrepreneurs like me have a full-time day job while pursuing our businesses in the evenings and on weekends. This is time consuming! How do we even breathe you might ask! Self-care is extremely important. However, people rarely talk about it in business. The truth is that you need to have a sound mind to make sound decisions for your business. While it is important to work hard as an entrepreneur, it is also important to get good rest, take vacations, eat right, go to social gatherings and engage in hobbies/past-times. Don’t be afraid to tell people NO. A former mentor once told me that, “if you are someone who always tells people yes, people will always take advantage of you.” Now don’t get me wrong, you have to be honest with yourself and your clients. A particular form of self-care I recently started practicing is just laying my bed when I wake up in the morning. For 5-15 minutes I simply lay there not focusing on one particular thing but rather having a quiet moment to myself before the day begins. This results in a refreshed feeling at the end of my day, and I’ve been able to sleep better since then. Self-care can also come in the form of your own personal development, which might include reading, attending business conferences and doing things that place you ahead of your competitors. Bottom line, do what works for you but take care of yourself!

Ask for help when needed: I have come across some people who think it’s a sign of weakness to ask for help. On the contrary, I believe it’s a sign of strength to ask for help. Take a minute to think about it…. Someone may possess a skillset you don’t have and you may also possess a skillset the person doesn’t have. Similarly, the way you are in need of the person’s skillset, is the way the person might be in need of yours. You can only find out when you ask for help. That’s strength! Although there might be moment of rejection; however, you must be numb to rejection if you want to be a successful entrepreneur. People ask me all the time, “how are you able to bring people together to work on your team?” a common answer I give is my ability to ask for their help and also let them see what they get for being a part of my team. This does not mean I haven’t experienced rejection, but I don’t let the rejection affect my growth and prosperity.

Network, Network, Network! Never underestimate the power of networking. It may take one person to cause a positive transformation to your vision or idea. If you want to be a successful entrepreneur, you need to be willing to relate with people. What some people may not understand is that you don’t build relationships primarily because you need them at the moment, but because you may need to leverage that relationship in the future. And don’t forget to follow up! The mistake some people make after meeting someone for the first time is that they don’t follow up. It’s very important to follow up on those spontaneous relationships we build in our everyday lives. Networking is not as difficult as it may seem. I personally look at it as giving people an opportunity to open up about themselves to you

 


This article was updated on  Dec 8, 2017

Disclaimer: The views, opinions and positions expressed by the authors and those providing comments, opinions on this website are theirs alone, and do not necessarily reflect the views, opinions or positions of M-Lifestyle and their affiliates. M-Lifestyle does not claim ownership of any images used, unless otherwise specified.

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Comments

  1. Alex says:

    Definitely needed this today! The self-care part is so important…everything flows from the mind so it is imperative you take care of it!

    1. Peter Olatuyi says:

      @Alex, thanks for your feedback

  2. John Alabi says:

    Experience has just spoken. Message from the heart. Thump up

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