REAL entrepreneurs

 are born, not made!

Almost like a 6th sense, true entrepreneurs are blessed with an intuitive instinct that sets them apart from other businesspeople. They possess an inner quest for making their ideas work even after suffering what sometimes seems to others to be endless defeats.

True entrepreneurs rise from the “smoke and ashes” with smiles and renewed energy. They don’t whimper, cry, curse, or pound on tabletops. How is this possible? Because they instinctively view every setback as a new learning experience, as an opportunity, not as failure.

They do this by launching yet another try to achieve their goals. Remember Thomas Edison made 10,000 (TEN THOUSAND!!) attempts before inventing the lightbulb!

Over the past few weeks, I had the good fortune to separately interview two purebred entrepreneurs: Valerie Connelly (3-part interview) and Alex Maddux (former “Mr. Tennessee”) on my weekly radio show and podcast.

[NOTE: Podcasts are 22-23 minutes and accessible 24/7, worldwide, for free at www.NewsTalk941.com/podcasts  Then scroll down 13 program titles to “BUSINESSWORKS” then through 9-10 recent topics to “Cannes Film Festival”/”Valerie Connelly & Entrepreneurship Pt1” and then to “Pt 2.” The show with Alex Maddux will be available on Monday 9/9/19]   

Both of these entrepreneurs rose from what some might call “the depths of failure” but neither Valerie nor Alex ever considered such experiences as depressing or oppressive. Even though neither was “rollin’ in dough” at the time, each chose to see what others might call “errors” as nothing more than learning experiences.

Each took overwhelmingly crippling results from having their ideas knocked over, knocked out, and trampled on by others as “positive learning steps” that led each to the door of imminent success:

• 

• Valerie, is reaching her door (a 35-year pursuit!)  to create an enormously entertaining and inspiring women’s (and men’s) empowerment, totally-original, musical film [See the 2  1/2 minute “sizzle reel, “a pre-production imagined version of the post-production “trailer” at vimeo.com/340320166 ; this “teaser” was developed prior to the 8/22/19 live Nashville  theater script reading by professional actors and is presently being updated to be featured on upcoming Indiegogo film-credit funding opportunities].

Alex (shown with son Avyn), has reached his door with varied career pursuits, each of which contributed to

his current “athletes and outdoor work and play experience” market for UBEECOOL towels and other distinctive UBEECOOL logo-imprinted merchandise. 

See www.UBEECOOL.com 

The take-away from both of these innovators is –whether you are an entrepreneur-by-instinct or have lived and applied entrepreneurial actions and ways of thinking to your own pursuits– take heed (and comfort) in the shared guidelines and key ingredients that both Valerie and Alex attribute to entrepreneurial success:

BELIEVE IN YOURSELF.

BE (and stay) DETERMINED.

BE PASSIONATE in your pursuits.

HAVE A STRONG SUPPORT SYSTEM (family/friends/employees/community/church).

BE FLEXIBLE (product and service planning and adaptability).

Having worked closely as a creative business development coach and guide to thousands of successful entrepreneurs, I can authoritatively say:  The bottom line is to learn from those you believe have entrepreneurial instinct how she/he/they think and  act, and how you can vastly improve your odds for success by applying what you absorb and practice… Hal Alpiar

“Almost Dying”

is a GOOD thing.

Uh, because…?

Huh? Hey, if you “Almost” died, then you didn’t, right? 

. . . which means you’re still alive.

Well, Glory Hallelujah!

Like the baseball team that had to come back from being ten runs behind in the bottom of the ninth inning with two outs and one strike left, and –by some miracle– twelve straight hits, including a walk-off grand slam and two others, wins the game. How many times have we heard of being spared by being snatched from the jaws of death?

Okay, so we know that things like this happen in other places besides Hollywood, but what’s the payoff? A unique, new, more meaningful perspective on life is inevitably gained — one that was clearly missing when you woke up the day before you almost died.

The same dynamics apply to small business ownership and management.

For many entrepreneurs –particularly in the last two years of oppressive federal government controls, spending and taxation without representation– their businesses have also almost died.

Yet somehow, miraculous comebacks have been recorded. Even in the face of the Obama Administration’s (well-documented) every effort to refuse small business owners and operators the opportunity to make miracles happen. Even after having the pedestal of self-esteem and career accomplishment knocked out from under their enterprises.

And perhaps –to one degree or another– your own?

But somehow, for those who have returned to life, guts and gumption have prevailed. And here they are. Still breathing. Are you breathing?

What do we learn by almost dying?

We learn to value and appreciate more than ever what we’ve had (and still have) that we disavowed, disregarded, and just plain dissed.

We discover people who we had no idea of before, riding to our rescue. We find that we still have a sense of ingenuity and a passionate drive to make our ideas work. Many find money and investors they never knew existed.

Many who have ventured or been brought close to the edge, to the brink of death, also find prayer and spiritual guidance that they might never have believed possible.

There’s something to be said for

reality bringing fantasy into reality!

Suffering? No one –except for terrorist crazies and the ignorant self-indulged among us– wishes suffering on anyone. Yet all of us suffer for ourselves and our lives and our families as we do as well for our businesses. The trick is to choose to not get swept away by it, not wallow in it, not get so caught up in it as to miss the present.

That’s the hardest part. Letting go. Moving on. But small business owners and managers know this perhaps more than most because having your own business is like having another family, and it often feels like two lives are being lived. So, yes indeed, the trick is in fact choosing to go forward when it’s hardest.

Let’s close with the great quote by B. Olatunji:

“Yesterday is history.

Tomorrow is mystery. Today is a gift.

That’s why it’s called the present.”

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Hal@Businessworks.US or 302.933.0116

“The price of freedom is eternal vigilance!” [Thomas Jefferson] 

Thanks for visiting. Go for your goals. God Bless You.

Make today a GREAT day for someone!

Kick your own butt? 

     Yesterday, we talked some about the importance of being genuine (apologies to all you Ernests out there), and we did a brief inventory to see how obnoxious we were. 

     We touched on some ways to shore up the self-indulgence landslide brought on by trying to impress others, by acting controlling, by exaggerating, by glossing over, by constantly talking and posturing, by trying to act like the boss instead of just behaving like a leader. 

     Being more authentic as a human being earns respect.  Being more of what genuinely makes you tick may feel risky at times but in the end, commands loyalty, sets powerful examples, and delivers sales.  That was the gist of the message.  Of course I tossed in a couple of spoonfuls of my Father for good measure. 

     Today I want to know how much more authentic you can be than you were yesterday?  How much more conscious of your need to grow in this direction are you, or do you need to be?  What will work best to kick your own butt?  Can you start being a more authentic person the minute you click off this screen?

     The point here is that no one can really tell you what you need to do or how you need to do it except you!  YOU are the only human being on the entire planet who knows the REAL you, who knows your real potential.  Are you measuring up to what you know you’re capable of? 

     Or are you feeling like a downed-out failure?  With thanks for the referral to worldclass Internet “HARO” network genius Peter Shankman www.HelpAReporter.com, try this quick-fix for your brain (P.S. Kathy says we should watch it regularly!):   

http://wimp.com/bigfailures/      

     Oh, and on your way to becoming the very best you can be, get in the habit of making something wonderful happen every day before you go to sleep –like right now! 

     No excuses.  What were you planning to do after reading this page anyway?  Take an extra minute.  Think of some outstanding happy thing you could do or say that could make the whole day a great one for you or someone else — some words or action that will make you grin as your head hits the pillow tonight.

     If you already did something wonderful today, congratulations and thank you and go to bed!  You’ll need the sleep.  Why?  Because when you wake up tomorrow . . . you will be facing the greatest opportunity of your entire life!  Halalpiar

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