Act in your business like you are Pitbull

This article is for entrepreneurs like me who spend extra time with their dogs while pursuing their goals.?

We all pass through this barrier. It looks and feels like most people do not understand you when you are an entrepreneur.

As an entrepreneur that lives overseas, I often find myself lonely.?

I got used to it and found something magical in it.?

It helps me to stay focused and move forward with my ideas and goals even faster.?

Until I realized that leaving life is about the experiences you share with others.?

People you love, friends, family, and well, in my case, my best friend for the past few years, my dog!!?

In 2019, I adopted Jambo, my Pitbull, who became my best friend in my entrepreneurial journey.

He comes with me to the office, stays next to me on the long nights when I'm working on the computer,?

Run with me on the beach and go with me on vacations.?

Naturally, when you spend time with people, you get to know them better. Well, same with dogs.

From this unique relationship I had with Jambo, I learned a lot about myself.

And I found these lessons compelling and valuable for business and life.?

That gave me the idea to write and share this article with you.?

So,?

Here are ten attitudes every entrepreneur can learn from a Pitbull. (that I learned from Jambo).?

#1. Be Enthusiastic & Energized?

Many dogs love to go for a walk... But a Pitbull? He gets crazy when he goes out! As soon as he hears the sound of the leash, he starts jumping all around and running in circles.?

And that's because the Pitbull has a lot of energy and enthusiasm for playing and being outside. Jambo, in this case, never gets tired!?

You throw the ball, and he brings it back in seconds. You do it ten times, and he's just getting started.?

?You do it thirty times, and this little man is just warming up.

I go to the beach with my pit a lot, and I tell you, it's show time!?

He swims, runs, jumps, and smells?pies on people's blankets, ?? and he goes around for hours!?

This breed of dog has tons of energy, and in business, energy is?key!?

you become like a magnet when you are full of energy and full of enthusiasm.

In his famous book,?"The Art of the Deal," Donald Trump says he never did business for money. He did it because he loved it.

And he added, "If you are not passionate about what you do, you will not have the energy to do it, and?without energy, you have nothing."?

In 2016, just before winning the elections, he used to say to his very enthusiastic crowd that "Enthusiasm?wins Elections."?

Well, I guess in this case, Trump knows what he's talking about.?

As an entrepreneur, you are a leader, and people like to be next to energetic and enthusiastic leaders!?

Do you know why? Because most people lack enthusiasm and energy. "Life is too hard" for many people, and when they see that?you are the type who is full of energy and enthusiastic about what you do, they?want to stick with you!?

You become like a magnet!?

#2. Do not give a sh@t about the audience's beliefs - Show them they are wrong!?

95% of the population will think that Pitbulls are aggressive dogs.

When I first adopted Jambo, I was taking pictures and sharing them with the family WhatsApp group,?

The Comments??

My brother: "Oooohhh, look at this killer".

My aunty? "Wowowow, it looks dangerous."

My other aunty? "OK, so now my kids are not going to visit... Be careful with these dogs; I heard they can lose their mind".

Actually, I wasn't surprised.?

It's not them. It's their belief system.?

But when you really get to know Pitbulls, you'll find they're?one of the friendliest and non-dangerous dog breeds on the planet!?

And the beliefs are, most of the time,?just beliefs.?

?In business, it is no different.?

As an entrepreneur, your friends and family are probably going to doubt you.?

They do that in many ways, sometimes in every way possible!?

"You do not need this."?

"Those ideas already exist out there."

"First, go and learn how they work, then you can do something by yourself."

And so on.

The truth is, they do not really mean it and are not trying to get rid of your dreams.

Their mindset is just limited.?

My Advice? Take the pitbull way.?

Just be yourself, don't be surprised, and most importantly,?don't give a damn!?

This is you, and you just need to find the people who will love you as you are!?

#3. Be Curious & Engage

When the Pitbull sees or smells another dog, he just runs to play!?

If a pitbull sees a person in the street, he does not overthink but jumps on them!?

Pitbull eats things off the floor (whatever the thing is).?

When he hears a noise, he tells himself, "well, it's probably for me! Let me check it out!"?

In the case of Jambo, he just has the habit of entering places!?

He gets into Cars! Houses! Pools! Whatever!!?

The pitbull is mostly just not afraid or overthinking.?

It's like he says to himself, "Well, better to check it out and see what is going on."?

In business it’s just one of the best things you can do for yourself!?

Be curious & Engage!?

Do you see another business or entrepreneur just like you? Go out and engage! Say hello, ask, learn, act and watch how opportunities will start knocking on your door.?

If you don't know something, search for answers!?

Haven't been to meetups or conferences for a long time? Go and expand your network!?

You see, the central part of the success of your business is your network.

There is a well-known saying that "your network is your net worth!"

There are numerous other entrepreneurs you can learn from, conferences you can attend, and mentors who can offer you sound advice!

There are always more books you can read, videos you can watch, or audios you can listen to.?

?The point is this:?

Curiosity will eventually result in more knowledge, while engaging will eventually result in more actions and bring you more experience.

This knowledge and its application through experience are the two things that every entrepreneur and business person builds upon to succeed in business and life.?

#4. Treat your body as it is your Temple?

Naturally, the pitbull is in excellent shape!

He has strong muscles!?

He runs fast, jumps high, and swims far!?

The Results??

People are often impressed by the pitbull.?

I can't remember a walk on the beach with Jambo without plenty of people saying things like

"Wow! Sexy Dog"! Or "ohhh, it's a beautiful dog," "nice muscles," etc.?

Sure, this breed is endowed with this shape, but guess what? If he is not going to keep himself in shape, he will lose his magic eventually.

As an entrepreneur, you?must feel great about yourself.

When you feel great about yourself, you gain confidence, and people follow confident leaders!?

Working out and doing sports often gives you energy! (We already talked about the importance of energy) and it also makes you focus!?

Getting in shape and treating your body like it's a temple has all in one benefits!?

In 2017, I heard a sentence from a successful Israeli entrepreneur that goes like this:

"Stress on your body, reduce stress from your mind."

Think like you are sweating out the stress that you have accumulated during the day!

Another proven benefit is that when you work out, you push your body and it expands.?

You step out of your comfort zone and redefine your limits.

When you win at it, you teach your mind to expand and to continue even when it's not comfortable.

This topic is of huge importance.

Think of it; the body is the "home of the mind and soul." You must treat it well!?

This is your responsibility as an entrepreneur.?

Your eating habits, for example, are crucial to your success. You can't be useful to your family, team, or friends when you are sick.?

So a small habit of eating right just gives you peace of mind.?

?Less coca-cola, more water, less junk food, more vegetables, fewer snacks, more fruits, and you are on your way to better health.

Did you get the idea right??

Your body is your temple. Take care of it, and it will give you the necessary energy you need to move forward and accomplish your dreams.?

#5. Be Loyal

The Pitbull is a loyal dog!?

After the dog got the connection with his owner, he will listen to every single word and sign.

He will always come back home (even if he goes very far away).

In many cases, he will also be pretty protective. Jambo, for example, has a habit of trying to rescue kids from the sea. It's funny to see how the parents panic when it happens, but it actually means a lot about loyalty.?

Loyalty is one of those rare qualities that makes you unique when you have it in business and in life.?

The number one cause of failure is that entrepreneurs do not stick around long enough. People are always looking for the "next big opportunity" and often?jump from one thing to another.?

History shows that it does not work that way!?

You must be?loyal!?

Loyal to your vision, to your passion, to your ideas, to your brand, to your employees, to your suppliers! And most importantly, loyal to your customers!?

Every leader desires loyal team members who will stick with them even when things get messy!(and they will at some point).?

We must have also heard this a lot: "We must take care of our most loyal customers."?Well, sure you do. It's the only way to climb the ladder of great business success.

Be loyal first and see how you attract loyalty back!?

#6. Work hard & Get Noticed?

When the Pitbull is out there, everyone notices!

The Pitbull gets all the attention from the people and other dogs when he is out.?

Go to a dog park and tell me who is the most energetic out there. If there is a pitbull in the crew, it's probably him!?

As in nature, this dog is very energetic. It's no surprise why you always see him play with other dogs, jump on people to receive attention, and mark territories on every single spot and after every other dog.

The pitbull actually worked hard to be the one that others noticed.?

As the saying goes: "the harder you work, the luckier you get".?

In one of his interviews, Elon Musk (who I guess you heard about ) said, "I work 16 hours a day, 7 days a week for 30 years, and people still call me lucky."

Now don't get me wrong, working hard does not mean only putting in 16 hours a day or making an extra effort,

It also means working harder on working smarter.

There will always be more?talented people than you out there, but there is no real reason why somebody else will work harder than you.?

If you want to succeed in the entrepreneurship game, you must play by the rules, and reality says that you need to put your effort before the expectations of getting results.?

There is nothing wrong with working hard to pursue your goals and trying to get noticed.?

At the end of the day, business is about people, and the more people who know about you and the great job you are doing, the more chances you have to succeed.

It's plain and simple and has proven to be right.

Smart, Hard work pays off!?

The smart part here is crucial because it's actually hard to work smart.?

My friend opened my eyes to this when he told me one day that the guy who works in the factory 12 hours a day has the easiest job because he doesn't use his intellect as much, always doing the same thing and never making a decision.

So yes, work hard! Just make sure you do the?smart, hard work.

And about getting noticed?

Well, think of it. Those who become ultra-successful with the most brilliant ideas on earth didn't get it by staying in their garage. The success came after they went out of their garage!

#7. Don’t Bark - Bite!?

The Pitbull is not what one would call an "annoying dog," you know, the kind of dog that barks nonstop for no apparent reason until you go insane.

Pitbulls almost never bark. He's also not looking for a fight.?

Mostly, he is just positive, happy, and easy-going.

But, if he is under attack or feels unsafe, he will act; he will protect himself, and most probably, he will make the other side feel not so safe.?

?In business, I pretty much recommend that if you decide on being an entrepreneur, you definitely should avoid barking and start biting!?

Don't talk about yourself too much or say what you will do one day about this and that.

Just DO IT!?

Remember that action is the very beginning of the attraction.?

So by "biting" and taking massive actions, you guarantee that things will happen in your direction.?

Yes, you will probably have more failures and make more mistakes than the average passive person, but failure is the best way to learn, right?

The difference between the dreamer and the doer is that the dreamer barks all over, while the doer bites!

People will categorize you in the talkers'?groups if you talk too much and take too little action, and you don't want to be there. It's easy to talk, much harder to do.

At the end of the day, we used to think that people are what they are when they already succeed. But the truth is that they have been acting upon their goals long before they have accomplished something, and the real entrepreneurs continue to act long after that first success.?

I have an excellent motto that I say to myself when times are challenging and I must do what I know needs to be done.

"You are who you are when no one is seeing you."?

Think about it when next you know you have to do something about the things you say you need to do.?

#8. Recharge

The Pitbull, like many other dogs, loves to sleep.?

You can find my Jambo sleeping, sometimes 12 hours a day!

It's no surprise he has so much energy when we play around.

Well,?

I do not recommend sleeping 12 hours a day (though it can be nice once in a while).

But I think that we have talked enough about hustle, being energetic, and playing hard.

There is another side to the coin, and it is that you need to learn to rest.?

Rest is essential (in proportion).?

What I mean by it is that many entrepreneurs do not let themselves recharge.

I made this mistake for many years, and it didn't work in my favour.?

You must learn to recharge. Going every three months for a weekend getaway and closing your phone can be a very smart decision to boost your productivity.?

A typical example is the Jewish people.

Every single week on Shabbat, the phone is closed, and they are not allowed to work. If you are Jewish and follow the tradition from Friday evening to Saturday evening for around 25 hours, you must rest every weekend! The Jewish people believe that there is no blessing in working on Shabbat (Saturday).?

Take a look at the Jewish community around the city where you live. Most probably, the Jews in your city are entrepreneurs, and pretty successful entrepreneurs.

Now you do not have to be Jewish to do it, and you can work on Saturday if you feel like it.

But hey, don't forget to find time for some pleasure and rest.

The work never ends and never will!?

Recreational activities to recharge and let go are good for you and will help you to be more productive when you do the work.

Remember the smart, hard work?

If you are a real entrepreneur, you will find it hard to rest, but most probably, in some cases, it will be the smart thing to do.?

#9. Be Alert & Focus?

The Pitbull Dog is on high alert!

He feels everything,

Have you seen it before?

When the ears of a dog are up, you know he hears things your human ear can't catch.?

You can see the focus in action with Pitbull if you play with a ball with him. The eyes are never off the ball! No matter what!??

This is because he uses his senses in a very focused way.?

And being alert and focused is a?superpower!?

In his most famous book, "The Master Key System," one of my favorite authors, Charles Haanel, the "godfather of self-development," says that focus is the highest form of the human mind.

It's our superpower as humans.?

When we focus, we create!?

I believe that our thoughts become things, and our lives are a reflection of our thoughts.?

This means that if you focus your thoughts, you can convert them into forms and materials.?

Focus with me now for a second. I am sure that, in one way or another, you saw the power of cause and effect.

You think of something, you wish it to happen, you take action upon it, and all of a sudden, it just appears in your life. You wanted a job so much, and now you got it, you imagine yourself on this vacation, and you've been there, you say to yourself, "I will read this book," and then the book is on the shelf waiting for you.

It's not magic. It's just how life works.

As entrepreneurs, we often jump from project to project, from idea to idea, and we do not focus long enough and strongly enough on the one thing that matters.

Knowing how to focus will help you to move forward and make your vision become a reality!?

?As for being alert, you cannot focus if you are not alert to your thoughts. We have thousands of thoughts every day, but for most of us, most of our thoughts tend to be negative and limited.

As a leader of your business, you must be aware of your thoughts, not waste time on too much daydreaming and negative thoughts, and make sure you focus on the things that make your business or project grow and take form.

#10. Learn Fast?

The pitbull learns really fast.

Yes, he needs to?practice; every dog needs to practice, but sooner than later, he will know to sit before he eats, lay down when people come, give a hand when you ask him, and bring back the ball when you are playing with him.

I don't know if Jambo is extra smart, but he learns pretty fast about almost everything.

And this is a super important skill that you must develop as an entrepreneur.

You are going to make mistakes, haven't we all? But you must learn from them fast.?

And never make the same mistake twice!?

This point is pretty important as it includes two words that are key elements that are game-changers.

1. Learn- entrepreneurs can't stop learning. It's an ongoing process; every day, you want to know a bit more about your business, your field, your clients, and about yourself (sometimes you need to learn the same thing again and again in order to master it).
2. Fast- The Tech legend Mark Cuban says: "I work every day like there is somebody out there working 24 hours a day trying to beat me."Time is and will always be the most valuable resource there is. Everything can be done fast, so the faster the better. At the end of the day, if you do not deliver, somebody else will, and you will lose momentum.?With today's technology, "fast is the new rich."?Well, I do not want to put you under stress, but if you do not pick up the pace, you might be out of the game.?

#11. Bonus - Have a great lifestyle?

Well, consider this point as a bonus, as I am not sure all Pitbulls are like that.?

But as I am typing this, Jambo did it again.?

?He was sleeping in his bed, which is pretty comfy and big, and then woke up, went to the guest room, and jumped to sleep on a king bed.?

Well, why not?actually??

Treat yourself as if you are deserving of everything, and you will receive everything!

I think that a great lifestyle is actually great!

?And in many cases, it helps you to be better.

I will give you a small example, and I recommend that you try it.

Take a business class on your next flight!

Or go in the next week for one day to work from your favourite hotel and have a good breakfast.

Take an Uber Black and not a regular cab.

Don't think about saving the pennies. Instead, think about the experience and how you will feel about yourself.

Since I started to do it, many things have started to change in my confidence, and I believe that small lifestyle changes can mean a lot.

I am not telling you to do it every time at this point if you are not in the right conditions to do so, but I am telling you that if you want to be in the right conditions to do it one day, put yourself in that condition today!

I hope this article helped you and gave you some things to think about!

I am sure you can learn something new about life and about yourself from your dog every day. At the end of the day, he is your best friend, isn't he?

I wish you to be a Pitbull in your business!

Dor Cohen.