Build partnerships to make your dreams come true

An old saying goes that “it can be lonely at the top.” Reaching the pinnacle of success is wonderful however many have found that they cannot or will not depend on others once they have achieved ultimate success.However, these very same people most likely did not get to their vaulted positions by starting out alone. Think of the best known and most successful companies – Microsoft, Apple, Google, Hewlett-Packard. The common thread that these organizations share is that their respective founders met their partners early on in life.

Google founders Larry Page and Sergei Brin met in college, Apple founders Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak met in high school and Microsoft founders Bill Gates and the late Paul Allen met in the seventh grade!

While a CEO or manager may think of him or herself as achieving success as a solo endeavour, that is far from the truth. Partnerships and collaboration are what make the world go round. It is almost impossible to do anything by yourself.

“But if you want to build something truly great, and maybe even do it multiple times during your life, the people you work with are likely more important than almost anything else,” contributing editor Bill Murphy Jr. writes in Inc.com. “So, if you meet that key future co-founder … early enough in life to develop a key relationship, it can affect everything else that happens.”

In building my business, I vividly recall the group of weavers who stood by my side as we ventured into the world with no experience but a determination and vision to make our dreams come true. My father helped me greatly by giving me a loan, which allowed us the start our enterprise.

I watched the village weavers closely, observing and asking them about the trade that had been passed down to them from previous generations. People are and always have been the focus of my business. Without the talented artisans that I met decades ago, I would not have been able to build my organization. And it is because of my employees that I sustain the business.

It is true that I took a great risk when I started but so did the weavers who followed me on this path. Throughout the years, we have grown and developed and is because we took this journey together that my company is successful.

All young entrepreneurs should develop partnerships early in their life. Build relationships at college and work. Network with professionals. Brainstorming and collaborating with as many people as possible brings many ideas to the forefront. You never know when you’ll meet a potential partner.