Rookie Season

Everyone is a Rookie at some point in their lives, whether it is in sports, business, relationships, or life experiences. When you do anything for the first time, it's scary. When a rock climber takes on his first mountain, I can't imagine how fast his heart races when approaching the peak. When a new dad/mom holds their baby for the first time, the feeling is indescribable. When a business owner finishes his/her prototype, it's an overwhelming feeling of accomplishment. I've got to believe that when a sports star gets drafted in the first round, that's a pretty happy moment.  When you got your first kiss, that was probably a good or bad experience, but one that you never forget. I recently ran across a man on twitter who wrote a book about how he survived at the Summit of Mount Everest and had to have a lot of faith to come back down the mountain blind.  (I've ordered his book, "Blind Descent" and can't wait to read it.  No matter what you do in life, there is a first time for every experience. So why are so many people afraid to jump into business for themselves?  According to Bloomberg, 8 out of 10 entrepreneurs who start businesses fail within the first 18 months.  

#1 MONEY

My rookie season was in 2012. I had created this gift for a little boy. I was already running my own marketing business and always had an innovative spirit and a passion for creating things. I never intended on this gift becoming more than just a present for a little boy who loved his favorite team. After I began showing it to people, I quickly recognized a need in the marketplace. I took a giant leap of faith. I cashed in my 401k and took the biggest risk I had ever taken. I hired an attorney to protect my idea and off to the races I went. I hired a designer and an app developer to bring my idea to life.  I started with very little money and no knowledge whatsoever in the area that I was jumping into. It would have been much easier for me to ignore this idea that I had and just let it go away. But, I had an overwhelming desire to take this idea and do good with it. I knew that there were children suffering in hospitals everywhere, just as the little boy that I created this gift for was. I kept thinking of how this active little boy was now stuck in a hospital recovering with very little to do. That led to my idea to create an app to accompany the books. That desire to do something worthwhile is what pushed me over the edge to jump in and go for it! I realized that cash flow was the most important thing to keep my business going. Sales, sales, sales! Entrepreneurs also need to build relationships with their banks. Your banks will provide resources to allow you to grow. They can give great advice on many aspects of your finances, along with providing value references for services you may need. 

#2 FEAR

It's a scary thing to take your entire savings and sink it into something that hasn't been tried or tested. Who will buy it? How big is the market? Will kids like it? Will parents buy it? Will licensing directors grant me a license even though I didn't have any revenue coming in?  I've always been an adventurous person. I was the one to ride the roller coasters, fly to the rafters as a cheerleader, try the new food, drive in the big cities, and be the smallest girl on the team with the loftiest goals.  Fear didn't hold me back. I decided that if there was something I didn't know, I would learn. I would surround myself with people who could help me learn. There is always someone who has an answer for a problem. I was not afraid to call the CEO's, commissioners, and the decision-makers. If I didn't get the answer I was looking for, I would go to someone higher up. Fear cannot defeat you as long as you face it head-on with bold moves. An entrepreneur wants to be successful so fear of failure may hold them back. I view failures as roadblocks that teach valuable lessons along the journey to success.  It's tough to make a decision to go out on your own when you are accustomed to having income that you can count on. It's a risk that some will never take. Change your vocabulary. Like the Little Engine that Could, you can also do it if you set your mind to it. Your words set the tone. Try starting with, "We are going to", "We will", and "We can." Stop saying, "We think," "We might," and We can't." 

#3 TIME

It takes a lot of time to build something from scratch. Most entrepreneurs will tell you that they work when others are sleeping. They work while others are taking vacations. My mind never shuts off. At times, I'll wake up at 3 am with a new idea that will consume my thoughts for hours until I finally fall back to sleep. It takes patience to test a product, to sell it, and to develop it. 

#4 HARD WORK 

Hard work is an understatement. It's extremely hard work. You become the decision-maker, the bread-baker, the order-taker, and the dice-shaker. You are the bad guy, the good guy, the fall guy, and the exhausted guy.  You have good days, bad days, happy days, sad days, winning days, and losing days. You have "holy cow, I think I can do this days," and "oh crap, what have I gotten myself into days." Create a marketing strategy and set goals. Then, get out there and make it happen. 

#5 ADAPT

When a basketball team is playing a game, they adjust according to the type of offense or defense the other team is playing. In business, you make decisions that are best for your business, but you also make adjustments as needed to compete and to win. Some business owners aren't willing to adjust their product to make it better, change pricing, listen to experts, try a different marketing strategy. I've always found that it is great to listen to your mentors. Keep your ears and eyes open to what your competition is doing. Learn from your mistakes. Adapt to what the customers need. 

#6 SKILLS

 I had no retail commitments and no idea what I was doing in the publishing space when I first began. This was all brand new to me. You might say, well, you had marketing experience. Yes, I had experience writing marketing plans for small businesses. That's not even close to the knowledge needed to review hundreds of pages in licensing documents, legal documents, handling product development, securing a manufacturer, designing hundreds of pages of content, sales for a brand new product, and handling all of the finances.  When you lack in an area, there is always someone out there that knows that skill. You can either consult with them or hire them.  Don't be afraid to ask for free advice. You might find that people are nice and will help you if you are kind and have good intentions. 

#7 CUSTOMER FEEDBACK 

Your customer is the backbone of your business. If they aren't happy, you are not selling. If they don't like your product and aren't willing to change it to meet their needs, you aren't going to be in business very long.  I've learned a lot since I started. I learn by asking my customers questions about the product. My customers are children and their parents so I ask kids what they like or dislike about my products. I'm not too proud to hear things that will ultimately improve my product. I'm in the process of taking one of my parent comments and changing my age level model to adapt to her concern that some of the content was too hard for her child. I love this value feedback. You can't ever take things personable even though it's your baby. Be open to new ideas. Always ask customers for their feedback. Accept the good and the bad. Take the bad and turn that into good. 

#8 VALUE PROPOSITION

The first thing any entrepreneur should do is conduct research on their product to see if the market desires their product. Find out if there are any products similar. If products do exist, make sure that yours is unique and serves a need. When I started my business, I asked a lot of questions to moms, dads, kids and grandparents. I asked questions to everyone who reviewed my products. I was a sponge and I'm still soaking in information weekly about my product. I'm always changing, upgrading, and evaluating my market and my products. 

#9 RELATIONSHIPS 

Relationships can make or break a business. My philosophy here is to go into any relationship with the goal of helping the other person without any expectation of getting help back. The likelihood of you building a genuine connection with someone is always best when it's real and a win-win for them. At times, you will experience a one-sided relationship even if you give them 110%. The majority of the time, those genuine relationships will turn out to be lifelong friends who will help your business. My only advice about this is to be real. 

#10 HAVE A BLAST

When it stops being fun, your business suffers. The reason you started a business is probably because you had a great idea, you wanted to help others, you wanted to get rich, someone in your family did it, or you wanted freedom.  Surround yourself with positive people. Limit your time around those who bring you down. Visit places you've never been. Since I've started this business, I've traveled and been blessed with many unique experiences.  When I travel for business, I always try to do something fun that isn't related to work. For example, when I traveled to the ESPY's, I was dressed in my formal and went down the slide inside the U.S. Bank building that is 1,000 feet above L.A. I got a lot of crazy looks, but it was an adventure. Have fun as you are running your business so you will continue to enjoy it. Relax. Everything doesn't have to be perfect. Everyone starts out as a rookie. I am still a rookie and will always continue to listen, learn, grow, and adapt.  Anyone can become part of the 20% who make it past the 18-month mark if you are willing to work hard, adapt, surround yourself with great people,  listen to your customers, and enjoy the ride. 

#11 GIVE BACK 

Once you get off the ground, make sure you are giving back. Stay humble and remember where you started. There is always someone who needs help so don't let greed get in your way of being charitable. One of the most satisfying things that I do is donate books to children in hospitals and to children in need.  The kids that I meet inspire me to work hard and grow my business so I can continue to do more for them. Never delegate this very important part of running your business. It's the most rewarding, motivating, and satisfying thing that you will do. While everyone starts as a rookie, everyone's journey must come to an end. When your end comes, what will your legacy be?  Think about that and then try to always remember what really matters. Love people. Love work. Love goals. Love business. Love change. Love growth. Love life. Love giving.  Love life. 

The photo above is during my Rookie Season in 2012.  I had a book launch party to raise money for three little boys who had medulloblastoma (brain cancer).  Little did I know, this little boy would pass away shortly after I visited him again in the hospital.  Hunter Alexander was a brilliant little boy with a smile on his face everywhere he went.  The memory of Hunter and many others I have met along this journey is what motivates me every single day.  While I'm not a rookie in this business anymore, I'll always learn from these kids that I meet.  I'll learn that it's important to always give back, to always cherish each day, to always be thankful for the little things, and to always lead with my heart. 

My goal is to motivate one person with this post.  If I have done that, I feel good about today.