"When You Lose the Comma, Don’t Lose the Faith"

“The only thing money gives you is the freedom of not worrying about money.” - - Johnny Carson

Have you ever gone through difficult, challenging times, especially in business? If you haven’t, then you are very fortunate…in some ways, that is. But if you haven’t had to fight through really lean times then you are also missing out on critical experiences that provide exceptional leadership and personal growth opportunities. Consider:

·      Emmy-winning financial advisor and New York Times best-selling author Suze Orman, lived out of her van for 4 months in the mid-70s.

·      Actor, TV personality, author & entrepreneur Steve Harvey lived in his 1976 Ford Tempo for 3 years.

·      Iconic TV host David Letterman lived in his pick-up truck, prior to making it big in LA.

Wow. Having been an entrepreneur since September 2013, I’ve had the special opportunity to be a part of several start-ups. And beyond the start-up experience itself, I’ve greatly valued the opportunity to both lead and participate in a wide variety of projects & initiatives. As we all know, those can become businesses in and of themselves sometimes. And most of these endeavors bring stressful & challenging times.

Here at the beginning of 2020, I’ve encountered a series of conversations where folks are sharing big concerns about their entrepreneurial or professional journey. And for some, these are very trying lean times. I’ve been preoccupied a bit with some of these conversations - - and really feel compelled to share a few simple techniques that have helped me in recent years battle similar periods and break through to better times.

Positive Mindset

Okay, before you roll your eyes because you’ve heard this a thousand times, I must tell you that I had the same reaction for years. I’m a worrier by nature and have been known to lose a night of sleep allowing situations to gnaw away at my brain. But in recent years, having partnered and collaborated with some of the most positive leaders I’ve ever known, the true power of positive thinking has gotten me to convert. In particular, limiting the space between my ears to only worry about those things in my control has worked really well. A quote I shamelessly stole from an IT leader years ago is one I go back to often: Let go or be dragged.

This “let go or be dragged quote” always reminds me of my unsuccessful efforts at learning to water ski. As a young boy, I’d jump out of the boat with a life vest on, skis strapped to my feet, lots of loose ski rope to play with. My father would straighten out the rope by moving the boat forward - - ask if I’m “ready” - - which I’d confirm “YES!”. Dad would hit the throttle and yet time and time again I could never make it up on the water skis. Often times, I’d stubbornly hang on to the ski rope - - and be dragged through the water, half-drowning, for no apparent reason, except for my own refusal to let go & admit failure. Holding onto that metaphorical rope can have the same incredible damaging effect to each of us in our daily entrepreneurial battles.

Focus & Just Say No

“People think focus means saying yes to the thing you've got to focus on. But that's not what it means at all. It means saying no to the hundred other good ideas that there are. You have to pick carefully. I'm actually as proud of the things we haven't done as the things I have done. Innovation is saying no to 1,000 things.” - - Steve Jobs

An entrepreneur’s ability to build a profitable business is directly proportional to his or her ability to really dial in and focus on what’s important. Focusing on what creates value in a business is always important, but I’d submit to you that it’s never as important as it is when you are experiencing the valleys instead of the peaks. Everything competes for your time when you are an entrepreneur, right? A good friend (Don) shared with me a technique years ago, which I’ve used in those busiest and toughest times alike. I believe my friend had gotten it from a Lou Holtz book. Simple principle: once you finish a task you ask yourself “What’s the most important thing to get done now?”. Rinse and repeat throughout the day. Do it and you’ll be surprised how often it helps you prioritize.

One other phrase that successfully-focused entrepreneurs and business leaders learn to say: No. I will tell you that this important advice is my least favorite. I LOVE to help, volunteer, participate, etc in everything with everyone. But as I’ve learned, you’ve got to say “No”, not because you don’t want to volunteer for this project or help with that effort or spend time with this person or send an email to that person. Not because of any of that. But rather because you simply can’t afford to spend the time, energy, resources and money on everything. If you don’t say No more than you say Yes, you won’t have any of those preciously-limited items to spend on anything. And that means you won’t have the wherewithal to provide for your family. So you must learn to say “No!”.

Your Road Is Never the Toughest

Please allow me to now speak out of both sides of my mouth. Yes, you must say “No!”. But not to everything. When times are tough for you and your business, one of the most powerful things you can do is to be truly grateful for what you do have - - and give of what you have to others in need. In my entrepreneurial journey, there have been times when the stress & burden of the journey has brought me to my knees, figuratively and non-figuratively. But, there have also been times when I’ve been struck with a profound sense of guilt for believing I was the lone traveler on the toughest road known to the 21st Century. If you peak outside of your blinders occasionally, you don’t have to look far to see others that have been dealt a far worse hand in life. Serve those people & their causes. Give from what you have. Be a force for good and you’ll be surprised just how much of an impact it will have on your own journey and in your own business.

Maintain Faith & Confidence

I entitled this article “When You Lose the Comma, Don’t Lose the Faith”. The comma I’m referring to is one of the most simple metrics that we all manage on some frequency: our bank account balances. When’s the last time you lost the comma in your balance? Years ago? Hours ago? For many entrepreneurs, this can set their hair on fire and cause a tremendous amount of anxiety. You certainly can’t ignore the situation, but you must maintain your confidence and faith in what you are building. To do so, you may need to refresh your memory on the most successful aspects of your business:

·      What’s working well?

·      What isn't working well?

·      Why?

·      How can we do more of that? Think “rinse and repeat”

You may need to spend time with customers, partners or other individuals in your journey that bring a sense of positivity and confidence to you. Or you may need to identify the negative factors that might trigger some of the anxiety in your journey and step away from those entities. It certainly doesn’t have to be permanent by any means, unless it’s necessary. Whatever it takes, but you can’t lose your faith & confidence when experiencing the downturns that every business encounters. These critical components are the life blood of your journey!

Burn the boat

Lastly, I encourage you to lay the course & commit. Fearlessly commit. We've been fortunate to have a variety of great preachers at our church in small town, Georgia. One of our previous pastors shared a story of missionaries that journeyed from Europe to the New Country. Some of those missionaries were less than enthusiastic about the mission at hand, as they landed. One of the practices that the missionary leaders would use? Well, they burned the boats. Meaning, there is no going back.

That's a powerful concept: "Hey, this is what we're gonna do - - come hell or high water!". There's an element of that message that all businesses can benefit from. Damn the torpedoes! Full speed ahead!

I hope these simple truths bring you peace, prosperity or ideas. Here at the beginning of 2020, from my family to yours, we wish you the most successful of 1st Quarters and all the best for a record-breaking 2020. Be bold, be fearless and do great things.