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Hi Reader, Kodak once dominated photography. In the 1970s, they even invented the digital camera. But they didn’t pursue it. Why? They were confident film would always be king. That's complacency. They scoffed at new innovations, taking their success for granted. Contrast that with James Dyson. He built over 5,000 prototypes before perfecting the bagless vacuum. That’s persistence. With every failure, he stayed curious. Or Sara Blakely. She hacked a pair of pantyhose into a Spanx prototype and started testing. That's scrappiness. She moved quickly, refining it, putting a version out there. We've all likely caught ourselves in both mindsets. I know I have. But, I’m way more effective at driving results when I stay hungry, curious, and ready to adapt. The energy and mindset you bring to building your business matters. It translates into your behavior – your choices. Are things working well right now? Great – enjoy the wins, take time to recharge. But don’t let comfort turn into complacency. Stay hungry. Stay curious. Keep moving. Until next time, Michael
Michael Schefman | 321 Liftoff Copyright © 2024 by 321 Liftoff LLC |
Starting a business is exciting and ambiguous – and that’s the fun. It’s a time of possibility, experimentation, imagination, and showing the world what you can do. But, it can also feel slow, frustrating, and full of traps and distractions, leaving potential entrepreneurs to question their self-worth and to wonder why they started in the first place. As a small business coach, I’ll help you cultivate an entrepreneur’s mindset, so you can start and grow your businesses with confidence and step boldly into the role of business owner. Subscribe to get access to weekly tips, small business interviews, and more.
I used to worry constantly about being too busy. I never liked to have too many projects at once. I said no – a lot. To meetings, to calls, to opportunities. When my calendar filled up, I felt stressed and overwhelmed. I lived under the assumption that my time was precious and therefore was to be guarded and protected. That last part is still true – to some extent. Your time is precious. You only have this one life. You should be intentional. You should prioritize. But I had overcorrected in...
Happy early Valentine’s Day. Let’s talk about love – specifically, being too in love with your own ideas, perspective, or worldview. I recently finished a massive project. Honestly, it was a real success. The data is stronger, leaders are changing behavior, stakeholders are genuinely happy with the outcome, and… …this was probably my fifth or sixth attempt at doing almost this exact project. Earlier runs at the same problem fizzled out. We struggled to generate buy-in. We missed key...
One of my first jobs out of college was ordering and managing inventory as it moved through a retail supply chain. If you set the system up right, most of the time, the inventory flowed smoothly. But, the output had a lot to do with the input. We had a saying: garbage in, garbage out. Similarly, your work (output) is fueled by what you feed your brain (input). If you aren’t intentional, the algorithm will happily choose for you, keeping you stuck in cycles of outrage, noise, and distraction....