Extra-motivated for extra-work!

I certainly agree with the fact they take actions, embrace the suprises, and the rest of the points you mentioned apart from “the downside risk was acceptable”. My believe is that they are able to disregard “risk” not be cause it’s acceptable, but because the upside opportunity is greater!

Regards,
David

I think you bring up a very important point here when you wrote – “The focus on what they can control makes them move forward faster”. I think for a lot of companies – if not individuals – there’s a tendency to get distracted or concerned about issues that they have no control over. The ability of entrepreneurs to disregard these issues is for me a key reason why many of them succeed because they focus only on matters that they can manipulate toward having a successful outcome.

Thanks for shedding more light on the differences that exist between managers and entrepreneurs. This was a very informative read.

Unlike Guy, I do see the value of a detailed financial model. I have lived several cases where giving VCs a well thought model that they could play with to look at different scenarios and strategies got them over the hump and ready to invest.

That being said, actual business plans are useless. Very few startups achieve success with their original plan. Writing a big document is useless.

Look forward to hearing more about what you’re cooking up as an alternative.

Mark

Thanks for your insightful answers, and for the kudos you sent my way – they’re both appreciated.

And as a startup myself, I’m gonna take the plunge and answer your questions! Here we go:

# 1- What do you lack (except money) that would propel your business forward ? TIME! I’m in coaching school for another 2 months – between that and my day job (Mon-Fri 9a-6p) I can never get the time I want/need to grow my business at the rate that I want to.

# 2-What could you change to energize the way you speak about your startup ? I could really get my elevator speech down pat. I wrote it a while ago, and tweaked it, and made both a “readable” (to read) and “natural” (to speak) version. Unfortunately it’s not memorized, and I really want it to be so I can be clear and concise when someone asks me “What’s a creative career coach, anyway?”

# 3-What would be the BIG BREAK (be very specific) that would bring you to the next level? BIG would be to appear on a TV show as “the life coach” – like on “Scott Baio is 45…and Single.” BIG BIG would be to have my own freakin’ show (I’d be good at that too). If we’re thinking smaller (that would be a big leap for me), I’d have to say getting a book deal would open up a lot of doors for me. I have an idea and started writing, but this would be an ENORMOUS amount of time and effort for me to implement & I’m unclear as to where it should be on my priority list.

# 4- In a few year, you will look back at your first years and laugh at what? (Why don’t you laugh about it now. You can be serious in business without taking yourself too seriously) Probably the discounts I’m giving to clients to ensure that I’m “practicing” my coaching steadily. Ridiculous.

# 5-You will have reached corporate heaven with your company when….I’m stable, balanced and grounded. When I know I’m all but guaranteed to pull in six figures and I don’t need any sort of desk job. Hallelujah, happy day – success!

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