An Entrepreneurs Words Podcast

We entrepreneurs have much for which to be grateful. As I write this at the beginning of 2018, what better way to start a new year than to express gratitude. We have been blessed with so much and it's helpful and healthy to reflect on these blessings.

Here's a term you'll hear a lot in the entrepreneurial world - accountability. In our organization every team member has written Roles and Accountabilities. There is a lot of talk in the business world about holding people accountable. So, exactly what does all of this mean?

Allow me to introduce Colin Timothy O'Brady. Born on March 16, 1985, O'Brady was raised in Portland, Oregon, and graduated from Yale in 2006 with a degree in economics. After graduation he went on a trip to an island off the coast of Thailand. During a fire-rope jumping event he accidentally caught on fire and suffered second and third-degree burns to 25% of his body with the most damage to his legs and feet. Doctors said he might never regain full functionality of his lower extremities.

We entrepreneurs have some interesting personality traits. Many of us are particularly hard-charging. We are generally assertive and often have aggressive tendencies as well. Other descriptors might include a high sense of urgency, a less than accommodating nature and low empathy. We can sometimes become total, unadulterated assholes.

Entrepreneurs make decisions every day. Some are large and many are small. Have you ever stopped to determine how it is that you go about making your decisions? Some entrepreneurs are deliberate and others tentative. Some are procrastinators and some use a consensus approach. I'd like to focus on two methodologies that present quite a conundrum for entrepreneurs - gut vs. data.

Every entrepreneur will experience disappointment at one time or another - that's a fact. We tend to be optimistic and visualize very positive outcomes. Of course not every outcome is realized exactly the way we anticipate.

Super heroes are known for their super powers. Superman could fly and possessed incredible strength. Captain Marvel could levitate. Wonder Woman had x-ray vision. Hercules could self-heal. Cartoon characters are bestowed with amazing super powers and always seem to find themselves in situations that call for the use of those powers specifically unique to them.

Let's go exploring. Let's explore the mind of an entrepreneur. What types of thoughts are entrepreneurs thinking? The answer may surprise you. Many people see entrepreneurs as self-confident, assertive individuals who always have it "all together." Look at the roster of famous entrepreneurs - Sir Richard Branson, Mark Cuban, Steve Jobs, Bill Gates, Jeff Bezos and Mark Zuckerberg. Certainly no shrinking violets in this bunch!

Solving problems is a hallmark of entrepreneurship. Challenges are presented every single day of our existence - some small, some large and some that are the size of a 41,000 pound Whale Shark. Regardless of their size, we know that we must persevere and work through the many issues we face. Let's stop for a moment and think about our problem-solving encounters. Are they particularly stressful or do we handle them on a pretty even-keeled basis?

Baby Boomers and Millennials. Two massive generations - 74.9 million Boomers and 75.4 million Millennials, and as different as night and day. But then, most generations are quite different. And I'm sure that every older generation shakes its collective head about the younger generation. For the sake of generational harmony I want to offer some ideas that hopefully will be helpful in bridging the gap.