Keep Going: Small Business Motivation

Matthew Bishop's definition of success is simple and constant. "I'm able to financially take care of my family and have the time I need to spend with them. That's pretty much it in a nutshell," he says.

While Matt isn't afraid of six-day work weeks and twelve-hour work days, he enjoys the flexibility of owning his own business.

Matt started the Matthew Bishop Insurance Agency 12 years ago. At the time, he was working as a district manager for RadioShack while selling life insurance on the side to generate some extra income.

After speaking to a fellow insurance agent, Matt decided to fully invest in his own business and interview with American Family Insurance.

"I was able to keep my licenses and work toward owning my agency and hopefully gaining the financial freedom that I desired," he says. The training was intensive, six weeks full-time with another week spent across the country learning how to run his own business.

"They told me they didn't want someone who could just sell insurance," Matt says. "They wanted a business owner who could sell insurance, someone who would understand the ins and outs of running a business as well so that I didn't fall on my face."

That training was soon put to good use during his first few months in business.

"At first, I thought that all my friends and relatives if they just heard I was doing insurance would just call me up and the phone would just ring off the hook," Matt says, adding with a laugh, "and that just does not happen. You have to learn not to be shy and to go after the business."

In addition to getting his company up and running, Matt had to learn how to handle rejection, set monthly goals, and be tenacious. "You've got to put in the effort and you've got to fuel that funnel," he says.

From joining his local chamber of commerce to marketing at major sporting events and conventions, Matt didn't let marketing opportunities pass him by.

"Putting in the hours and the work was not something that I was scared of. The only thing I was scared of was not making it," Matt says. "The harder you work, the more money you make. I liked that how much money I make is up to me, not someone else."

As Matt has continued to put in the hours and grow his business each year, he has noticed how his level of service helps him stand out from the competition, even if that requires him to take calls in the middle of the night.

But as Matt has invested time into the business, he has noticed how he has been able to receive time and flexibility in return. "It's my time. I get to do what I want with it," he says.

For Matt, that means visiting his four children and twelve grandchildren as often as he can. In fact, Matt has obtained licenses in every state his children live in so he can visit them often. About these trips, Matt adds, "Family and family time is very important to me. That's success."

Learn more about the Matthew Bishop Agency by visiting their site or connecting with Matt on social media.

When Tyson Harvey offered to take over a skydiving center in Snohomish, Washington, there was only one problem—he had never been skydiving.

Aviation is a staple in the Harvey family, who own and operate Harvey Airfield. “My whole life I have grown up on the airport,” Tyson says. But he admits he considered skydiving as an “aviation sideshow.”

But when the owner of the Snohomish skydiving center became ill, the skydiving community begged the Harvey family to keep the opportunity alive.

“It was the opportunity to provide an amazing experience that empowers people, helps them overcome fears, provides joy, that really attracted me to using it as a springboard to whatever I really got into in life," Tyson says. “The first two years were quite a ride.”

Tyson knew that future success depended on his ability to relate to his clients and staff. He needed to learn how to skydive.

His first dive, Tyson was paired with someone who was 5 feet 1 inch tall. Tyson is 6 feet 4 inches. To add to the awkwardness, this instructor was taking her new boss—the person who held the skydiving program’s fate in his hands—on his first-ever skydive.

“There was a little bit of pressure on her,” Tyson says. That stress and anxiety negatively impacted his first drop, but Tyson could still appreciate the exhilaration of the dive.

“There are a lot of parallels to starting a business and jumping out of an airplane,” he says. “There is a lot of risk you are putting on the line, but there are also a lot of potential rewards, too. Like in skydiving, the reward outweighs the scariness.”

One particularly scary and “eye-opening” jump for Tyson was his first solo dive. “I got hanging out on the strut of the wing and looked back, and the pilot’s eyes were as big as quarters,” Tyson says. “My parachute deployed and became a drag chute and pulled me off the airplane.”

Tyson remembers the surreal feeling as he watched the tail of the plane pass in slow motion. While many would remain on solid ground after such a fear-inducing experience, Tyson’s mentality was to “fix that problem, get up there, and try again.” He reexamined the business’s processes and added new safety protocols to improve the experience for future skydivers.

From the flight process to handling reservations, Tyson combed through every aspect of the business looking for new areas to test and improve.

“Every decision needs to be an investment in some way or another,” he says. “You have to relate what you are spending your time on to some sort of a return. A financial return is tangible, it’s measurable, it’s specific, but there are a lot of things about business that you can’t measure like that, for instance, safety.”

Tyson began making incremental changes that were “essential for longevity, for growth.” With each new year of the business came new evolution.

In fact, Tyson admits he never expected to be running Skydive Snohomish over two decades after taking over the business, but the personal and business growth he has experienced during that time has kept him coming back season after season.

“I definitely feel like there is a further evolution that is happening right now, and I am excited for this next season,” Tyson says. “That has motivated me to look forward and to continue to evolve it into something that I am passionate about.”

To learn more about Skydive Snohomish and Tyson’s story, check out their website or connect with them on Facebook.

This is the last week to apply for our $10,000 giveaway. Apply now and read more about Claudia's story at MazumaUSA.com/keep-going.

When the financial crisis hit in 2007, Claudia McKinney had no way of knowing it would mark the start of her new career.

"My husband's business suffered tremendously," McKinney states. "And it went under."

In addition to their source of income, the McKinney's lost their house. Though it was frightening to consider how she would make rent each month, Claudia says, "Somehow, God saw me through." Her business, Phat Puppy Art, helped her and her family make ends meet during that difficult time.

Eventually, Claudia was approached about a book cover, which opened a new avenue of possibilities.

Claudia's artwork caught the eye of an author who was also struggling financially at the time. "She even said to me, 'Claudia, I can't pay you right now, but could you do three of my covers, and then when I get the money I will pay you?'" Claudia recalls. A believer in paying it forward, Claudia created the covers and didn't hear anything for months—not until both of their businesses exploded.

"The following January . . . she sold something like 500,000 copies and she made like a million dollars in one month," Claudia recalls. "She became the poster child of ebooks. . . . I was with her for that journey, and because of that, it catapulted me."

As she looks back on her business, Claudia has learned through experience many life lessons that are valuable for new business owners:

1. Know when to step back and gain new vision. Sometimes, as the daily details and logistics come crowding in, business owners can become hyper-focused or myopic to the point of losing sight of our larger goals. Claudia sees this truth repeated often as she creates her artwork. "Sometimes, I'm so close to it that I can't even see it anymore. And all the lines start to blur and everything starts to become a big mishmash." When that happens, she says, it helps to take a break so we can come back to see the strengths and flaws with new perspective.
2. Do what works best for your business, without giving in to the pressures of the majority or industry expectations. She uses social media as an example. Initially, Claudia thought she needed a large following to grow her business. "The thing is, that doesn't always identify success," she says. "Just be true to who you are as yourself in a business and the success will follow," she says. "You just have to have faith in yourself. Don't let the number of likes or an Instagram feed determine the worth of what you are doing."
3. Understand that success does not come without an investment of time and commitment. Claudia shares, "With any business . . . there is going to be a long time that you have to spend. There is really no way around it, but it can be rewarding at the end." The time and work you invest now pays off in the long run. For Claudia, those payoffs come in the time and freedom she has to spend with her family. "Family, that's the most important thing for me," she says.
4. Don't be afraid to pursue your dreams and ideas. If you are questioning whether you can make your business idea into a success, Claudia advises, "You should go for it. Everybody should just give it a shot once. They should try if they have it in them to try."

Looking back at the unexpected turns her life and business have taken, Claudia is happy about where that journey has taken her. Because, in the end, she says, "What motivates me is doing the work I love to do."

To see Claudia McKinney's remarkable art, visit phatpuppyart.com.

Learn more about our $10,000 giveaway for business owners at MazumaUSA.com/contest.

In 2017, Senga Nuga invested his last $100 to start his own business, desperate to provide for his wife and one-year-old daughter.

Earlier that year, Senga had been let go from his job as a security guard, and the idea to form his own construction cleaning company resulted from a conversation with a friend who was a contractor.

"I went and took my last 100 bucks; started the company; got my business license; got real cheap, cheap insurance, enough for the builder to say, 'Okay, you are good with us;' went to Home Depot and then picked up a couple of brooms, dust pans, and just kind of YouTubed what a cleaner does," Senga says.

As he was registering the business, Senga stared at the blank space where he needed to declare the name of his new company.  "I just typed in 'Hallie,' my daughter's name," Senga says. "Then I thought about it more. There's a reason that I did that because it's the reason why I get out of bed. . . . It's the reason that just gets me to say, 'Hey, get up and go, and go fight.'"

Senga contacted the office, ready to dive into his new business and get that first check. That's when he learned the construction would be delayed for at least three months.

At that point, Senga was contemplating accepting whatever minimum-wage, nine-to-five job he could find and abandoning Hallie's Cleaning Services.

But then, Senga received a call.

"The girl in the office says, 'Hey, you can either wait two or three months for [construction to finish] or I can give you four houses in Stansbury Park tomorrow,'" Senga recalls.

After Googling the location, Senga deflated when he learned that he would need to travel 62 miles one way to accomplish the job. But, he committed to the job anyway.

"All I knew was I want to go and sweep that guys' house and make my $100 back one way or the other," Senga says.

Senga spent 7 hours cleaning his first house, something that would normally take his crew 30 minutes today.

"I didn't know what I was doing," Senga admits. "I was doing a final clean on something that was an initial construction clean . . . The carpet wasn't even laid, but I was over there detailing every corner."

He continues, "And then, 62 miles later, I am sitting on my couch, and I am like, 'I am beat. Like, I am done. Is this even worth it for me?'"

At this point, Senga was simply looking for a way to break even and earn back his $100. But, after he received his first check, his attitude changed.

"Me and my wife just sat there and looked at the check and went, 'Dang!'" Senga says. "[When] the first check got cut, that's when I said, 'Okay, I might be able to make this thing work.' . . . That's when reality set in that I can do this."

Read more of Senga's story at MazumaUSA.com/Keep-Going, or check out Hallie's Cleaning Services on Facebook.

In this short introduction, Keep Going host Greg Nielson outlines the purposes of this podcast.

Keep Going features real people and real businesses as they set out on their business journeys. These powerful stories demonstrate that just because your business is not an overnight success does not mean you are failing or falling short. We focus on the triumphs, struggles, and small successes that come with building a business.

Stay up to date on the latest Keep Going news and podcast releases at Mazumausa.com/keep-going or by following us on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram.

Along with the Keep Going podcast, Mazuma is launching a $10,000 giveaway to help one business owner on their journey. For more details about how to apply, visit Mazumausa.com/contest.

Tune in to discover the intangible but invaluable benefits of your business journey. Pause to celebrate everyday business successes. And, most of all, rekindle the hope and motivation that drives you to keep going.