How to be Unforgettable

Successful entrepreneurs know that sharing knowledge is the truest gift both for the giver and the receiver. Knowledge is unique: you can give it away and still use it over and over again, plus learn from how others use it.  

Wanting to start and run our own successful business is often in our blood. We know we want to create, launch and build something that matters. But not all aspiring entrepreneurs get the guidance and help to start on the right path. 

Business owners know they will thrive and grow even more by helping those who are just starting. They realize they not only hone their own sage advice, but they also glean surprising perspectives from those that are new to the world of business.  

In return, the time spent with that fresh entrepreneur can make you UNFORGETTABLE. 

        “We make a living by what we get, we make a life by what we give.” — Winston Churchill

 So how can you help a fledgling entrepreneur? 

• Engage With Them: Give them 10 minutes of conversation and help them navigate a course. Often a new business owner can’t see ahead because they don’t know what they don’t know. They see the world in terms of where they have been and what they can see at the top of the next hill, but they don’t yet know what’s on the other side of that hill. 

• Be Willing to Share Your Failures: Failures are generally more valuable to share than success. It is easier to understand success than why something that looked like a good idea not only failed, but often lingered as a further drag on a business. The journey of business ownership has many ups and downs. Taking the time to steer another from the pitfalls is not only rewarding, but can save the other person a lot of time and money. 

• Invite the Person to Come Visit Your Office: Seeing the inside of a working business is worth a 1,000 words. (If you run a virtual company, give them a tour using zoom!) Give them the insight of how it can look and of the importance of your systems, procedures and policies that turned your business into a series of low cost, replicable steps to a highly profitable revenue. 

• Stop Limiting Yourself by Saying “I Don’t Have Time”:  Recognize the time spent with another entrepreneur who is just building, will remind you of where you once were and help you appreciate how far you have come. It not only could help someone else avoid the pit falls you encountered – and we have all encountered pit falls as we got going – but it will frequently show you the pit falls you just haven’t yet run into since all businesses experience things in a different order and with different levels of difficulty.

• Support a Local Startup or Entrepreneur with Your Voice and Your Words: From online reviews, to showing up at a small event, showing your support can mean the world not only to the new owner, but also to the entire audience that is watching the new business. A successful business owner encouraging others to be successful is a truly selfless example of community contribution and leadership.

    “Show me a successful individual and I’ll show you someone who had real positive influences in his or her life. I don’t care what you do for a living—if you do it well I’m sure there was someone cheering you on or showing the way. A mentor.” — Denzel Washington

Sharing your stories, the lessons you’ve learned, and helping guide a fledgling entrepreneur can make you UNFORGETTABLE, not just for being successful, but also for using your success to encourage and enable others to thrive. So reach out and encourage others to pursue their dreams and their creativity all the way to the finish line: success. Ultimately, one day, they too will follow your example and you will be the mentor they point to as they in turn encourage others to follow their path and yours.