Personal reflections on being an Entrepreneur

Personal reflections on being an Entrepreneur

For about two years and a half, I worked as an Independent Consultant and sharing a few reflections I have.

• Always keep abreast of trends and Industry
➢ Read, subscribe to google alerts – stay informed
• Network, Network wider, and Network even more
➢ Call, write, Socially network – stay visible
• Do pro bono work (at least 20 percent of time is fine)
➢ A lot of work came my way as a result
➢ Supports widening of network
• Live the Brand
➢ Being a consultant is ‘personal branding’ – you are always on camera. Act the part.
• Keep away from losers – empathize, but disengage
➢ They sap energy
➢ Be where the action is
➢ Also from those who envy you
• Stay positive at all times, let go off bitterness. Harbor no resentment.
➢ Akin to you drinking the poison and waiting for the other to die.
• Build relationships, Business will follow
➢ Either with prospective client or referral
➢ Be alive to the other – stay curious and interested.
➢ Practice being ‘nice’ and helpful
• Give away things when asked, nothing is worth hoarding
➢ Videos, Handouts, articles
➢ The more you give the more you get back
• Expect disappointments, setbacks, even losing one’s self esteem. Be aware of your ego and transcend.
➢ Pain is your stimuli: your very choice
➢ Your thoughts are YOU. Change that and you change the map
• Answer the questioner, not the question itself.
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• Be aware of what you Project outside – its your subjective reality. Review transference and counter transference – reflect in every moment.
• Celebrate small and big wins with family
➢ Milestones are more important than destination
• Stay Spiritual – your greater self seeks to fulfill personal purpose. Stay meditative, pray full, grateful. Discover your inner abundance.
• Clients usually explain in ‘problem statements’ then invariably offer solutions
➢ Listen to the phenomena, don’t get mired in the vocabulary, stay focused and design for ‘root cause’ not symptom
➢ Respect clients space at all times
➢ Move with ‘client pace’
➢ When client is ready, Consultancy opportunities appear
• Success is not the measure: it is about doing the best. Be better today than you were yesterday.
• Stay away from Search firms – mostly they disappear in thin air
• Clarify your values: it is like a flower bees zoom in to.
• Be differentiated at all times – the 1% You is the 100 percent difference. 99% - is same or similar in any case.
• Cultivate Patience, Humility and compassion – easier said than done ☺ you don’t build patience, you become patient over time, as perspective widens.
• Every one has a unique Business Model that works – discover yours.
• Three questions that intrigued me when I started
➢ Who/What am I?
➢ What can I do and for whom?
➢ Why buy me?
• There is no ‘brief’, you have to create yours.
• I discovered to grow taller, one has to sink roots deeper
• Every conversation is a treasure – goldmine. Say Thanks.
• On charging fees – look in the mirror and state an amount. If you can look yourself in the eye, it is fine. Your fees is your self value. Don’t discount, say you will give more of yourself in your work. Negotiate hard, over deliver on quality.
• Life Life Kingsize – make everything Big!
• Differentiate between hunger and appetite – one satisfies the other is insatiable.
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