This week we’re uncovering the truth about three business obstacles that highly successful entrepreneurs managed to overcome on their journeys toward success.
Entrepreneurship can be a tough mountain to climb. But you can take comfort in knowing there are thousands of entrepreneurs who have come before you who have encountered the same treacherous adventures and hazardous business obstacles, and succeeded. Just think of these entrepreneurs as your Sherpas in your climb up Mt. Entrepreneur, and your climb will become a whole lot easier.
Your Age
Ray Crock claimed “When you’re green, you’re growing. When you’re ripe, you rot.”
At the ripe age of 52, Kroc was selling paper cups and milkshake mixers for a living – that is until he founded McDonald’s.
Unfortunately, age always comes with a gigantic slew of misconceptions and biases. With the new tech boom, there is the delusion that every new entrepreneur must be a baby-faced Mark Zuckerberg, and that anyone older is befuddled on how to send an email. On the other hand, the Millennial Generation doesn’t have it easy – a quick Google search will reveal thousands of articles berating their work attitude.
To be successful you should follow Crock’s approach, and view age for what it is, just a number and not a business obstacle– it’s not about how old you are, but the progress you are making that determines your stage in life. No matter your age, it’s never too late (or too early) to start the next mega-billion dollar business. You may have to work harder to shake off some misconceptions, but in the end it will only make your victory that much sweeter.
Other’s negative opinions
Thomas Edison was not always regarded as a genius – his early teachers told him he was “too stupid to learn anything”. He again faced criticism during his 10,000 failed tries to make a working lightbulb, until all that testing proved everyone wrong. Edison’s business obstacle was everyone’s lack of faith in his abilities, but it’s a good thing he never gave up on his ambitions.
To be successful, you have to realize that “no” is just an opinion. There is really no action in business that will please everybody, and this includes your personal growth. The most innovative and radical success stories got the most initial criticism – so face rejection with a smile.
Negative bias
Today, Oprah Winfrey is one of the most respected media personalities in the world, but that wasn’t always the case. Long before she became the media mogul she is today, Winfrey was fired from her first television job as an anchor in Baltimore, where she said she faced sexism and harassment.
Rather than allowing this awful moment to derail her ambition, Winfrey took the negativity as fuel to motivate herself and her career. Oprah was able to take a bad situation and flip it on its head, and you should do the same. Had a bad day? Lost your job? Did someone tell you for the umpteenth time that “no,” your project/initiative/dream isn’t good enough?
Turn it into a positive.
Oprah didn’t let discrimination stop her from becoming successful, and instead she realized that the media was missing out on capturing half the population: women. So as any brilliant business person, she turned this negativity into a positive situation by focusing her media company on women and others who are judged poorly.
Bragging time
Share what business obstacles you’ve overcome – brag a little – and get the Tribe inspired. Check out their stories to get some more inspiration too, it’s exactly what the doctor ordered to get you through the day.
