An Entrepreneur’s Journey

What motivate you? A question that was threw at me many times. Due to my training engagement, I’ve spoken to many people in the course of my work. Many a time, people wants to know what motivate an entrepreneur.

Is it money? I admit that it is one of the motivation initially. Gradually, most entrepreneurs will discover that it is not money, for money can motivate them for a short period of time, but there is something else that motivates entrepreneurs.

I cannot answer that question for all entrepreneurs because different individual require different motivation.

Last Friday, those who are involved in the ice cream business had a thrash-it-out meeting. Basically it’s to find out the reason of bad results and to ask for commitment. It’s a time where all parties involved have a choice to opt out of this project.

First thing, I am very surprise to see this person there. This person never turn up for work, but when it’s dinner time, this person appeared. I am surprise because I always thought that this person is no longer involved in the business.

Over at the table, when everyone re-commit their time and effort to this project, there is one common denominator. We are doing it not because of money but something else.

I do not know about the rest, but I am doing it for pride. That motivate me to work 16 hours a day. It’s the final lap, I am sprinting to the finishing line, just like the sprinter in the Olympic. They are running because of pride and pushing themselves to the limit.

Running a business is full of challenges. Get your motivation right, so that you will do whatever it takes to overcome those challenges.

We are face with numerous challenges regarding the ice cream business. The most recent one must be looking for distribution points. First step is to find a good location. Clive and myself had understood that it is not as easy as it seems to locate a good spot. We had learned it through the hard way. We had so much distinction on locating the finest spot for business.

Next is to find out the ergonomic of the people there. Are they the kind of people that will buy your product? It does not mean that as long as there are people, there are business.

After getting the location, next is to talk to owners, get their approval to use their premises, with a rental of course.

Lastly, understand the flow of human traffic and the ergonomic of the location. Going against the flow will brings you nothing but rejection and despair. No flow, no sales.

2 days ago, we got one distribution point. We thought it’s a good location, but it turn out to be a dead. Just 10 metres away from our point is a coffee shop which is buzzing with people. But we couldn’t make enough sales to cover our day rental. We learned something that day.

Yesterday, when it was Dennis and myself to run the point, he mentioned something very important. “Entrepreneurs cannot wait here and do nothing, we must change, so our result can change.” How important this statement was. We decided to give up the place right after 45 minutes into business. Heck care the rental, we made the decision; with Clive’s blessing, we shifted.

Packed up, we moved to our comfort ground. Over there, we manage to outsell what we sold the day before in an hour. We are so glad we moved, give up what don’t work.

I learned something from this incident. Most people who runs a retail shop simply sit there, wait for business. How can that business grow? True entrepreneurs don’t sit in shops and wait, they go out to bring business into the shop.

From this project, I learned many things from another perspective. Having a chance to learn from another kind of business allow me to grow to a new level.

After 2 weeks of army life, I’m officially out of the army; at least for this year. For those who doesn’t know, every year I will be recalled to serve the army for 1 to 2 weeks.

Although it is one activity that I would rather not attend, but I must admit that I did observe some interesting situation during my 2 weeks stay.

You may know that ranks are a representation of leadership in the army, from Sergeants to Officers. And most people in the army lead by using their ranks. Is it true that the higher the rank, the better the leadership?

It may be effective to lead with ranks when leading full time soldiers. But when it comes to people like us, (part timers or civilians) they may be in for a hard time.

Many of these army leaders lead in a very subjective manner. They want people to do things their way, yet there is no rational behind it, just because they like it that way.

This method when used on us is not going to work. People like us in the work force are much more street smart than them. You want me to do something, you better give me a good reason why I should do it.

Some of this leaders in the army are given the ranks because they know more. They have lots of knowledge in their field, but when it comes to leading people, there is a huge gap. Their losing end is they can’t punish us like they did to their full time soldiers, and we are there for only 2 weeks.

But that gave them a challenge on their leadership skills. The real test of their leadership is when they are assigned to lead us. Leading full time soldiers is easy, leading people like us is 100 times harder.

The army leaders really got to show what they have in order to lead us effectively. By flashing their ranks in front of us, or raising their voices will get them into deeper shit. They have to change their approach when it comes to people like us.

Earning the right to lead, brings you respect from your people.

The world has more than enough for everyone. There are enough money, food, opportunities to go around. Do I really believe that? Without a shadow of doubt, I believe that there is abundance.

Abundance comes when you believe it exists, same as scarcity. Having a scarcity mindset will drives a scarcity behaviour. People betraying their integrity, friends, partners to have more is totally operate from scarcity mindset.

Right now I have the feeling of abundance. Many business opportunities are coming my way. I am so afraid now that I can’t handle them all.

But I can’t remain in the fear state, because fear drives away the good feelings. I know jolly well that I can do more than what I thought I could do.

Abundance is now with me, I am thankful that I am experiencing abundance.

How many times have you forgot saying “thank you“? I forgotten to say “thank you” many times. Sometimes I’m so caught up with life that I stopped having the feeling of gratitude. Yes, I am justifying. Aren’t you having the same issue as me? Busy with your work so much so that you forgot to appreciate.

Do you tends to focus on the things that you don’t have? Or chasing after the things that you do not own? This focusing on things that we do not have isn’t going to make us very happy. This may be the cause of all unhappiness. It is going to make us either angry person or sad person.

By shifting your focus on to what you do have, change the way you look at things. Now by focusing on the things you do have allows you to feel contented. By saying thank you to whoever gave you those things will allow you to attract more.

Imagine you present a gift to a good friend of yours. This friend took the gift, walked away without appreciating your kind gesture, would you want to give this friend another gift.

On the other hand, if this friend whispered a gentle thank you into your ears, would you want to offer him another gift the next time you see him.

I will make today a Thank You Day. I will be consciously grateful of all the things that happen today. It start from now. I am thankful that someone invented the internet and the blog so that I can write my thoughts and feelings here.

And I am thankful that you are reading this post now. Thank you.

The Peaceful Warrior - an awesome movie! It was a book that David recommended. And I come to know that it has been made into a movie. I got my hand on the movie first.

A beautiful movie about mind, intention, life, purpose and wealth. It’s another show beside Matrix and The Secret that I got to watch several times to gain distinctions.

I particular like a scene. This is a description of the scene based on my memory.

Socrates: Tomorrow, bring your hiking shoes. I want to bring you to this place when we first met that night. I guess you are finally ready to go there. It’s going to be a long walk.

Next day

Dan: Are we there yet? It has been 3 hours!

Old man: Here we are.

Dan: So what’s in it for me? The view?

Old man: Beside your feet.

Dan look down…..

Dan: The flower? No…. you don’t mean….

Old Man: The rock!

Old man pass the small rock to Dan’s hand.

Dan: What’s this suppose to mean? I was getting all excited, walking all the way here, looking forward to see something, and this is it!

Old man: But you were excited and happy.

Dan: Yes, because I thought I am going to see something.

Old man walked away….

Dan: Right! The journey!