Theobald; “I believe the most successful entrepreneurs have a deeper why. They have a deeper purpose for what they’re doing. The most contemporary and best example I can think of is Steve Jobs who came back (to Apple) with no ownership and taking only a dollar for his salary. Just because he cared about delivering greatness. He just wanted to be insanely great and make a dent in the world. That mentality is what changed things for me. It’s the key difference between exceptionally successful entrepreneurs and marginally successful entrepreneurs.”
Lesson? Dig deep and find the deeper why. If you’re just in this for the collateral benefits of possible wealth, freedom and independence, I predict an eventual train wreck for you.
Lesson #6: It’s Not About You
Grasp the meaning behind the deeper why? If yes — then you’ll automatically recognize entrepreneurship is not about you.
Theobald explains it this way: “When you chase opportunities, it’s all about you trying to get something for yourself. I started experiencing success when I made a significant shift in my thinking. My role changed from looking out for myself to focusing on making other people successful. This mindset generated significantly different results.”
Lesson? Jump 180 degrees to the other side. Stand in the shoes of your _______ . (Yes — fill it in. Customer. Team member. Supplier. Partner. Whoever.) Let your focus be on making them successful. Internet entrepreneur Jeff Walker calls it spreading the ‘abundance juice’. Do it and you’ll never once have to worry about your own well-being.
Lesson #7: To Really Crush It; You Must Cede Control
Want the real secret to success? Empower others, support their success while giving up control. ‘What? Give up control? No way. This is my baby and I own it. I control it. Besides, I fled my job because I was sick of not having control.’
Theobald counters with this; “Control is a dangerous thing. You actually gain more control by giving up control. You want to share it with others and allow them part of that stake in making decisions and moving forward. You are simply not smart enough to be successful on your own.”
Lesson? Empower others by giving up some control. The only real element you should control in your business is the vision, purpose (deeper why) and core values.
Lesson #8: Focus On Effectiveness Instead Of Your ‘Rake’
Yes — you need to be profitable. Yes — you need to generate coin. But by solely focusing on your rake (read: moolah); you miss the bigger opportunity.
Theobald put it like this; “When you become more effective, it’s characterized as increasing the size of the whole pie so your slice is bigger. Leveraging the goods you been given and submitting yourself to others and team, your rake will actually be better in the end. So focus on being effective, and not so much on what your ultimate rake is because you’ll be much further down the road.”
Lesson? Stop thinking of your own wallet. Again, it’s not about you. Focus on how to empower others, cede control and in the process, focus your time and energy on being effective in those areas. The result? You eat a much bigger piece of pie.
Lesson #9: You’re Doing It Wrong…
Theobald also wrote a book named ‘Finding Truth At The Bottom’. He shot me a copy and I’ll wrap this thing up with my favorite quote from the book. The context is a guy who struggles mightily, but keeps doing things the same way. His wise mentor pretty much socks it to him straight in this quote:
“Nothing’s going to give if you keep doing the same thing you’ve been doing. If you keep banging your head against the concrete wall, the wall doesn’t suddenly give way. Instead, you end up knocking yourself out. You need to pick a different approach.”
I’ve just extracted and delivered 9 things from Theobald you can look to change in your own business. Don’t just read it. Take action and fix what’s broken. Otherwise, you’re unconscious and slumped at the bottom of the concrete wall with no one to blame but yourself.
Don’t let this be you.
About the Author
I am a life-long entrepreneur and startup expert living in Sisters, Oregon and I am the Founder and CEO of Mighty Wise Academy: A Virtual Academy For Entrepreneurship. I am also a mentor and advisor for multiple startup companies. If you'd like to learn what it really takes to become a successful entrepreneur, you can connect with me here >>.
The 14 Steps Needed to Recruit Your Early Startup Team
By Paul Ruderman
By far the hardest and most exasperating part of launching a successful startup is recruiting an all-star team. At first, it will seem near impossible. Part of it is simple math: There is a limited number of truly exceptional people out there. Of those people, only a small percentage will have the skills, experience, drive and character that you are looking for. And of those people, only a fraction will fit personality-wise with you and your early team.
To find your all-stars, so much has to go right. Every ounce of persistence you can muster up is essential to giving you a chance at finding your dream team. To find the people who’ve joined me and are now the core of UpdateZen, I went through quite a journey (and 84 interviews). At times exhilarating and inspiring, and at other times frustrating and energy-sucking, and full of more ups and downs than you can possibly imagine.
That said, I seem to have cracked the code and lived to tell. So in the interest of helping others recruit exceptional early teams, I’m going to document here how I did it. It is part art and part science, but fully replicable.
This guide below assumes you are a founder of a startup, you’re bootstrapping as best you can, you don’t have unlimited resources to pay 25% recruiting fees, you won’t settle for B players, and you know what you’re looking for. If so, read on.
1. HAVE A CLEAR VISION FOR WHAT YOUR COMPANY WILL LOOK LIKE
Know what you want your company to look like once you fill all the early positions you’ve earmarked as essential.
2. KNOW YOUR NON-NEGOTIABLES.
Have an unmistakable sense for what each position requires. I needed two full-stack developers (one iOS-focused and one web-focused), one designer, and eventually one marketer. I needed people near Montclair, NJ (or NYC) with unimpeachable character.
3. CLEAR YOUR DESK.
Once you’ve decided you’re ready to hire for a position, clear your desk of everything else you think you have to take on, so that you are free to commit 90% of your waking hours to searching, networking and recruiting for that position. You cannot recruit key early positions in your “free time.” First of all, you have no free time. Secondly, it will take every ounce of your being to go from here to hire!
4. WRITE A WELL-WRITTEN JOB DESCRIPTION.
Write an EXCEPTIONALLY articulate, unique, and distinguishing Job Description. Be as specific as you can about the kind of person and talent you are looking for. The more specific you are, the more likely that you will (a) attract top candidates who feel they are a fit for your unique startup, and (b) disincentivize ill-fitting candidates from applying and thereby wasting their and your time.
5. LOOK AT LINKEDIN PROFILES.
Require candidates to send you their LinkedIn profiles, not resumes. Resumes are dry, static documents. A good LinkedIn profile contains everything a resume does, and then some, including written references from past/current colleagues, their number of LinkedIn connections, their photo in a suit or backwards baseball cap getting drunk with their buddies in a bar.
6. REQUIRE CANDIDATES TO SUBMIT PERSONALIZED COVER EMAILS
Have them explain why your startup interests them and why they are the best candidate for the job. If they don’t take the time to write this personalized cover email, don’t even look at their LinkedIn profile. They’re not serious. And they probably can’t write.
7. NETWORK ON LINKEDIN.
Search and network extensively on LinkedIn. Send well-crafted and short LinkedIn InMails to your ideal candidates regardless whether (a) you have a personal connection to them, or (b) they claim to be “looking” for
new opportunities. Everyone’s available for the right opportunity.
8. USE RECRUITERS INTELLIGENTLY.
Recruiters can be your best friend, or they can suck up your time and take all the money you don’t have. Find great ones and convince them to take far less than 25% in the interest of receiving lots of new job postings as you grow. I negotiated a flat fee of $8000 with several great recruiters.
9. FLOOD THE MARKET WITH OUTREACH.
I post job descriptions everywhere that is even remotely relevant… wherever a great candidate might go. Angel List. LinkedIn. Monster. Dice. Hired.com. Employment Crossing. Craigslist. Dribbble. Behance. Stackoverflow. You NEVER know where your eventual candidate might be, so plant your seeds in many places. And of course, ask your network. All you need is that ONE great candidate. I found Stefan, my brilliant web developer, on a tiny site called Startuphire.com.
10. WORK QUICKLY.
Review each interested candidate’s profile instantly. The great people get snatched up quickly.
11. REFINE YOUR PITCH.
You need to SELL these great candidates. Just like you’re going to sell your early customers. If you believe in your product, your vision, your team, and yourself, then this part should be a breeze.
12. CONDUCT YOUR INITIAL INTERVIEW VIA VIDEO.
No audio-only calls. A 30-minute video call is all you need to figure out if it’s worth setting up an in-person interview.
13. CALL REFERENCES.
This is not a formaility. Conduct 2-3 reference calls. DO THIS! You can obtain phenomenal “color” on the candidate — how they optimally work, what makes them tick, what challenges they need to overcome, what they are better at than anyone else, how much did their colleagues like them, and most importantly, what kind of character and integrity does the candidate have?
14. SOMETIMES A DONE DEAL JUST AIN’T A DONE DEAL.
You may get pretty deep into the process of finding, interviewing, recruiting, selling, offering, hiring and starting a new person… and then BAM, it just doesn’t work out. It happens sometimes. Get angry and get over it. Hit the recruiting “pavement” the next morning with new energy!
And that’s it! No, hiring an early team of A players is not easy, and it ain’t for the faint of heart. But yes, it is possible and there’s even a method to the madness. The most important thing… persist! Never give up.
About the Author
Paul Ruderman is the Founder of UpdateZen, a simple status reporting solution for executives, managers and business owners.
3 Ways to Use Social Media to Align Your Team
By Andre Lavoie
Can social media really be utilized to help companies align and engage their employees? It sure can.
According to the 2014 Social Recruitment Monitor Survey by Maximum EMG, companies from a wide variety of industries are using social media as a way to provide real-time information to customers and employees.
Social media is becoming an increasingly important medium for organizations of all sizes to keep employees aligned and engaged. It is also a key factor in achieving internal transparency.
Here are some ways to utilize social media to better align organizations and teams:
1. Keep employees updated on all company news and customer interactions. One of the benefits of having an active social-media presence is the ability to engage and interact with a desired audience. This is not only helpful in marketing your company externally, but also when used to align internal teams and entire organizations.
Leaders should encourage everyone on their teams to follow, like or connect with the company’s social-media channels. This way, employees can stay updated on company news or customer conversations that may not warrant a mention in a meeting or newsletter.
It’s also important to let employees know they can, and should, contribute to these conversations. Doing so reflects positively on the company when potential recruits or customers see that the people behind the company truly support it.
2. Recognize employees doing great things on social media. Recognition is an important factor to employee alignment, and social media can be an effective way to spread the word about great work employees are doing.
Taking the time to not only recognize an employee for their efforts, but also share it with the public is significant. Use content that encourages comments and make sure to tag the employee so all of their network sees the post.
Before moving forward with any of this, check with the employee and make sure they are comfortable with public recognition. Some employees will prefer a more internal tactic, which should always be respected.
3. Remain transparent and lenient on social-media guidelines. Giving employees the opportunity to become brand advocates for the company can help the company reach an extremely expansive audience. However, this also opens up the company to more vulnerabilities and potential issues.
Instead of providing strict rules and guidelines for employees, lead by example. Remain honest and transparent internally about what is being and will be said on social media. Ask that employees respect this and explain why some things are withheld so they understand why they must remain quiet on certain topics.
Transparency provides extremely strong alignment between employees and their employers and allows social media to be a much more powerful tool that truly impacts a company’s bottom line.
About the Author
Andre Lavoie is the CEO of ClearCompany, the first talent-alignment platform that aims to bridge the gap between talent management and business strategy by contextualizing employees’ work around a company’s vision and goals.
* This article originally appeared on Entrepreneur.
Entrepreneurs! Take a Break: It Can Help Your Business
By Christopher Ramirez
We, as entrepreneurs, know that in order to grow our businesses we have to work tirelessly, not only in the beginning but always. And when we love what we do it doesn’t seem like work, but this workaholic attitude is cool when it is controlled. Excess can be dangerous, for your health and your business.
My recommendation: Take a break!
I’m not talking about taking a full time vacation for a week or so. I mean during your workweek, schedule a few minutes a day to just relax and clear your mind.
I know, the idea of having less time to do the work of a day can be a little stressful, but see it in a positive way, it can make you focus in the real work that has to be done. Better efficiency.
But also, taking a break entails great benefits, here’s a list of some of them:
1. Recover from work:
The first benefit is the obvious one. Taking a break helps to regain strengths and focus. I highly recommend taking a nap, maybe not every day but on those days when you are feeling more exhausted. In a few days you will feel the difference. If you don’t believe I invite to read this article about napping.
2. Isolating the really important things to do:
When you take a break, you can focus on the really important things. Analyzing what’s best for your business and the tasks you have to be doing. Than after that little break you can focus on all those things, making you feel your work was way more productive.
3. Remember things that you haven’t done:
There are tasks that sometimes we forget to do, more often than you think. Maybe buy something, pay something, send an email or even make a call at certain hour. Taking a break makes your mind clear, it’s like when you go to bed at night and then you just remember everything you had to do, but without the inconvenience of “it’s already night!”
4. Opportunity to keep in touch:
Disconnected from all the work, you have the opportunity to make some calls or send a text to your friends you haven’t seen, to call your family or whoever you miss and want to call. To maintain your relationships when you become an entrepreneur is sometimes hard, but always try to keep in touch with the people that have always been there for you.
5
. Finding new ideas:
This happens to me a lot, doesn’t matter if I’m taking a break or enjoying my weekend, there’s always a new idea that pops up onto my head. To be honest not always the idea has something to do with work, but the few ideas that pops out have helped me in changing my business model and create more value to my customers. Taking a break allows your brain to generate new ideas and new concepts can at the end can benefit your business a lot more than keep working non-stop.
Taking a break, it sounds counterproductive but really it isn’t. It has great benefits for you (health, focus, helps maintain relationships) and your business (gets work done, help creating more value). The next time you’re working like there is no tomorrow and you feel a little sleepy or exhausted remember these 5 benefits and don’t feel guilty after.
About the Author
Cristopher Ramírez is a Mexican entrepreneur and small business investor. Passionate writer in entrepreneurship and motivation articles for local papers, college magazine and the blog he funded. He is also the author of Imperio Emprendedor. You can follow him in Twitter.
* This article originally appeared on Under30CEO.com
The Three Bandits of Change Leadership
By Jim Haudan
Successful businesses are constantly changing. They’re introducing new offerings based on customer demand, making product updates to improve their bottom line, expanding into new markets, promoting employees and more. But unfortunately not everyone is always ready to adapt. In fact, for every supporter of change, leaders will be challenged by those who are resistant or scared to embrace the new, the unknown. And because of the disharmony caused by the change-adverse, the leadership, and possibly the whole organization, is put at risk for failure.