Why Try To Get Out Of Your Box, When You Can Use What's In It?
Every day can stand for the start of a new year.
You’re only one good meal away from eating healthy on a regular basis again.
You’re only one dead-lift away from getting back on your workout plan.
All that matters is today and if you do what you’ve set out to.
The new year? It doesn’t start on January 1st. It starts when you do.
Stay Positive & It Starts Today, It Starts Now
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You can label a handful of people as successful entrepreneurs, but it does damage to one’s perception of what it takes to become a successful entrepreneur.
A group of businessmen and women may be labeled as successful entrepreneurs, but they are all successful in different ways. They all accomplished their goals of starting and running a remarkable business differently.
There are no manuals for becoming a successful entrepreneur because there’s no one way to do it. Everyone does it differently.
The best way to market, the best way to start a business, the best way to get on the NYT bestseller list is your own way, the way YOU invent.
Even if you mimic the work of Gladwell or Godin, there’s only one Gladwell and Godin; there’s no room for you. That’s the way it ought to be.
Decide now that you’ll be a successful entrepreneur, but don’t expect to get there solely by following a step-by-step guide (because there isn’t one).
Stay Positive & Go Create Your Own Guidelines To Becoming A Successful Entrepreneur
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The only direction Zachary Lukasiewicz knows is forward. He’s never in the same spot twice and he never backtracks. He’s a dreamer and a doer who understands progress. Through hustling, he sweats passion.
After connecting with him on LinkedIn, we had a Random Call where we chatted entrepreneurship, tackling fear, and staying positive. He’s a cool cat to know. One that’s going places.
That is why I chose Zachary for my eighth Q&A in my Unlocking Potential series.
Welcome, Zachary.
Q: In just a few sentences, tell me about yourself, better yet, what would others say about you if asked?
Zach has a passion for hacking together community-focused subscription-based products and growing companies through social media and content channels.
Q: What do you do?
I start conversations that revolutionize products and raise profits. Currently I’m working with Think Digital (ad agency) on building a product to creating more knowledge leaders via LinkedIn, and working with Hatchlings (Facebook application) to optimize customer funnels for conversion.
Q: How do you define marketing?
The total defined experience and interaction with a product – from search optimization to purchase behavior to delivery to my favorite part – building evangelists through continued customer interaction. Each piece is essential, and without any a product is destined to fail.
Q: What is one of the most valuable experiences you’ve had?
Putting myself through a $3,000 copy-writing course taught by expert John Carlton. A friend and I went through the course in a week, and it taught us how to frame components of your product to create a beautiful sales page and create compelling content that converts.
Q: What are two habits you deem necessary for any entrepreneur?
Habits change, but the mindset that you need to maintain has two major themes, summed up in the following quotes.
– Imagine that there is someone working 24 hours a day to BE BETTER THAN YOU. If you don’t believe that, then entrepreneurship isn’t for you.
– You should always be embarrassed by your first iteration of your product. While it isn’t perfect, its miles ahead of most “wantrepreneurs”.
Q: What are three life lessons you’ve learned a long the way?
– Stand on the shoulders of others. Learn from their mistakes and don’t make them yourself.
– Your network is like a muscle. Stretch it, and it will grow and strengthen. But atrophy will take its toll if you don’t exercise enough.
– Have others build your product. Humans by nature are always willing you to tell you what’s wrong. If you can solve that problem, and they are willing to pay for it, then build it. REMEMBER: Validation isn’t when the problem exists, it’s when you can get others to pay you for the solution.
Q: What are some common mistakes marketers make and how could they resolve them or prevent them altogether?
Most marketers don’t give a darn about anything yet have an opinion about everything. Learn to break through the clutter and you will be successful. This leads directly into my next point.
Most marketers will waste – yes, WASTE years, possibly even decades stumbling to learn how to market and sell products that others create. Be remarkable YOURSELF – Create your own product, learn from others and become your own legend.
Q: Anything else you want to add that starting entrepreneurs should know?
Befriend the most successful people in your network. Then shut your mouth and take in everything. Then take what you’ve learned and apply it to yourself and your company. If you do this correctly, your network should change every 6-12 months. If it’s not, you either aren’t stretching yourself, aren’t reaching out to enough successful entrepreneurs, or aren’t following the advice that you need to be following.
ps – There is a simple solution to get rich: Find out how the rich got rich.
Q: Where can people find you and your art?
Follow me or connect with me on LinkedIn . That is my social network, my blog, etc.
Stay Positive & Get Out There And Make A Ruckus
If you’re nice, you’re likeable. And likeable trumps interesting everyday.
Stay Positive & Give Your Heart Out
Friends, you know how much I look up to Seth Godin. My friend KP and I along with some other Seth tribe members created this site for him. We encourage you to send an email to a friend who may not be acquainted with Seth or his writing. Using our site you will attach a blog post of Seth’s that fits the recipients current life/work situation. You’re encouraged to add a personal note along with it. Think of the blog post as a present and the note is the card you place on top.
Cheers to a happy holiday, a remarkable new year, and doing work that matters.
Stay Positive & Share Some Seth
It’s quite simple. Walk to your printer. Pull out a piece of paper. Fold it in half. Draw a heart or a christmas tree or whatever you think you are somewhat good at drawing, then, on the inside, write a personal note. Thank the special someone for something. Share a memory they may have thought you’ve forgotten. Wish them a remarkable year. Remind them not to lose to fear. Sign your name… in really poor cursive, of course.
Gift cards are scams. One day shipping is a cop-out. An eCard isn’t personal enough.
Sometimes a card that shows you truly care is all you need to give.
Stay Positive & People Need Emotion, Sincerity, Compassion
Here’s me, taking the risk of putting myself out there. Enjoy.
Big shout out to WSUM for having me on air. You can listen to other interviews here.
Stay Positive & Ship Something Every Day
