When I was in elementary school, I owned a craft store in my parents’ basement. I was the CEO and had two employees: my brother and my best friend. Sadly, after a year of lingering sales, we closed shop.
I suppose you could say I caught the entrepreneurial bug early on.
But I chose a different route. During my 20s, I spent a great deal of time traveling around the globe, freelancing for magazines, working on a book, and writing short stories. No matter where I went or what I wrote, nothing seemed to satisfy me.
Now I know why.
Fast forward to 2007. While attending a literary conference in Kenya, I realized that I wanted to do more with my writing gift. I wanted to touch more lives, do great things. I didn’t want to just see the world; I wanted to help create it. And on Christmas day while staying on the island of Lamu, the idea for my company was born.
A few months after I returned, I couldn’t contain my entrepreneurial spirit any longer, and I made the leap to start my copywriting company. During the first few months in business, I discovered my passion and talent for writing website content and working with companies to increase sales through online marketing efforts. I also learned what it takes to realize one’s dreams, what mistakes to avoid, and how to implement a vision, among other things.
So you see, it’s perfect that I should be returning to Africa for the one-year anniversary of Sumèr because it’s the place where I first realized my dream to own a company, a company like Sumèr.
Below are 10 things I’ve learned about running a successful company.
- Follow your desire: Do what you love. If you hate what you do, if you aren’t truly passionate about it, then find something you do love to do.
- Work toward fulfilling your vision: Write it down and review it regularly. If you don’t know what you want, you’ll never get it.
- Trust your gut: I’ve learned that 99% of doing business is about trusting your instincts. Do people think I’m nuts sometimes? Yes. Do I care? No. I have learned to trust my gut and have faith that everything will work out. If I overanalyze an opportunity or situation, I end up miserable and worried.
- Leap, and the net will appear: I used to be an adrenalin junky so taking risks was never too uncomfortable for me. However, as each day passes, the stakes get higher and higher. I’ve found the bigger the risk, the more rewarding the payoff.
- Listen: I like to talk. A lot. But I’ve learned success comes from listening. Not just listening to prospects, clients, and employees, but also to my own inner voice.
- Hire a mentor: If you think you can do this alone—you can’t. You are not an island. Find someone who has been where you are now, someone who will hold you accountable and help guide you when times get tough.
- Read, read, read: I regularly read biographies of accomplished men and women and study books on improving business systems and mindset. You’d be amazed at how helpful these books are when it comes to making daily business decisions.
- Surround yourself with like-minded individuals: Join a mastermind. It’s one of the best investments you can make in your business . . . and your life.
- Delegate as much as you can: I love being in control, but I also know I cannot grow and do all the work myself. Delegation is the key to growth.
- Learn from your mistakes: Mistakes are a good thing—but only if you learn from them and do your best to find the cause of the problem.
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