So how did i get here…
“From hustling sodas at the local racetrack as a kid, shining shoes in the barbershop, to now watching my grandchildren launch businesses”
By Mike Michael
Hi, most people call me Mike. I am a seasoned business owner with decades of experience in starting and managing ventures that have included insurance agencies, real estate brokerages, retail operations, food service, and more.
As with any entrepreneur or business owner, I’ve seen my share of success and failure, but most importantly, I’ve learned, and that’s why I’m here, on COUNTY, to share what I’ve encountered and hopefully help others in their journey.
Another goal of mine is to encourage. Often, some of the best business ideas never get seen. Why? In my opinion, it’s one of two reasons, sometimes both –
- not sure what the next step is
- scared of failing
Fear of failure holds back many entrepreneurs, but to fail, you’ve got to start. “Start” is the “next step” –
- Start thinking about your idea. Who is my audience, who are my competitors, what do I need to do to get it off the ground, who can help?
- Start validating your idea, get feedback from others, make changes to your idea as you go.
- Do you have a buyer of your product or service? You won’t know until you try to sell it.
- Do seek perfection. Often, the time spent on perfecting an idea until the time you launch it, the business climate has changed. Get your minimum viable product or service out there and fast.
- Start selling your idea… and try to fail fast. If your idea doesn’t get traction, it’s better to see that early on, rather than 2-3 years out. If that idea doesn’t work, move on to the next.
So, what’s next? Overcoming the fear? Ever spoke in public? Maybe you had a seminar that you were to present at and you spent a lot of energy getting prepared and were nervous… only to find out that when you got in front of the crowd, after a couple of minutes it wasn’t as bad as you thought it’d be? And the more you do it, the easier it gets… you see where I’m going with this – overcome the fear by doing.
Many successful business owners are multiple business owners and they’ve become so through using some of these same tools and processes, over and over again, each time learning and improving.
I started this post out with “So how did I get here...” I got here by starting, failing, improving, pivoting, succeeding, and doing it over, and over again. And along the way, I’ve helped and mentored others, which is why today I get to enjoy watching my grandchildren evolve into entrepreneurs.
Get started.
Mike
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