Startup Professionals Musings

NOVEMBER 20, 2017

Every entrepreneur can learn from a mentor, no matter how confident or successful they have been to date. Yet most entrepreneurs simply don’t know how to work with a mentor. Some of the best mentoring relationships don’t involve monetary compensation, but none are free. Agree on specific objectives and time frames.

Mentor 60

Mentor Startup Summary Satisfaction 60

Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 10, 2013

Every entrepreneur can learn from a mentor, no matter how confident or successful they have been to date. Even one of the richest, Bill Gates , still values his friend Warren Buffett as his mentor. Mentoring is not as simple as one person giving the other all the right answers. Agree on specific objectives and time frames.

Mentor 103

Mentor Product Startup Summary 103

Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 10, 2022

I was shocked to read an old Gallup study that indicates only 13 percent of employees worldwide are actively engaged at work, and more recent data shows only a small change in the right direction. Find ways to recharge your emotional batteries, through supportive relationships and community activities.

Examples 145

Examples Mentor Activity Product 145

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 22, 2023

As an experienced business professional and mentor, I find that most successful peers will admit that they love what they do. I always thought that I must be lucky to have found so much excitement and satisfaction from my work, so I never had any really good answers to those of you who second category who wanted to move to the first.

Coach 110

Coach Satisfaction Activity Startup 110

Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 23, 2022

In my experience as a mentor and advisor, I find that many of you expect these relationships will just happen , without any overt effort on your part. Actively seek out and attend key outside business conferences in order to meet and get to know people who can help you, and you can help in return.

Product 102

Product Mentor Startup Activity 102

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 2, 2020

Their satisfaction comes from proving nay-sayers wrong. Actively seek and learn from the counsel of smart people. Make sure you actively interact with and show appreciation for people smarter than you, even if they don’t always agree with you. It also helps to emulate the success of others with similar goals.

Startup 173

Startup Mentor Activity Entrepreneur 173

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 15, 2023

Many people believe that new ideas are the critical element of innovation, but in my experience as a mentor and investor, long-term business success is more about implementation than ideas. Purpose defines the feeling that everyone wants to have from helping others and doing good for the world. First, failure is not always bad.

Artificial Inteligence 114

Artificial Inteligence Ideas Satisfaction Customer 114

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 13, 2023

Yet I find in my mentoring practice that more and more team members prefer the human-centered approach and respond with more engagement and commitment. If you're asking someone else and wish to build that connection, be actively present during the interaction. Enhance capability by helping others grow.

Case Study 112

Case Study Study Startup Examples 112

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 31, 2023

Inside the organization, it also pays to offer some of your time for coaching and mentoring to less experienced team members, as an entrée to a supportive relationship. It’s amazing how quickly these activities lead to leadership or management opportunities. Stretch here also increases job satisfaction. Loners need not apply.

Startup 121

Startup Satisfaction Technical Review Ideas 121

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 29, 2023

The best entrepreneurs relish the challenges, and get great satisfaction from overcoming and learning from adversity. Ask for help from advisors and mentor your team. People don’t usually need to ask for help with their dreams, but no entrepreneur I know has built a successful business alone.

Ideas 105

Ideas Startup Entrepreneur Social Media 105

Startup Professionals Musings

MARCH 19, 2023

Entrepreneurs need to be effective team leaders, since no one can transform an idea into a product and a business without some help. Unfortunately many founders I work with as a mentor are experts on the technical side, but have no insight into leading a team. If your team has trouble finding you, you won’t make productive connections.

Technical Review 127

Technical Review Development Team Review Startup Activity 127

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 10, 2023

According to the classic book, “ One Second Ahead ,” by noted authority on training the mind, Rasmus Hougaard, there are some basic rules that can really help you manage your focus and awareness in all work activities. I concur, based on my own extended career in business and mentoring entrepreneurs.

Email 96

Email Activity Product Social Media 96

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 30, 2023

Listen to your team, mentors, and customers to recognize real successes and failures, and surround yourself with people who can fill in the gaps. Make your mantra one of job satisfaction and delivering customer value, rather than avoiding failure today. That requires a variety of activities and rest.

Mentor 104

Mentor Startup Coach Satisfaction 104

Startup Professionals Musings

NOVEMBER 22, 2021

Your brain has leveled all events and activities into a desert of sand dunes, where just getting from one to another is a struggle, and there is nothing new to see over the next hill. Ask a mentor for support. Choose a friend or mentor (not your spouse) whom you trust to tell you the truth, and ask for help.

Startup 129

Startup Mentor Satisfaction Writing 129

Startup Professionals Musings

MARCH 11, 2020

I was shocked to read an old Gallup study that indicates only 13 percent of employees worldwide are actively engaged at work, and more recent data shows only a small change in the right direction. Find ways to recharge your emotional batteries, through supportive relationships and community activities.

Product 129

Product Examples Mentor Activity 129

Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 25, 2020

According to the classic book, “ One Second Ahead ,” by noted authority on training the mind, Rasmus Hougaard, there are some basic rules that can really help you manage your focus and awareness in all work activities. I concur, based on my own extended career in business and mentoring entrepreneurs.

Email 170

Email Activity Social Media Coach 170

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 19, 2018

For example, we all know people who really believe that everyone in the world is their supporter, when in fact many are actively working against them. In my role as a mentor to business professionals and entrepreneurs over the years, I have found that it’s important to take a hard look at the relationships around you on a regular basis.

Tips 95

Tips Mentor Coach Activity 95

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 30, 2020

I can’t help you get into the right mindset, but I can offer some proven specific steps for translating a business dream into reality, based on my own years of experience working at all levels in the business world: Narrow your focus, to identify your major business goal. Prioritize the activities and execution within each step.

Writing 139

Writing Startup Summary Activity 139

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 23, 2017

As an advisor to startups, and a mentor to many aspiring entrepreneurs, I’m still surprised at the number who are determined to go it alone. Even worse, when they figure out that they really need help, the first place they look is for an intern or untrained helpers. It’s your success and satisfaction that’s really at stake.

Help 66

Help Startup Course Technical Review 66

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 15, 2022

In my years of mentoring entrepreneurs, a problem I have seen too often is low self-esteem, and over-compensating through arrogance and ego. As a team member, low self-esteem leads to low confidence, poor productivity, and no job satisfaction. Free up your energy to be spent on more productive activities, and learn from past efforts.

Startup 101

Startup Satisfaction Entrepreneur Competition 101

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 5, 2022

Especially when distractions and emotions are high , it will help your focus to break down large challenges and crises into smaller elements to get things started and give you a sense of progress along the way. Look for a mentor, or expert in this area, and ask their advice. Provide tools and resources as required.

Develop 138

Develop Development Coach Satisfaction 138

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 9, 2022

A common request I get while mentoring entrepreneurs is for a copy of the startup checklist they need to follow, in order to build a successful new business. The challenge is that every new business needs to be innovative and different, in order to rise above the crowd, bring real change to the world, and give you the satisfaction you seek.

Technology 133

Technology Cloud Computing Social Media Networking 133

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 6, 2021

As a mentor to many entrepreneurs, I don’t believe that it is only a birthright, and there are several key strategies, including the following, that you can learn and practice which will lead to success: Give your own judgement a high priority in decisions. It can help you be right when, without expert help, you might fail.

Entrepreneur 132

Entrepreneur Course Satisfaction Guide 132

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 20, 2020

Entrepreneurs need to be effective team leaders, since no one can transform an idea into a product and a business without some help. Unfortunately many founders I work with as a mentor are experts on the technical side, but have no insight into leading a team. If your team has trouble finding you, you won’t make productive connections.

Technical Review 130

Technical Review Startup Development Team Review Activity 130

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 12, 2023

As an angel investor and a mentor to aspiring entrepreneurs, I’m always disappointed to see founders who seem stressed out most of the time, and more annoyed than energized by the abundance of challenges they see in building their startup. Able to balance right-brain and left-brain activities.

Entrepreneur 70

Entrepreneur Startup Activity Ideas 70

Startup Professionals Musings

NOVEMBER 8, 2020

The best entrepreneurs relish the challenges, and get great satisfaction from overcoming and learning from adversity. Ask for help from advisors and mentor your team. People don’t usually need to ask for help with their dreams, but no entrepreneur I know has built a successful business alone.

Startup 117

Startup Entrepreneur Social Media Coach 117

Startup Professionals Musings

MARCH 11, 2022

In my experience as a mentor and consultant, it is not just the words, but also your tone, approach, body language, and the context in which you choose to engage that can make all the difference. Ask for help and support, rather than appearing to issue orders and assign blame. This will get people’s respect and help you stay on point.

Summary 115

Summary Satisfaction Mentor Help 115

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 23, 2018

Some assume that the help will be too expensive or doesn’t exist, but I find that others are just horribly uncomfortable asking for any kind of help. I have found in business that other people are much more likely to help us than we realize, often for free or a later non-specific payback.

Mentor 53

Mentor Examples Help Satisfaction 53

InfoChachkie

APRIL 21, 2014

Rather than attempting to master the new activity, I would moved on to another task, seeking a gentler learning curve. My frustration with new activities was heightened by my desire to be "the best." As shown below, most people do not realize their incompetence at the outset of a new activity. Consciousness Can Be A Bummer.

Activity 275

Activity Santa Barbara Startup Tips 275

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 21, 2021

Sir Richard Branson , who controls over 400 active companies, never appears to be even working. In addition, he has often stated that his first priority is serving his employees and his extended business family, through coaching, mentoring, and effective communication. Lift everyone by eliminating complexity and highlighting value.

Technical Review 123

Technical Review Coach Satisfaction Mentor 123

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 4, 2020

Actively solicit insights from outside domain experts, and follow-up to expand your thinking relative to your own domain. Mentors and advocates will keep you focused and positive, and will develop your ability to speak to investors and customers with authenticity, credibility and confidence. Be forever curious and optimistic.

Startup 134

Startup Artificial Inteligence Ideas Entrepreneur 134

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 14, 2019

In my years of mentoring entrepreneurs, a problem I have seen too often is low self-esteem, and over-compensating through arrogance and ego. As a team member, low self-esteem leads to low confidence, poor productivity, and no job satisfaction. Free up your energy to be spent on more productive activities, and learn from past efforts.

Entrepreneur 98

Entrepreneur Startup Satisfaction Competition 98

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 13, 2019

Your brain has leveled all events and activities into a desert of sand dunes, where just getting from one to another is a struggle, and there is nothing new to see over the next hill. Ask a mentor for support. Choose a friend or mentor (not your spouse) whom you trust to tell you the truth, and ask for help.

Startup 82

Startup Mentor Satisfaction Writing 82

Startup Professionals Musings

NOVEMBER 2, 2015

Creating an innovative new business is guaranteed to test your skills, patience and determination, and you need to derive satisfaction from the journey, as well as the destination. To do it well requires a focus on several key activities and practices, including the following: Maintain a positive attitude, since startup problems are normal.

Startup 100

Startup Entrepreneur Satisfaction Metrics 100

Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 10, 2018

Most entrepreneurs see their new venture as a fun adventure, until the pressures of a cash flow crisis, or a manufacturing quality problem, or a major customer satisfaction problem hits. Even with all my years of experience mentoring in business, I can’t predict how you will prepare for and react to pressure situations.

Startup 82

Startup Satisfaction Entrepreneur Mentor 82

Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 26, 2016

When team member solutions work well, everyone wins, while top-down decisions provide minimal satisfaction and learning for the team. Listen actively to team member input to foster mutual trust. The best leaders focus on coaching and mentoring people on decision making, rather than giving orders.

Coach 64

Coach Satisfaction Organization Activity 64

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 18, 2017

Be aware that communication is much more than just talking and documenting – it’s active listening, building relationships, and walking the walk as well as the talk. On an ongoing basis, it also means mentoring for development of existing team members to prepare them for both the purpose and execution of new functions.

Satisfaction 56

Satisfaction Customer Custom Startup 56