It’s no wonder that so many people are striving for the entrepreneurial career path. It’s exciting, freeing and can be hugely rewarding. On a recent episode of Should I Start a Podcast I spoke with Jennifer Ho, the serial entrepreneur and host of the successful podcast, Big Girls Panties. She had a few pointers to help budding entrepreneurs level up and stay on their path to success.
You Don’t Know Everything, So Ask for Help
I feel that the more I learn, the more I realise I have a bigger list of things I don’t know – and frankly, it can get overwhelming. Every business owner will tell you that they’ve faced a dilemma at some point down the track, but what peaks my curiosity is how they dealt with it.
Entrepreneurs have a knack for being overly protective of their integrity as leaders. Becoming steadfast in their struggle and feeling they can go it alone, as they don’t want to give the impression they don’t know what they’re doing.
Well, this is just plain ridiculous. Being able to recognise your fallibility and call out for a helping hand makes you much more of a hero. “It’s being able to fail, and be okay with it,” Jennifer explains. Step back and acknowledge that “this is not my bag – maybe I should reach out and get some help.”
She suggests checking your ego at the door, and surrounding yourself with a skilled community that can effectively tackle problems to a better standard than you can. Don’t take it as an intentional kick to the ego, but see it as a way of giving you more time to spend on important tasks that require your full attention.
Write Down WHY You’re Doing What You’re Doing
Naivety is your worst enemy when you’re starting out with your entrepreneurial dream.
The first thing Jennifer feels that new entrepreneurs need to know is exactly why they’re choosing to enter the entrepreneurial arena. “What is the value for you? Who is this going to serve?” She asks. Once you have that in your head, you need to write it down, because you’re going to need it.
For Jennifer her ‘why’ extends from the need to provide people with a platform to speak, regardless of their views. “My mission in life is to touch, move and inspire as many people as possible, until my last breath.”
When times get tough – and they will – these things will keep you powering through rather than packing it all up and hitching a ride back to an office cubicle.
Create The Right Culture
The operational side of your business can be tricky – particularly if you have a global team scattered across both sides of the equator. Should something come up, finding solutions to tackle the problem means you need effective synchronicity and a healthy dose of communication.
Giving your team the capacity to come forward and speak with openness and honesty during crisis periods is critical. Jennifer points out that communication is personal, “People communicate differently, and people communicate differently on different days,”– just a key point to keep in mind.
This candidness can create a space and culture that allows you to be able to position the right person with the right skills to get the job done. “We have people in different time zones too, we encourage them to talk, and we also encourage responsibility in our business,” says Jennifer.
Jennifer recognises that “being in communication, creating relationships, partnerships, my business would not be what it is if I did not have a whole tribe around me, there’s no way I could do it myself.”
To hear the full conversation between Ronsley and Jennifer, click here.
Author: Ronsley Vaz
Ronsley is the founder & chief day dreamer at AMPLIFY. He is an author, speaker & serial entrepreneur.
He has a Masters’ degree in Software Engineering and an MBA in Psychology and Leadership. He is known as the creator of We Are Podcast – the first Podcasting Conference in the Southern Hemisphere, and the host of The Bond Appetit Podcast and Should I Start a Podcast. He has an audience of over 3 million in 133 countries.