Good advice can be hard to come by, and oftentimes you take it with a grain of salt. But when you receive that great piece of advice in a moment that you really needed to hear it, it can stick with you forever.
We asked successful entrepreneurs to share the advice they were given that they keep referring back to years later. Maybe these words of inspiration can keep you motivated during tough times as a business owner who is just getting started!
Just enjoy the journey
Josh Bluman the co-founder of JJ Suspenders says, “I think when you’re really going through the ringer in terms of not being able to meet your own goals and expectations, you tend to not focus on what else is happening around you. This means you miss a lot of the small wins that are what can help to keep you motivated and to find meaning in what you do. A long time ago a good friend of mine told me that I just need to enjoy the journey because it takes a long time to get to your bigger goals.
“When I can finally just enjoy the process for what it is, running a business is just as exhilarating as it is tough. But looking at it from more of an outer perspective and just letting the chips fall where they land helps me to be less stressed and enjoy the ride!”
Compete with others, not yourself
“Knowing your self-worth is not something that comes easily to anyone”, suggests Karen Lee the founder of Smart Robotic Home. “It’s tough to think more positively than it is to think of the worst case scenario, but when you don’t, you risk competing with yourself. This causes you to always have an inner critic that never seems to go away, and you always doubt yourself more than you should.
“A few years back a colleague of mine could see I was struggling with just being satisfied with my successes, and he said that I need to focus more on competing with my competition and not with myself. I always think back to this quote because if I put half as much energy into worrying about how I can rise above my competition as much as I doubt myself, I would be in a much more comfortable position. It’s important to always try to nip your inner critic in the bud and to focus less on your “inabilities” that you make up, and focus more on the bigger picture which is growing your business in a healthy way!”
A vacation is a necessity, not an indulgence
Paulina Burbano de Lara the CEO of Metropolitan Touring shares that, “many years ago a former manager said to a group of us that a vacation is a necessity and not an indulgence. I carry this with me all of the time because it’s an important reminder that your well-being is a major part of why you can continue to do what you do. Now as a business owner, I know the necessities of giving yourself time off to unwind and prevent serious consequences like burnout. In an age where we tend to work until we’re sick, it’s time to realize that no one can function that way, and that PTO and vacations are a requirement and not something we can continuously put off.
“You should always prioritize your health and well-being, which is why planning time off for each year is a great way to follow through with it and get the well deserved rest you need.”
Always strive to make more friends than enemies
Another helpful piece of advice that most people try to follow is to always look at making more friends than enemies. This doesn’t mean ignoring red flags in the people you meet, but it’s important to recognize that burning bridges is much worse than mending them. When you have a great group of professionals in your circle, the chances of you becoming successful increases greatly. This is because strong relationships in the business world provide you with support and resources that you wouldn’t have been able to get by yourself.
So always go into networking events or meeting new professionals for the first time with the mindset that you are going to make friends instead of having a more guarded or negative mindset.
