Tech Biz of Coaching: June 2015

By: Stan Washington

Date: June 05, 2015

“This is going to be the best company” was the thought I had placed in my mind when I entered my last corporate position. When I approached the company with that attitude, it actually was a great experience. I rose through the ranks and assumed a great deal of responsibility. Each move I made had new challenges, new problems, new people to meet and relate to.

When I transitioned to become an entrepreneur I was in for pleasant yet sometimes rude awakening. Know yourself! Here are a few thoughts to keep in mind.

1. Years of training can pay off

As a corporate leader of a Fortune 100 company, I had some of the best training available to me. When transitioning to your own business, leverage this great expertise you have acquired. Whether through training or on the job learning, your experience is valuable.

2. They don’t have to listen to you

I used to speak in front of very large crowds about the new thing we were rolling out and people had to listen. Your customers have many choices and they do not “have” to listen to you. Be humble and leverage the negotiating training and skills you have acquired.

3. You may have to delegate to yourself

If you had a staff of people you used to delegate to do things, you may have to change your mindset. When starting up, you may have to do many things others would do for you. Be balanced though. Find the right resources that can help you get things done well and pick up the slack only where needed.

4. It’s a marathon not a sprint

I ran a marathon recently and learned a ton of parallels. Don’t start off too fast or you will exhaust yourself. Running the long race takes practice and preparedness similar to business. Even when I hurt my ankle I had to finish the race and being in business I’ve had to shake off the temptation to give up. Celebrate every mile, sometimes every step, forward progress is key.

5. You are blessed and in a new stage

Make and mold this new stage in life rather than reminiscing the good old days of your rise. Just because I received high academic honors in third grade doesn’t make me want to go back through school. Leverage the great experiences and achievements as fuel to your new life as an entrepreneur. Treat people with respect and know you are blessed and watched over.

Tech Biz of Coaching

Friday, June 19, 2015

People Who Started a Business Over 40 - Business Insider

Stan Lee created his first hit comic title, "The Fantastic Four," just shy of his 39th birthday. In the next few years, he created the legendary Marvel Universe, whose characters like Spider-Man and the X-Men became American cultural icons.

Gary Heavin was 40 when he opened the first Curves fitness center in 1992, which ended up becoming one of the fastest-growing franchises of the '90s.

Vera Wang was a figure skater and journalist before entering the fashion industry at age 40. Today she's one of the world's premier women's designers.

Samuel Jackson has been a Hollywood staple for years now, but he'd had only bit parts before landing an award-winning role at age 43 in Spike Lee's film "Jungle Fever" in 1991.

Henry Ford was 45 when he created the revolutionary Model T car.

Jack Weil was 45 when he founded what became the most popular cowboy-wear brand, Rockmount Ranch Wear. He remained its CEO until he died at the ripe old age of 107 in 2008.

Rodney Dangerfield is remembered as a legendary comedian, but he didn't catch a break until he made a hit appearance on "The Ed Sullivan Show" at age 46.

Momofuku Ando cemented his spot in junk food history when he invented instant ramen at age 48 in 1958.

Charles Darwin spent most of his life as a naturalist who kept to himself, but at age 50 his "On the Origin of Species" changed the scientific community forever in 1859.

Julia Child worked in advertising and media before writing her first cookbook when she was 50, launching her career as a celebrity chef.

Tim and Nina Zagat were both 51-year-old lawyers when they published their first collection of restaurant reviews under the Zagat name, which eventually became a mark of culinary authority.

Ray Kroc spent his career as a milkshake device salesman before buying McDonald's at age 52 in 1954. He grew it into the world's biggest fast-food franchise.

Taikichiro Mori was an academic who became a real estate investor at age 51 when he founded Mori Building Company. His brilliant investments made him the richest man in the world in 1992, when he had a net worth of $13 billion.

Wally Blume had a long career in the dairy business before starting his own ice cream company, Denali Flavors, at age 57 in 1995. The company reported revenue of $80 million in 2009.

Harland Sanders, better known as Colonel Sanders, was 62 when he franchised Kentucky Fried Chicken in 1952, which he would sell for $2 million 12 years later.

Anna Mary Robertson Moses, better known as Grandma Moses, began her prolific painting career at 78. In 2006, one of her paintings sold for $1.2 million.

Harry Bernstein spent a long life writing in obscurity, achieving notoriety at long last at age 96 for his 2007 memoir "The Invisible Wall: A Love Story That Broke Barriers."

Saturday, June 13, 2015

5 Steps to Acquire New Customers

Friday, June 5, 2015

Leaving Corporate to Become a Successful Entrepreneur