A Girl, A Hotel & Entrepreneurial Feelings
How do you feel about your business?
Our numbers are good, so I think we are on the right path.
No, I want to know – how do you feel?
Well, with the recent boost in sales, I believe we are doing well, especially when it comes to building awareness.
You are not answering my question.
Upon entering the boardroom at the very plush and trendy Hotel deLuxe in Portland, Oregon, I was greeted by Lynette Xanders, the mastermind behind the Entrepreneurs Boot Camp seminar I would be immersed in for the day. While chatting for a moment, I took in the alluring atmosphere. What a beautiful boardroom! High ceilings with gorgeous gold molding, massive mirrors covering the walls and a fun swirling carpet pattern lining the floor. Not to mention the delicious cheese platter in the back corner – that I would later visit multiple times.
Wow.
I like.
From the get-go, Lynette used her charm and friendly demeanor to make everyone feel welcome. With each participant’s introduction came an interesting and different story. But they all had one thing in common:
Striving to be their own boss.
I was intrigued.
Lynette informed the room that we would leave the seminar with a brief, a manifesto, a business card draft, and a cultural mandate. What she forgot to mention was a fresh perspective.
One of the first – and also one of the hardest – exercises she challenged us with was to define success.
My mind immediately went to money. Money is success, right? After hearing various answers from around the room I began to re-evaluate.
“The day I am not rushed, I have found success.”
“Having the means to raise a family is my success.”
“Feeling a sense of fulfillment and joy is how I define success.”
Now that we all had a sense of what we truly wanted out of life, it was time to find a way to get to that place.
Fully expecting Lynette to jump right into business strategy – assets, capital employed, cashflow statements (you know, stuff I don’t understand) – you can imagine my relief when she started in on space.
Our space.
The space we surround ourselves in. Our houses. Our offices. Hell, even our desktops. Each space makes us feel something – whether we realize it or not.
One of the most important theories I took away from her presentation was, “Know when and how to do your best work.” That essentially comes down to how you feel – which is directly influenced by the space you surround yourself in.
Clutter = the devil.
Don’t get me wrong – she did sneak in some business tips:
Think of your brand as a person, how would she look?
80 percent of your revenue comes from 20 percent of your cliental.
The very first thing you need to do is register a URL, a tax ID number and a checking account.
But anyone can offer up that information.
Lynette made a point to advise us on outlooks that are often and unfortunately overlooked. Number one:
Feeling comes before thinking.
A concept even well-seasoned professionals have a hard time comprehending – let alone executing.
So you are probably wondering what to do if you can’t figure out how you feel about something.
Simple.
Lynette calls it The Penny Test.
Take three pennies. Name heads one option and tails the alternative. Throw them all up in the air. Pay attention to your reaction after observing the results. Are you happy with the outcome – or do you want to toss again?
Now I understand.
It’s not about the end result; it’s how you feel about the end result.
And only after understanding that can you work toward doing something about it.
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- by AWSC
- posted at 5:00 am
- April 13, 2012
