Category: business coach

3 Reasons Why You Shouldn’t Be An Entrepreneur

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dark-side

Follow your dreams. Live your passions. Be your own boss.

You’ve heard it all, but for every entrepreneurial success story you hear, there’s at least 99 that failed. Hate to be the bearer of bad news, but choosing to own a business means working more hours for less money at the start.

Just like learned leadership skills don’t make you a good leader, entrepreneurship is open to all, but few thrive. The influx of new businesses is a result of a couple of things: more options to choose from, a failing education system and an emphasis on lifestyle over work.

Consider these 3 areas of concern before making the jump to entrepreneurship:

Lack of a steady paycheck – Freedom is great, but flexibility without knowing when the next time you get paid is downright scary. If you get to call the shots, it means you also have to figure out how to become the company’s best salesperson. It doesn’t matter how good your ideas are if no one is paying you for them. Spend time making a business plan, building a solid culture and researching your target market, but most of all…sell. There’s no shortage of business opportunities to get involved with, but the question you should be asking yourself is: “How can I monetize this?”

Lack of organizational structure – Escaping an 8-5 job sounds exhilarating, but without someone telling you when to come in and go home can be a challenge to balance. If you set your schedule, there’s no one holding you accountable to hold to it. If you work from home, distractions are multiplied compared to working in an office. Being organized becomes a necessity, not a skill set. The biggest challenge is creating boundaries throughout the day, so you can quantify your time spent. My observation is creatives have the hardest transition with this because artists want to focus on doing their work, not setting it up.

Lack of face-to-face interaction – Entrepreneurship is lonely. It’s like being isolated on an island equipped with wi-fi and a mobile phone. The conversations you took for granted at your last corporate job are now treasured. One of the reasons why entrepreneurs flock to networking events isn’t because they’re extreme extroverts, it’s because they’re looking for warm bodies to be around. Technology has given us the ability to connect globally, but it can’t replicate grabbing coffee at a meeting. If you consider yourself collaborative or a team player, think twice about this one. Tom Hanks in Cast Away may be a bit extreme, but too much alone time can drive you crazy.

The difference between a business and a hobby is money made. Owning a business is similar to the concept of branding. Your opinion doesn’t validate a successful business, your customers do.

This post isn’t meant to discourage you from taking your idea to reality. It’s just a reminder that the grass isn’t always greener on the other side. If you don’t believe me, go outside and turn a patch of grass over.

Why I Hate The Grind

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daily-grind

You may like to hustle, but few enjoy the grind.

Hustling is about chasing exciting things and doing whatever it takes to get there.

Grinding is about doing the same thing over and over because results don’t happen overnight.

Hustling is about passion. Grinding is about effort.

Call me lazy, but I hate the grind.

Detailed, precise and repetitive usually wins the race, but the monotony can kill your vibe.

Back in the industrial age it was all about the grind, but now with massive amounts of information, technology and DIY You Tube videos it’s hard to stay focused in an A.D.D. world.

Take for instance coaching. One reason I love it is because every client is different. From a startup’s perspective that makes it hard to scale, but I pride myself on thinking on the fly. Showing up with an agenda doesn’t work. Being ready for the extremes does.

Talk with anyone successful in sales and they’ll tell you it’s a numbers game. If your closing rate is 5%, then for every 20 people you talk to you should gain 1 new customer on average. Most engineers stick to a formula that can be repeated over time. Eventually they know the results will come. Those jobs require someone who can grind hard. Problem is, everyone isn’t cut out for it.

So once you determine the lifestyle you’re after, identify if you’re a hustler or a grinder. The two are as different as an introvert and extrovert. Know which one gives you energy and which one sucks the life out of you.

Why Culture Is King & Position Is Queen

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king-and-queen

When’s the last time you thought about applying for a new job?

Truth is, much like the cliche “the grass isn’t always greener on the other side,” it may not be your job that’s actually frustrating you.

The reason culture is king and position is queen is because the former rules over the latter.

Let’s say you land your dream job, but the culture is so toxic you end up quitting?

On the other hand, step into a company culture where you feel valued and working your way up doesn’t seem so bad anymore.

As a career coach, here are the implications: don’t just apply for positions, apply to companies you want to work for. If you get into the right cultural fit, it’s fairly easy to move up as an internal candidate.

That means as a job seeker (passive or active) you should be targeting companies you want to work for as much as positions you qualify for. The corporate world is evolving and what forward-thinking companies realize is: if you take care of your employees, they will in-turn take care of your customers.

In this day and age you and I have a plethora of choices.

A.D.D. isn’t a disorder, it’s the norm.

That means as workers, you have options.

Purpose and passion have been replaced by lifestyle as the driver…and culture supports that.

How To Effectively Deal With Rejection

Scott Asai3 Comments

kid-rejection

Whether a job, customer or relationship…rejection sucks.

Technically the more you deal with rejection, the stronger you become can be true, early on it just plain stings. Some describe it as a numbness, disbelief or in a daze. No matter how you slice it, it’s painful.

I’m not calling myself an expert when it comes to rejection (that’s a bad look anyway right?), but I do know there are two areas you have to address quickly: ego and focus.

First, ego. Ever watch reality TV? Even though it’s not reality, emotion is normally driven by ego (hence good TV). Feelings are hard to fake (unless you’re a Kardashian) and rejection hits your ego like a mack truck. In a competition, losing and winning affects the ego greatly. For an example, when a contestant on a reality TV show doesn’t win, it’s more about the embarrassment and how it makes you feel than actually losing itself. In order to move on from rejection, you must separate ego from the task at hand plus the overall big picture.

Second, focus. If I told you to drive on the freeway only looking in your rear view mirror would you do it? (If you answered yes, please get some help!) That analogy is similar to what we do after being rejected. We look at the past instead of focus on the future. Now as hard as that sounds, let me share why this is one of the reasons I became a coach. Life happens and when it does, it doesn’t always fall in our favor. This is where choice comes in. You can choose to dwell in the past or look forward to the future. Sure, you can learn from your mistakes, but stay in the past too long and you’ll become stifled. Regardless the cause of the rejection, the best thing you can do is forget it happened and move on. Using a relationship as an example, the best advice I ever got and followed is excommunicate your ex for a while to advance the healing process. Sounds cold, but it works.

Rejection is a tough subject, but something we all deal with. The better equipped you are, the faster you can bounce back. Don’t worry if you don’t have tough skin, you can still apply these tactics.

Ready. Set. Move On!

 

The Death Of The 40 Hour Work Week

Scott Asai1 Comment

workaholic

Have you ever wondered when the 40-hour work week became the norm?

Traditions don’t always stand the test of time (just ask the church) when purpose is lost.

Just because you work 9-5 doesn’t make you productive. This is what matters: getting stuff done. If you can accomplish the same amount of work in 30 hours vs. 40 hours shouldn’t that be rewarded?

People should be judged on the outcome, not the process. Companies who crack down on their employees by banning social media at work are ridiculous. I’m not condoning “online chatting” on the job, but who cares as long as they get their work done?

Think back to the last time you worked for a micromanaging boss. Did your performance thrive of suffer? How about company loyalty? Morale? You get the point…

Today, we have choices. Finding a job isn’t easy, but more people quit now because they’re not “happy” or “fulfilled” than at any other time in history. Companies recruit talent with perks more than salary now because lifestyle matters.

Yes, paying the bills is important, but being miserable at work literally sucks the life out of you. That’s why flex-time, remote working and paid vacation time are at the top of the list for most wanted rewards.

Your paycheck supports your way of life (not the other way around). Companies need to figure that out or suffer the consequences of high turnover. That doesn’t mean you offer free food (although that doesn’t hurt) and enable entitlement, it just means focus on: outcome & culture.

What if the mandate was a 4-day work week with an optional 5th day if you don’t finish your work? My bet would be most people would work a lot harder to have a 3-day weekend.

Salaried jobs have become ridiculous, some demanding 60+ hours weekly. There aren’t any badges handed out for working the most hours. In fact, if you need to work that long maybe you’re set up to fail.

Too many hours spent at work is playing with fire. It’s risking burn-out and disgruntled workers. Culture has as much to do with employee health, as core values and mission statements.

Maybe the problem is we’re measuring the wrong things. Are you more concerned about being busy or productive? The answer to that question affects your bottom line greatly.

Why You Shouldn’t Follow Your Dreams

Scott Asai3 Comments

dream-killer

Before you label me a dream killer, hear me out…

It’s inspiring to pursue your passions, but it’s not practical. I’m not trying to sound like your parent(s), but a voice of reason.

The more important question you should be asking yourself is: “How can I monetize my dream?”

Shark Tank, Pitch Fests and Startups have us obsessed with chasing what we love, yet the problem is the pot of the gold at the end of the rainbow is usually empty.

I’m as guilty of this as you. I think of a great idea, my mind (and heart) starts racing. I think of all the possibilities, but rarely about the obstacles. I chase the future, but am not always rooted in the present.

Only in the past 10 years have most professionals started saying: I want to do something I love.  That’s awesome, but not realistic.  If I can teach you anything, it’s to study how to make money from your idea from the beginning. There’s enough information on: TV shows, You Tube Videos & social media to get you started (no, you don’t need to go to school for a degree…experience beats education every day).

You learn by doing. Make mistakes. Ask experts. It’s smarter to launch your idea as a side project initially and if it takes off, make it your main thing. If not, lesson learned and at least you’re not depressed and unemployed. I’ve seen too many people chase potential only to be living at their parents house into their 30’s waiting for lightning to strike.

If I could go back to college, I’d give myself the following pieces of advice:

– Intern to learn a sales model then try to better it.

– Sell something, a product or service because it doesn’t matter how great your idea is until someone else sees the value in it and buys it

– Network like your life depends on it. The world is about who you know, not what you know. Remember that.

So my message to you for 2016 isn’t to settle for a corporate gig, it’s to find work that can support the lifestyle you desire. Success is defined by you and you only. Chase your dreams, but work relentlessly at the process.

How to Create Strong Content

Scott Asai5 Comments

Content-is-like-water

If you read enough digital marketing posts a common theme emphasized is creating strong content for your readers. Writing is a developed skill, but you may be surprised how to improve it.

Put a time limit on it.

Wait, wouldn’t that pressure you into making mistakes? How can your creative juices flow on demand? What if I can’t come up with new ideas?

Let me address those concerns.

Any form of communication is a discipline. If you want to be a better writer, write more. When I first started doing an e-newsletter almost 10 years ago, it took me hours to perfect it. But over time what I noticed is I gave myself less time to complete the task. Now I spend closer to 30 minutes to do an article and if I don’t schedule a time; I just write when an idea pops in my head. Your best work should be ahead of you. You don’t want to publish crap, but you’re also not aiming for perfection.

Creativity simmers best under pressure. People learn best through stories. If you can use a personal example to illustrate a point do it. Here’s some advice that benefitted me: watch this TED Talk. Believe it or not, creativity happens usually two ways: when you not thinking about it and within structure. I get my best ideas in the car, so I carry post-its and a pen on hand. Also I schedule times in my iPhone to write regardless if I have ideas. Whatever I learned recently or pops in my head first initiates the typing. Try it. You get better over time.

Let’s face it there are no new ideas, just recycled ones. Take for instance Uber. They didn’t invent driver-free transportation, but they did disrupt the industry. In fact, it’s better to re-invent off a familiar context rather than attempt to create a new category. People have a hard time understanding a new concept if they can’t build schema off a previous idea.  When it comes to content people are attracted to the way you think (that’s your voice). The clearer you can articulate that, the better chance you have connecting to a wide audience.

So if you want to create strong content, just start. You know you’ve made progress when you can look at your old work and laugh at how far you’ve come.

How To Sell Yourself

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Selling-Yourself

Face it. Selling is hard. If it were easy, we’d all be rich.

You may sell products or services during the course of your career, but what everyone sells is: themselves. After selling services for a while and now transitioning to a physical product (a bit easier), one lesson I’ve learned is: in order to be successful in sales, you have to be confident with what you’re selling.

As a relational person, I prefer to connect vs. sell. If you listen close enough in a conversation, you can identify a pain point. If you can relate to it, trust is gained much more rapidly.

A practical example is on a job interview. Your resume may qualify you for an interview, but what you say and how you say it will validate if you have a chance moving forward. Most people get nervous before interviews and that’s normal, but what you don’t want to do is be unprepared or panic. Think about your body language, tone and message you are communicating. Are you being authentic or trying to be someone you’re not?

As a career coach, the advice I give is: understand your strengths, know how you add value to the organization and be yourself. It’s difficult to know exactly what an employer is really looking for, so instead of worrying what they’ll think of your answers, focus on where you fit in.

Leaders are self-aware about their weaknesses and strengths. Not everyone is meant to lead others, but you should be able to lead yourself. One goal I set with every networking opportunity is to try and get the other person to like me. You’d be surprised how much people brag and show off just to look good, but the person on the other end leaves disgusted.

Life is a game of who you know. The less you worry about being the smartest, the better. In fact, too much knowledge can come off as intimidating or arrogant.

Selling yourself comes down to: interests, passions and values. Connect on one of those points and your chances increase dramatically.

Would you buy what you’re selling? 

Why College Has Lost Its Mojo

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lost-mojo

Someone recently asked me, “If you could go back and give yourself advice what would it be?”

My response: drop out of college

With a perplexed reaction to my comment, I began to explain:

A college degree isn’t worth much anymore…just ask your next employer. Experience matters, where you got your degree from doesn’t. The sad reality is most college grads take a job outside of their major and spend the next 5 or so years working just to pay off student loans.

Also college doesn’t teach “real world” skills. I spoke to USC freshmen and sophomores in a career workshop before and said the 3 most important skills to learn in college are: networking, gaining experience (usually through an internship) and learning how to sell (product, services and yourself). Ironically, those tasks aren’t taught in college unless you take advantage of resources as a student.

Lastly, flexibility is the new definition of success. Money isn’t as valuable as controlling your time. Millennials are the most entrepreneurial generation because they want to make an impact and be happy doing it. Steve Jobs, Richard Branson and Kevin Rose prove college isn’t for everyone.

Trade schools and incubators are on the rise because if you have an idea that can potentially make a lot of money, why put it towards an education that doesn’t translate to much? As a Bachelor’s & Master’s degree holder, I may sound like a hypocrite, but if I could do it all over again I’d pass college and jump directly into entrepreneurship.

What An Employee Wants, What An Employee Needs…

Scott Asai1 Comment

christina-aguilera-

Enter Christina Aguilera…just kidding.

There’s two ways to look at this scenario: through the eyes of an employee or the mind of an employer. The good news is the answer is the same.

Treat employees like entrepreneurs.

Employees want to feel valued. Give them objectives, but let them choose how to accomplish them. Coach them through the process, but ultimately give them freedom how to complete their assigned tasks.

Employers tend to micromanage. It’s more generational than anything else. It’s how they were taught, so they do the same. The reason flex time is valued by workers is because life outside of work is more important. That doesn’t mean you have to offer work remotely, it just means treat employees like people first, not workers.

Millennials are the most entrepreneurial generation in history. All aspire to be entrepreneurs, even if they never make the jump. As an employer, your best retention tool is to treat them like intrapreneurs. You want workers to take ownership and responsibility, so give it to them. Have consequences if they don’t finish the job, but it’s better to give trust initially then respond accordingly to the results.

Entrepreneurship should be available to all. What do you think?