Posts Tagged ‘entrepreneurial mindset’

Life isn’t perfect.  You always have a choice of attitude.  Choose to view the situation as a problem, a calamity and whine about how unfair life is to you.  Choose to view it as fate which is totally out of your control; be a helpless victim.  Or choose the viewpoint of a challenge, an opportunity for change, and a potential for improvement.

All 3 scenarios are exactly the same set of circumstances.  Your attitude represents the only variable.

Have you ever wanted something very badly, almost had it within your grasp and been disappointed?

If you had been with me in that tiny little farm town in June when I was seventeen, you would have felt the hot Kansas sun.  You would have smelled the sweet scent of fresh cut alfalfa hay.  You would have seen me run into our farm house so excited that I almost tripped over the rug at the front door.  “Dad, they gave me a full college scholarship.  I’m going to go to college.”  You would have seen the flush of heat and excitement on my face as I handed him the papers.  “Elaine, you’re a girl.  You don’t deserve a college education.”

I watched in shock and disappointment as he threw the papers on the floor and walked away.  Under my breath, “It would not have cost you anything.  Why wouldn’t you sign the papers?”

Decision time.  Whine, curl up in a ball and cry about being a victim, or seek a solution.  Attitude becomes the only variable.

Facts:  scholarship received, scholarship becomes invalid without a parent’s signature, scholarship is no longer an option for me to attend college.  I was so close to having my dream of a college education within my grasp only to have the hopes thrown on the floor.

When have you faced a situation in your life when you were so close, but denied at the last minute?

Solution based attitudes, determined individuals, and goal oriented thinkers find an answer.  An entrepreneurial mindset or a millionaire mindset will focus on the potential solution.

Ask any man and he will confirm the mindset of a determined female.  The circumstances remain exactly the same; the shift in the end result comes in the attitude.  Attitude will get you everywhere; choose positive or choose negative.  The entrepreneurial mindset, the millionaire mindset or the determined female mindset all revolve around a positive attitude.

After dialing numerous friends, acquaintances and friends of friends, a ride to college was located, confirmed and finalized.  No job, no money and no parental approval.  Remember that focused positive attitude?  Three years later, my college diploma was firmly grasped in those determined female fingers.  A positive attitude backed with action accomplishes amazing feats.

Even though he never told me, I heard that my father told others that he was proud of me.

Attitude will get you everywhere.  Determination, a positive attitude and action achieve goals.

For more inspiration, motivation and practical techniques for success, join me at http://www.elaine4success.com/.

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Never Give Up on Yourself or Your Future

Poor me.  Boo Hoo.  Whine Whine.  Maybe you will hear this attitude from a quitter, but never from an entrepreneur.  Entrepreneurs never quit.  We may alter the course or even change directions, but never quit.  Quitting simply does not exist with the entrepreneurial mindset.  Does that mean that we never get discouraged or face challenges?  No.  Of course we do.  The difference between the entrepreneur and the quitter is that an entrepreneurial mindset never quits.

Goal Oriented means you have specific written goals.  Each goal has a time frame to be accomplished, measurable criteria and is a stretch but yet possible.  Without specific written goals, it is just a daydream or a wish.

Entrepreneurial mindsets require a detailed written success plan with each element defined.  What financing will be needed?  What marketing method, budget and specific marketing action steps are required?  What specific benchmarks must be reached by what date to know that the business is on target toward the goal rather than wandering aimlessly.  Excellent written success plans are composed in weekly, monthly, quarterly, one year, five year and ten year time frames.

Rock solid determination is not optional.  One of the characteristics of an entrepreneur is the unwavering commitment to reach their goals no matter what the obstacles.  This determination is frequently based on a “why.”  Why will you never give up on your goals?  What is so important that you will persevere through any obstacle?  Go over it, around it, under it or through it; the obstacle must yield.

Consistent and persistent actions are typical characteristics of an entrepreneur.  Entrepreneurs know that focused action is required each and every day.

Entrepreneurial mindset remains crystal clear on their “why.”  Thus reason becomes compelling and long term.

Another characteristic of an entrepreneur is researching the ideal business fit for them and planning their success with a detailed written business success plan.

Entrepreneurs are never quitters.  Entrepreneurs succeed partially because they never accept any other outcome.

For more specific and personalized fine tuning of your individual entrepreneurial mindset, join me at http://www.elaine4success.com/ or http://www.yes2money.com/.

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Visionary leaders serve in the local community with food drives, clothing for the homeless, educational support through scholarships, and health and water projects on a global scale.  What is your passion?  Where will you carve your niche of service?  Visionary leadership means seeing a need and serving others.  The highest quality visionary leader is also a giver; they give of their time, talent and resources.

As a fellow successful entrepreneur and visionary leader, I absolutely subscribe to service to others.  None of our lives are one dimensional.  We also have our families, our careers and our spiritual life.  As a Rotarian, we have a 4 way test.  We have at least 4 major life areas which also demand and deserve our time attention and money.

If you ever think that your children are out of the nest and on their own, try sending one to college.  “Hi, dad and mom, please send money.”

Children fall into various groups,

Baby birds – they are still in the nest

Touch and go flight patterns – they leave but return for laundry, raid the pantry and financial assistance

Circle flight pattern – they left and were out of the nest and then move back

homeFlight squadron – they leave but return with spouse and your grand children

Not that any of these are bad, but to say that children are inexpensive or maintenance free would be a gross error.

Our careers are also emotional, financial and time consumers.   Our careers require our passion.  Every successful person owned, lived and breathed their passion.  Olympic athletes, concert master musicians, inventors and corporate moguls were all consumed with passion for their chosen mission in life.  Whether you have chosen an entrepreneurial mindset or a corporate mindset, employing visionary leadership remains consistent.

Steve Jobs, the icon and founder of Apple Computers, credits his passion as his key to success. “You’ve got to find what you love.  Your work is going to fill a large part of your life, and the only way to be truly satisfied is to do what you believe is great work.  And the only way to do great work is to Love what you do.  If you haven’t found it yet, keep looking.  Don’t settle.”

When I first started Mt. Castles, Property management, I got up early, stayed up late and had an insatiable drive.  The creativity flowed and every day was an opportunity for a new adventure.

I read every book I could get my hands on about property management; I went to Inc. conferences to learn from other successful entrepreneurs.  I interviewed female entrepreneurs to determine the specific challenges they encountered.  In fact I published a white paper “Gender differences in Conflict Management Style in the Workplace.”

I picked the brains of every successful property manager I could interview.  I took them to a long lunch and asked questions.  I interviewed second home owners, tourists and long term renters.  What is it you need?  What is it you would like to have that you do not have available now?  I looked for niches to fill.

Look at your career right now.  Are you fired up to hop out of bed every morning and soar with the eagles or are you content to walk the same circle on the ground as the chickens?

How many books have you read lately about your chosen field?

When was the last time you reached outside your industry for creative ideas which work in other industries but have not been utilized in your industry yet?

When was the last time you took a successful business colleague to lunch and tapped into their mindset for success?  Do you belong to a “hold your feet to the fire” mastermind club?

When was the last time you interviewed your customers, vendors, and target market to ask what they needed?  Ask what they like now and what they would change if they could.

When was the last time you did a blind test and shopped your own customer service?

Tap into your passion and you will find your genius, your productivity and your enthusiasm.  Tap onto your passion and take focused action and you will find your profit.

Join me at http://www.elaine4success.com/ and lets mastermind together to focus your time, energy and financial resources in your passion.

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There are so many opportunities on the internet today it resembles the choices of a mosquito in a nudist colony. So how do you choose? Being an entrepreneur is fabulous, especially in the ideal situation for you.

Do you look for the one who promises the most money? Some are promising such outrageous amounts that it looks like you are winning the lottery every week.

Do you look for the one who claims to be the easiest? Just purchase your starter kit, sit back and watch the money roll into you bank account. No effort required.

Do you look for the one that claims to have a miracle product? Ponce de Leon, Spanish explorer, reputedly sought a miracle fountain in Florida in 1513. Legend says that anyone who drank of this fountain would have their youth restored. Some products on the internet today expound similar magical claims.

Hate to destroy your delusion; however, the word “business” means some time, effort and money required. The advertisements may tap dance around the word “business” by terming it an “opportunity” but few actually say “get rich quick.” The gurus at Google would go into cardiac arrest and shut the site down quicker than a shopaholic dashing to a blow out sale at Nordstrom if someone really dared to publish “get rich quick.”

There are genuine, honest, ethical business opportunities advertised on the internet. The challenge is sorting through all of the empty oyster shells to find the pearl. The pearls really do exist but not every business is appropriate for every entrepreneur.

No entrepreneur will make significant money for the long term without adhering to a few basic rules.  Take it from an industry leader:

1. Is the business legal? Is it registered with state and national governmental agencies? Do not be confused with having it listed on the Better Business Bureau. BBB is an excellent organization which does research companies; however, BBB is a “for profit” organization NOT a government agency. Research the company with state and federal attorney generals and look for the number of complaints listed. No one will EVER have a perfect record if they have any length of time in business and have reached a sizable sales volume. No one will ever satisfy 100 per cent of the people 100 per cent of the time. Business deals with people and personalities. Do look for a minimum of complaints and look at the resolution of those issues.

2. Is the business ethical? Of course no one is dumb enough to feature the comments and testimonies of highly disgruntled people. Ask to speak to recent enrollees as well as longer term members of the company. Just the fact that they will furnish names and phone numbers shows the people featured are real live individuals. Ask to attend a live call.

3. Is the product something useful for the long term rather than a trendy “pet rock?” Look for something which transcends the fluctuations in the economy. In the go go 80s you could sell almost anything. In a more challenging economy, people seek more immediate value which can not be located at the corner drug store.

4. Select a company and a product which fits your interests. Select either something you already have some knowledge or desire to gain knowledge about. You will always be more successful working in your talent, interest or passion.

5. Select a compensation plan which fits your short term and long term budget for start up as well as meeting your income potential goals. Some compensation plans allow you to earn from your first sale and other compensation plans make you pass up sales before you earn any money. Anyone on a tight budget may run out of marketing dollars before they pass up enough sales to start earning income for themselves. Look at all the factors and make a wise decision.

Selecting the ideal business for you involves a variety of factors. For personalized assistance in selecting the perfect entrepreneurial opportunity to fit your passion, your budget and your goals, come talk to me. There is gold dust in the air. The gold dust is an attitude backed by action. The key is selecting the right business at the right time for your abilities and goals. Join me at www.Elaine4Success.com. When the business opportunity fit is accurate and the correct action follows, the gold dust appears.

That’s where my business success coaching comes in.  Contact me.  Elaine Love at resultsforlife@gmail.com

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How do you handle life’s little unexpected inconveniences?

Normally I am bubbly, enthusiastic, and in control of myself and my circumstances.  Yesterday there was a glitch in the conference call system and I could not sign in to the call.   As the call host, it was quite awkward not to be present and punctual.  I apologized a bit too profusely.  My normal unflappable composure collapsed.

What is the lesson here?  Let go of trying to be perfect.  Allow yourself to be human.  It is not a matter of IF there will be glitches in the schedule, but WHEN there are glitches.  Of course one of the characteristics of successful entrepreneurs is calmness under pressure.  Does that mean that as an entrepreneur you are expected to be perfect 100% of the time?  Absolutely not.  It means that as a successful entrepreneur you strive to be as good as you possibly can be.

Ever know a major league baseball star to hit a home run every tie at bat?  No.  Ever know a highly accomplished Hollywood screen star to get an academy award for every performance?  No.  Why do entrepreneurs put pressure on themselves to be perfect 100% of the time?  Get a grip on reality.  What makes us think we are above and beyond all of the statistics?

Now that we have had our slice of humble pie, relax.  Of course the Hollywood star steps on stage with the intention of performing their every best every time.  Yes, the major league baseball star goes to bat with the intention of a good solid base hit.  Successful people never approach a situation with the intention to be average.

Can you imagine a corporation proudly announcing that they were seeking a mediocre advertising agency?  Of course not.  An employee might go to work with the goal of “getting through the day,” but an entrepreneurial mindset would never tolerate such a thought.  Average or just getting through the day is NOT entrepreneurial thinking.

Since the characteristics of successful entrepreneurs demands striving for perfection, the very idea of average is appalling.  Henry Ford did not create the automobile by giving up at the first glitch.  Andrew Carnegie did not amass a fortune in steel by doing the minimum possible amount of effort.

Entrepreneurial traits drive the individual to seek new creative ideas, seek new and better performance from themselves and seek the top performance in everything they do.  Will they always achieve perfection?  No but they will keep striving to be the best they can possible be.  When they fall short, they analyze what happened and determine how they can do better the next time.

Being a perfectionist is one of the characteristics of successful entrepreneurs.  What is your goal?

If you want personalized assistance in reaching your peak performance, join me at http://www.elaine4success.com/.

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Throughout history we have progressed from the Agricultural Age through the Industrial Age, and through the Information Age. The common thread running uniting all of the economic changes has been the individual entrepreneur.

Small business managed and developed by the individual entrepreneur forms the basis of all economic progress. The individual entrepreneur who possesses a burning desire to create a business of their own stimulates economic advances.

The Pilgrims were farmers who traveled to America to be able to settle new land and develop their enterprises. They were so adamant that they put their lives on the line to be able to conduct their businesses in peace and freedom.

The gold rush was individual miners who struck out on their own at great peril to seek their fortune. Covered wagons rolled across the prairie in search of acreages to homestead. Herds of cattle were driven hundreds of miles to stake out new ranches.

Bill Gates started Microsoft in a garage. Thomas Edison had a small laboratory to conduct his experiments. Henry Ford started Ford Motor Company in a tiny space working on the development of his horseless carriage. Andrew Carnegie started out with an idea and developed it into a huge empire.

Throughout the entire world, it has been the entrepreneur with a dream, an idea and more motivation than money who changed the course of history.

Think it is too late for a new idea? Wrong. The telephone and telegraph started with a simple idea to communicate ideas more easily. Every step of the way from the first crank telephones to the modern I-phone were all spearheaded by an entrepreneur with a dream.

New and better ideas continue to flow. With each new idea, there is the springboard for another ever more progressive idea. You are only limited by your imagination. You may have made the excuse about having a lack of money. As the beloved business philosopher, Jim Rohn, said, “Lack of money is not the problem; it is the lack of an idea to create money that is the issue.” Ideas are free. Developing the idea will require some time, effort and dedication.

What is your future worth?

Education helps, money helps but the critical element is always passion. Nothing and no one can stop an entrepreneur with a burning desire. If you listen to your critics, you will never accomplish anything of merit. Critics frequently want to keep you down on their level rather than providing the jet fuel to boost you to the heights you are destined to achieve.

At the end of your life do you want to know that you gave your dream the chance to develop to its fullest potential or regret that you took the safe road and did nothing? The discipline to develop your dream weighs ounces but the pain of regret weighs tons. Jim Rohn spoke volumes with those few words. “We cannot become what we need to be by remaining what we are, ” Max DePree. Stretch your wings and discover your passion. Discover that burning desire resting dormant within your soul. Allow yourself to become the entrepreneur you are capable of being.

New ideas are being developed each day. Education, age, economic background, and physical location are minor factors. A heartfelt passion and a desire to develop yourself as an entrepreneur is the only critical element.

What excuse are you allowing to hold you back from taking charge of your future? Entrepreneurial mindset is an entrepreneur with a mindset backed by action just as believing in and realizing gold dust in the air is an attitude backed by action. Entrepreneurs believe in and experience the gold dust. With the gold dust comes an overwhelming feeling of accomplishment, happiness and success.

For specific tips, techniques and practical exercises to discover your passion join

me at www.Elaine4Success.com.

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I remember that feeling of failure. Property owners, employees and tourists were looking up to me as the leader they trusted and I failed. My self esteem drained away. It seemed like a good decision at the time. Have you ever had second thoughts about a decision? Some decisions are reversible and some are not. Selling a business, end of the year tax losses and having a baby are not reversible. Come to think of it, there are painful similarities.
Why had I sold Mt. Castles? My attitude and my self confidence plummeted and my business disappeared quicker than a snowflake in hot coffee. I could blame the economy, the president or the dog catcher. The problem was my attitude and my action.  My lack of Entrepreneurial Mindset.

I had allowed my attitude and my business to come crashing down. When my attitude and self confidence plummeted, my business profits followed suit. I allowed second thoughts and doubt to destroy a great business.

Money does not disappear, it simply changes hands. The words of Paul Zane Pilzer, economic adviser to 2 presidents rang in my ear. “There will be more millionaires created between 2006 and 2016 than at any prior point in the history of the world.” With all of this prosperity, how could my attitude be down?

What was the secret to all of my success in the past?

Everyone I talked to told me I couldn’t do it. I’d go broke. It could not be done with single family homes. Property management only works with condominiums. I had 3 things going for me; I love a challenge, I was naive and it’s the go go 80′s. You didn’t have to be good to make money.

No second thoughts. Back it with action and go for it. There are advantages to being naïve. Jump off the business cliff and look for a golden parachute on the way down. I had a clear plan of action.

Sometimes plans are disrupted. Owners of the first home I managed were 2 young venture capitalists. Great young guys. Easy to work with, generous and creative. They owned a car rental agency based out of Boca Raton, FL. One day I received a call from Federal Marshall Jim Tafoya of the DEA. The cars carried more than people across state lines. The guys may now be having second thoughts. They had been concentrating on powder but theirs was not Steamboat’s legendary snowflakes. They were working with another white powder. Poof. The federal marshals became the new owners of the property.

Federal Marshalls do not have second thoughts about white powder.

Mt. Castles kept growing. Even after I won the “Innovator of the Year” award for being the first property management company in Routt County to market ski lodging on the internet, I allowed my significant other, Matt, I changed the name to protect the guilty, to tell me how small and insignificant a company I was. My self confidence evaporated and so did my profits. Poof. Just like the powder, everything came crashing down. Attitude is not the only thing, but it is the main thing. I defeated myself.

I could blame Matt, the economy or George Bush, but it was my own second thoughts. My own self doubt had destroyed my business and made the decision to sell Mt. Castles.

Paul Zane Pilzer’s words rang in my ear, “more millionaires created than at any prior point in the history of the world. . .” Clear my head; restore my confidence. Dust off my attitude and back it with action. If I allowed second thoughts to destroy my attitude, then I have the power to bring it back. Stick to your goals. Don’t allow second thoughts to destroy your dreams.

For specific tips and techniques to overcome your second thoughts and hold on to your dreams, contact me at www.Elaine4Success.com.

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You are in the business of creating WOW. Be so good that they can not ignore you. Be so good that the only question of doubt is who is second.  These are characteristics of an Entrepreneur.

Create your WOW with a gold dust in the air attitude and back it with solid goal directed action. WOW comes from a positive attitude. Attracting the top people to you stems from being a person others like to be around. No one enjoys spending time with grumpy, complaining people. It does not mean you have to turn cartwheels, most of us do not do that on a regular basis, but it does mean that you display a pleasing personality, zest for life and spirit of giving value.

Look at the WOW as W O VV – wealth of value value. The key to creating WOW is doubling the value received by everyone you encounter. When you interact with others in a spirit of giving value to them far in excess of the monetary exchange, you create a win win situation. Double the value and you double the win.

Look at life and business in the spirit of looking in the mirror to see what you can give of yourself rather than looking through a window to see what the outside world can give to you. Rotary Clubs International has a motto of service before self. That gold dust in the air attitude epitomizes the positive outlook on life and the mission of giving value to others. A person who is more concerned about giving value and excellent customer service than they are about their individual income in each interaction, will in fact receive more. Greed is short term. Value is long term.

Look at a W as two Vs put together. Create a gold dust in the air attitude by expecting good things to appear, acting as if the good will appear and serving others by projecting the attitude of giving value to them.

Creating WOW is as simple as focusing on the value you give to others. The top companies who thrive for the long term are always the top customer service companies. It always costs less to retain a customer than to attract a new customer. Customers stay where they are appreciated and receiving value.

Project a gold dust in the air attitude and others will feel good about being around you, customers will choose to do business with you and you will feel better about yourself and your business. It really is as simple as having a gold dust in the air attitude and backing it with positive action. That positive action starts with giving value and follows through with giving excellent customer service.

1. Gold dust in the air attitude

2. Give value which exceeds expectation and price

3. Give excellent customer service

Develop a gold dust in the air attitude and back it with positive action.

For more tips and specific techniques on developing a gold dust in the air attitude and a list of the top customer service companies, join me at www.elaine4success.net

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You want to be an entrepreneur?  Great.  As one who is and has been psychologically unemployable for over 30 years, I personify the entrepreneurial mindset.

Making money from home requires a committed entrepreneurial mindset.  The characteristics of the entrepreneurial mindset are as different as the behavior of a rhinoceros and a cow.  The rhinoceros charges through the jungle breaking through shrubbery barriers on a direct mission toward the goal.  The cow stands in the field eating grass and waiting for hay to be brought to them when the grass is unavailable.  A rhino will go after the food rather than sitting around passively waiting for it to come to them.

Compare the rhinoceros mindset to the entrepreneurial mindset. The rhinoceros goes after the goal as does the entrepreneur.  The cow performs the basic duties required of it at the will and direction of someone else and expects the hay or grass to be presented to them.  The employee performs the duties required of them by the boss and expects the pay check to be delivered to them.

The entrepreneurial mindset has an overwhelming desire to create their own duties on their own time schedule and reap the significantly higher rewards of that extra individual effort.  By the same token, the entrepreneurial mindset accepts the responsibility of their decisions, good or bad.  The employee expects to receive the pay check on a regular basis regardless of the consequences of each individual decision; after all, it was not entirely their decision, it was either the decision of the boss or with the approval of the boss.

The rhino and the entrepreneur effect to receive the rewards of their efforts and the consequences of their actions.  Making money working from home requires the entrepreneurial mindset.  You are your own boss when you are an entrepreneur.

Another aspect of the entrepreneurial mindset is the constant drive to do better, do more and be more creative.  In order to be making money working from home, you absolutely must focus your mind on the task at hand.  Be creating, be willing to take a risk on a new marketing campaign or new marketing method, and be decisive.  No boss will be making the decision for you, nor do you want them to make decisions for you.  Look carefully at each option and make a decision.  Analysis paralysis will not be tolerated.  Time becomes an important commodity; time must be focused and used wisely, not wasted.  Wise time management is critical to making money working from home.

If you desire to be making money working from home, develop your entrepreneurial mindset and put it into action with focused time and effort.  The rewards will thrill you.

For more in depth tips and techniques for making money working from home, join me at http://www.elaine4success.com/.

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In this world of few guarantees, rest assured that a successful entrepreneur is never ever lazy.  The entrepreneurial mindset seems to remain in motion.  One of the most difficult tasks for a successful entrepreneur is to turn off the flow of creative ideas.  There is always one more thing they want to do, one more advertising campaign to launch, and one more marketing strategy to explore.  If you were ever in their bedroom you would find a notepad on the night stand for those flashes of brilliance which awaken them in the middle of the night.

Another of the characteristics of successful entrepreneurs is their constant quest to do just a little better or do just a little more.  They are always seeking perfection.  This tendency to constantly tweak a logo or a brochure or even an office procedure can drive those around them to reach for the chocolate or the tenth cup of coffee.  Entrepreneurs may not always be easy to live with because of this constant drive.  We have even been called such names as “workaholic.”  Imagine that.

Yes, we immerse ourselves so fully in the task at hand that we forget to bring home the milk; time just flies by and the focus is on the project of the moment.  Don’t be frustrated with the entrepreneurial mindset; it is simply one of the characteristics of a successful entrepreneur.

Examine the entrepreneurial mindset and you will find a checkerboard.  Each task has its own individual square; however there is also the larger puzzle of making each square function to lead to the ultimate goal of becoming a king.  Strategic individual moves, awareness of the moves around them, and target focus on the ultimate goal are all working simultaneously.

The entrepreneurial mindset is complicated but invigorated at all times.  This moving, thriving energetic mind is one of the characteristics of successful entrepreneurs.

Another characteristic will be the ready smile and the excitement for life.  It is not uncommon to find another characteristic of successful entrepreneurs to be rising early and retiring to bed late.  It is that “one more thing to do” thought pattern.

So if you call your successful entrepreneur and ask him to stop at the store on his way home from the office and he forgets to do so, just smile.  It is just one of the characteristics of a successful entrepreneur.  Bring them a cool beverage, a warm smile and forgiveness for the oversight.

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