I get asked all the time about how I have created a successful business.
Here are three of my biggest tips for taking a positive mentality into your own business:
#TIP 1: Don’t shy away from spending money – even when things are tight
I still baulk and whinge about spending money on occasion, but I never hesitate to do so on things I think will positively impact the business or myself, knowing that I set the culture and the course of my business.
So when the opportunities come knocking I think, ’C’mon, Lisa, you’re playing a bigger game now. Step up. Be brave. Be seen. Get out there.’ And then I think, ‘It’s an investment, and you just need one contact, one big idea, one “wow” moment and that money will come flooding back… one hundred-fold.’
You just need one ‘wow’ moment!
TIP 2: Make investing in yourself a business priority, not just a personal one
Not all conferences are like the one I attended as a budding entrepreneur – some are dry and tedious and you can’t find the exit fast enough – but thankfully for me, that $1200 event was a true winner. However, it’s not really about the conference or masterclass or event, it’s actually about you fully understanding the value and potential ROI of investing in yourself and then making it a business priority (not just a personal one) to consistently focus on.
Continuous self-improvement of yourself as a leader or key player in a business is what will propel your business or department forward – but when life and work gets busy, we often put ourselves at the bottom of the pile and this is where many business leaders and senior staff go wrong.
TIP 3: Physically list yourself in the budget
If your most valuable asset is your mind, then allocate funds towards it in a formal way. If you don’t, it won’t happen and an entire year will fly by without you attending something life-changing. Instead, be brave – even if it’s visualisation at this point – and allocate a specific amount to yourself and your mindset when you are allocating funds for the next financial period. Call it something wacky like ‘mindset investment’ if you want – whatever is necessary, but the key is to do it.
Always aim for the top
Think big and aim for the top – go to at least one significant conference or thought leadership event a year (if it hurts a bit to sign off on the conference fee, then you’re on the right track), then be very strategic and thrifty with any other opportunities. With any opportunity (big or small).
I try and measure its success on these ABC’s:
A) Did I have at least one mental shift while I was there?
B) Did I come up with at least one new good idea which will help me or the business significantly?
C) Did I make at least five solid business connections?
Hopefully you can say ‘yes’ to all three – that’s what I aim for and use that as a personal measure of success for myself and my staff. If not, simply move on to the next event or networking opportunity in search of these personal outcomes.
If you’re looking for creative breakthroughs, fresh innovation and fist-pumping success for your business or department, it almost always starts at the top. So let curiosity be your guide and invest in conferences, education, courses and any chance for solid, helpful peer-to-peer interaction. Your business (and mindset) will thank you.
Want my top tip for success? Invest in yourself.
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