Tag Archive | Super Bowl

Are Entrepreneurs Really “Unemployed”

By Cheval John

I saw a commercial during the Super Bowl on how a loan company simplifies the process of getting a loan for a home.

The comedian played the person who simplifies the complicated questions in relation to the company.

Video courtesy of Quicken Loans

What got my attention during the commercial was when a lady asked about a dating account when she saw entrepreneur and the comedian said, “unemployed.”

The truth: entrepreneurs create work for themselves.

Everyday, they have to go and find customers or clients in order for the business to thrive.

For example, a public relations agency has to look for clients and make a proposal in order to convince the person or organization on why they are the right fit.

The unemployed is searching for work with an organization hoping to land the job of their dreams so they can be have a salary to provide for themselves and their families.

They will attend networking events, volunteer for non-profits,participate in twitter chats or even do a live stream show to build long lasting relationships.

Sometimes the entrepreneur who does not have consistent cash flow will have to find part work in order to keep their business alive.

That does not mean they have given up on their business.

It only means they are reducing the stress of running a business.

Barbara Corcoran mentioned in a episode of Shark Tank she had to take a part time job in order to meet payroll for her employees in the early stages of her former company, The Corcoran Group.

If you are fortunate to pick up a second job while you are running your business, you are in luck.

You can build relationships with customers at your second job because that is what they pay you to do.

The thing is you should know how to use your time wisely and also use your common sense because you do not want to create a conflict of interest.

You should also have a positive attitude and see your second job as a venture fund because the company is “funding your business indirectly through a paycheck.”

Meaning you spend the money wisely and save up for expenses or courses which can allow you to learn a new skills that can benefit your business.

Instead of complaining about how much money you are making or why you are not where you are in your business, just be grateful.

You will end up learning valuable lessons.

I will share from my personal experience.

I had worked in a small coffee chain for about two years mostly in downtown houston.

The environment was not great for growth.

Though I could have brought value to them with social media in addition to the regular work duties, they did not give me the opportunity to run their accounts.

They did not allow me the flexibility to run my business whenever I was off because most of the time, they would try and call me in to work and expect me to drop everything for them.

Despite those challenges, I managed to learn everything I can from the business and also build quality relationships with the customers because most of them worked in corporate america in the downtown area.

When I left the coffee chain, I still see half of them whenever I am in downtown and they would ask how I am doing.

I thought I would not be an employee again because I like the freedom of running my business.

The problem was I was not making money consistently.

So when I the owner of a lodging company offered me work, I knew it was the right fit because it would give me the opportunity to learn more about the travel industry since I decided to pivot my business towards this sector.

I was a bit hesitant to take the work because I knew I would have to cancel some shows I had set up weeks prior for my podcast.

After talking to a few colleagues, I decided to become an employee again and work at the lodging company.

Since this business sector is new to me, I had to train on the basics of working in the lodging company.

I can say I had completed one month of working at the lodging company.

Though I am working every day in the night shift, I am very fortunate because I am learning from the owners on how to run a business the right way.

I am also learning more about the tiny details of how a business works including being a great sales person, how to be a supervisor to a degree and how to get back to saving money from the paycheck I earned.

Working at the lodging company allows me to be super focus on managing my time wisely so I can keep the business going.

If you think you are going backwards because you decide to get a second job while you are building your business, you need to get rid of that thinking.

Just because the super successful entrepreneurs says, “you are not an entrepreneur if you work part time,” does not mean they are 100% right.

Everyone have their own journey to success and these same entrepreneurs will not pay your expenses when you are fighting to build a good business.

So do what you need to do to keep your business afloat and treat your internal and external customers right.

You will learn valuable skills which will allow you to turn your business into a cash flow machine.

Rebekah Radice: The Master of Preparation

By Cheval John

Those who are great at their skill have one thing in common.

They are masters at preparation.

Peyton Manning, who won two Super Bowls, was very meticulous at preparing for each football matchup.

Another one who I believe is very great in this particular skill set is Rebekah Radice.

Rebekah recently made an appearance on my show, What’s The Word? to share about her newly launch book, “Social Media Mastery”

What I can say about Rebekah is that she is really great at social media because of her dedication to preparation.

Her attention to detail in everything, whether it is creating a blog post, preparing for a speaking engagement, or even recording her new podcast, allows her to stand out from her peers in the social media world.

Rebekah was part of the reason why a few twitter chats which she co-hosted became extremely popular during it’s time because she planned each of those chats for months before they were launched.

Another thing is Rebekah did not look for the quick success when she launched her blog in 2004 at the time when blogs was still a niche medium.

She basically stayed focused on growing her blog during the early years and the results started to occur.

Rebekah’s blog was named a “Top Ten Blog” in 2015 and 2016 by Social Media Examiner and she has spoken at their conference on many occasions.

Rebekah’s attention to detail and hard work allows her to achieve all of the success with her business.

Many should follow Rebekah Radice on all of her social media platforms.

Also, they should take a look at her blog because it is filled with rich information on growing a good business from scratch.

You can leave a comment below if you agree or disagree with this post.

Nothing In Life Is Free

By Cheval John

Lets say you send an top-leading expert in the business industry about the possibility of buying them coffee in order to learn how they overcame challenges to be successful in their business.

People like Mike Michalowicz, Author and Speaker

Or Felena Hanson, author of the new book, “The Flight Club and Owner of the Hera Hub.

Two likely scenarios will happen.

They will respectfully decline your offer to buy them coffee.

Or they will charge you a fee for about 30 minutes to an hour to learn about how they overcame the odds to become successful with their business for the better.

You might believe that the above is mean because you figure that they are nice people.

True, they are nice people.

But, you must understand that if they spend about 30 minutes to an hour of their time chatting with you about their business, they will be losing money in the process.

Because that same time they spent with you could have went into creating another business idea that would allow them to make money.

That is why the small percentage of the world are truly successful because they see their time as valuable.

They use their time wisely in order to keep themselves motivated to be successful in their business and aim to make the world a better place.

Now if you send these same entrepreneurs an e-mail invitation to spend 30 minutes to an hour as a guest on your podcast or “television” show, nine times out of ten, they will say yes.

The reason is because they will have an opportunity to share their story of how they achieved business success as a guest on your show.

They also know that they will not be losing money because they will attract a new (your) audience to their business.

That is why you see a lot of movie stars appearing on national television shows when they are promoting a new movie.

Or even music artists appearing on ESPN shows like “First Take” and “His and Hers” during the Super Bowl festivities when they are promoting a new album.

That in itself is why an entrepreneur or even a college student should host a podcast or a “television show.”

If you are just starting out, don’t send the invitation to a big name celebrity or rock star in the social media industry because you don’t have an audience yet.

Instead, start with the people you in your network who knows you and trust you because overtime, your podcast or television show will have a dedicated audience.

And a bonus that seems contradictory to the above advice, don’t waste your time chasing influencers because they are busy people and are receiving the same e-mail invitation from your fellow podcasters to be a guest on their show.

When you spend your time wisely and build your podcast/television show slowly, you will eventually gain respect from your audience that will eventually allow your business to be profitable for the better.