Mentors are Essential
One of the greatest gifts an entrepreneur can have is a mentor, or multiple mentors. I was blessed to meet a good friend soon after I started my business, and he became a great source of inspiration, motivation, and when needed – a good kick in the pants! Earlier in John’s career he started and grew a very large appliance store chain and after selling that started a large tele-com business. He was an aggressive and smart man.
One lesson in particular has not only stuck with me for these years, but I have actually turned his lesson into one of my most popular entrepreneurial success strategies that I teach. I call it, the ‘Power of Zero,’ and essentially whatever your goal is, add a zero to it and then watch what happens to your thinking, planning, and ultimately your outcome.
For example, if you had a goal of adding 10 new clients next month, you would have a pretty clear picture of what you needed to do to accomplish that goal. However, if you add a zero and say that you want 100 new clients next month, more than not this would require a whole new strategy and plan. You mind would need to shift gears and think outside the box on many levels. The cool part is, just imagine ‘missing’ your new goal by 50% and ending up with 50 new clients, compared to achieving 100% of your previous goal, and ending up with 10, no doubt feeling proud of yourself!
So, the next time you set a goal, add a zero to it and then ask yourself, what has to happen to make this a reality and watch your brain go to work! You might be asking what brought this up today. Well, about a year ago, my friend John moved to the city and as my business has taken off we were both busy and lost touch, until a few weeks ago. John invited Stephanie and me to his daughter’s wedding, which was last night. During the reception I thanked John again for being a great friend and mentor to me also I also shared with him how his regular ‘butt-kicking’ of my early modest business goals has not only led me to greater heights of success, it is now something that I teach to other entrepreneurs, and as I said, I now call this the power of zero! Give it a try and let me know how you do. Also, please share any mentor stories you have.
