Tag: Entrepreneurship

Unlocking African Market Potential

Perspective is Key!

When I asked fellow Google for Startups collaborators about the first words that came to mind with the association with the image of Africa. 

So important for African entrepreneurs to include the massive markets and opportunities into their mindsets.

If I Wasn’t an Entrepreneur, I Would Have Been a Teacher

My personal story always used to include… “If I wasn’t an entrepreneur I would have been a teacher.”

Yesterday I was preparing for my Sales presentation (and facing an empty workshop and Zoom room) as part of the ‘Knowledge’ component of our engineering growth for entrepreneurs of scalable companies program. 

I realized I was now that ‘teacher’ or as one of my entrepreneurs I’m mentoring told me ‘guru’ in Hindi.

Mentor, Coach, Advisor, Teacher, Manager, Leader, Mother, Father or Guru. 

They are mostly the same. 

My question is “Who is the teacher and who is the student?”

Unlock Your Entrepreneurial Strengths: Be the Best

QUESTION: 

If you were to complete this sentence with only a few words, what would you pick to describe your unique business super power?

“I am/want to be the the World’s best ________________________________________!” 

(This Post was inspired by a bumper sticker I saw which very boldly stated “I am the World’s Best Plumber.”) 

My words are:

“Entrepreneur Advocator” 

(Ecosystem)

“Entrepreneur Matcher & Grower”

(Start-up / Scale-up Founders)

“Innovation Connector & Collaborator” 

(Corporates)

“Present Father & Friend”

(Personal)

No need to share yours, just something to think about and if it resonates save your draft as a quick note on your phone. 

Food for Thought.

Speed Over Perfection in Emergency Management

“If you need to be right before you move, you will never win. Perfection is the enemy of the good when it comes to emergency management (& Entrepreneurship – WG). Speed trumps perfection. And the problem we have in society is that everyone is afraid of making a mistake.” 

Quote by Dr Mike Ryan who leads World Health Organization Health Emergency Programme (Covid-19 efforts).

The Balance of Yes and No: Decision-Making Insights

Anyone that I’ve had the pleasure of knowing or meeting will know that I’m a ‘YES’ person. 

What is a ‘YES’ person? 

Most CEO’s/founders/entrepreneurs are ‘YES’ people. Curious Optimists that Build and Connect.

However I am starting to see the importance of ‘NO’ people and the balance within teams or partnerships of ‘YES’ and ‘NO’ people and their different perspectives. 

While NO people are not negative or the antagonists, they are the important pragmatists that question the YES peoples thinking or decisions.

Their very important dark Yin to your light Yang. 

Learning to captivate more Qualities of ‘Yes’ and ‘No’ people in your business and personal lives is important to making better decisions and living an interesting life. 

No matter where on the spectrum you place yourself. The key is self-awareness and to be open to saying more ‘No’s or more Yes’.

– Inspired by a chat I had with a colleague/partner whom I respect and trust and she happens to be more of a ‘No’er.😀

(Nerdy Fact: This Post has an equal number (8) of No’s to Yes’, not by design!)

Overcoming Fear: The Entrepreneur’s Mindset

“BUT” The one word I listen for when I speak with entrepreneurs. 

It’s a sign that they don’t fully have the entrepreneur mindset yet.

It’s the mind protecting them from the ‘FEAR’ of Failure and/or Rejection.

These are learned fears. Humans are only born with two fears. The fear of loud noises and falling.

An example of what is possible if you lack the fear of failure or rejection. 

You just need to be curious, experiment and reiterate to overcome these fears, one small step (or trade) at a time.

We need more positive stories like these to show that anything is possible if you have an idea, execute on it and build up a supportive community along the way. 

Anything is really possible.

Even trading a paper clip into a free-standing house. 

What is your ‘Red Paper Clip’ Idea and first step/sale/pitch?

Kyle’s brilliant TEDx talk below 👇

A parent? Watch it with your kids. 

Be the 12,372,653 rd person to watch it…