Top 3 RULES For Entrepreneurs: Build Your Network

Alone. I felt isolated when I started my business. My friends all had corporate jobs. Nobody in my family was an entrepreneur. The people around me would listen to me but couldn't give me any real advice. Most of the time I was too embarrassed to share anyway because it wasn't doing well. When people asked about how my business was doing, I would lie and say great and then quickly change the topic. I didn't have a network of people to call on who could really help me. I was alone. Shift. I realized that if I was going to build a great business, I'd need to work on my network. I needed to shift my thinking. But I had to start from the ground up. I literally had zero connections. And I went from a place of feeling totally on my own to having an amazing group of people who I can count on anytime I have a problem. It took a while, but today I'm going to share the 3 things that made all the difference, and you can get there too. Number 1: Aspirational Entrepreneurs. I had no contacts to call on, so I started learning from people I respected but would never meet. I looked at people like Steve Jobs, Oprah Winfrey, Richard Branson, Bill Gates, and how they got started. I looked at what they did when they were in pure startup mode. And learn from their success. They were my first mentors. If I had a marketing problem, I would ask myself, how would Steve Jobs market this? If I was negotiating a deal, I would ask myself, how would Donald Trump think bigger? Their stories and early failures gave me specific ideas to model and the confidence to keep going. Mentors. Finding aspirational mentors and learning from their success is easy. Powerful, and you can do it today, right now. Finding a mentor is a lot more work, especially if you want the right one. My first real mentor was John. He had built and sold technology companies before, understanding how the game worked, and gave me great insights and knowledge that I would have taken years to learn on my own. But how did I find John? As I said, I had no connections. So I did the only thing I could think of. I went to my bank. Yep, true story, my bank. I didn't even know anyone there, but figured they would talk to me since I had an account. I spoke with a manager and told them I didn't need money. Well, I wasn't sure if I needed money. I just wanted to grow this business and wasn't sure what to do next. So much for my confidence start. Luckily, he liked my business idea. He couldn't give me money but said I should meet this consultant who might help. I had my first lead to expand my network. The consultant had a fancy downtown office and talked a big game, but he didn't understand my product. So he brought in a friend of his who also barely understood what I did. So he brought in a friend of his own, John. John got what I did and became an immediate help for me in my business. He took me places I would never have been able to get on my own. I owe a lot of my early success to him. Even though the first 3 people I spoke with couldn't help me and I was starting to feel like nobody would get what I was trying to do, I kept at it and eventually found John. Start reaching out, even if you have nobody to connect with. If you keep at it, your network will grow and your mentors will find you. Mastermind groups. I also created two mastermind groups to help myself and other local entrepreneurs. We meet once a month to talk about our businesses, give each other ideas, and cover off the weaknesses of what you're not good at in your business. Some members call it Entrepreneurs Anonymous because it's often just nice to be around other entrepreneurs and know that you're not alone. There's an energy you get by hanging around other business owners that gives you motivation to do better and to get to work. You can look for an existing group in your area. I didn't find anything, so I created my own. There are lots of different structures and formats, but the core function of these kinds of groups is to support the members and help everyone grow. Alone. You can't do this alone. If you try, your idea will die with you. You'll never realize your potential. You need to leverage what other people know to help you get to where you want to be. Use aspirational entrepreneurs, use mentors, use mastermind groups. Their advice, wisdom, and encouragement will make all the difference in the world to helping you achieve your dreams. I promise you. Believe.