The Entrepreneurial Savant

Many of us view money as the measurement of success. In part this is because we live in a materialistic society whose value judgments are often based on how much material wealth a person has gathered in their lifetime. This might contrast, for instance, with a  society like India’s where a wise teacher is revered for their knowledge and compassion rather than the number of followers they have or the size and opulence of their temples.
Because we use money as a measurement of success, it is important to understand what money is. Money is a representation of energy. When we do work for hire, our efforts are repaid in dollars which represent a specific value placed on our work. Wealth is often accumulated by leveraging our efforts, either through the use of borrowed assets, tools or money or by hiring others to do our work and then marking up their efforts to bring ourselves a profit.
The value of realizing that money is a form of energy is that we can get past the desire for money for its own sake and realize that what we desire is more energy. That energy may take many forms. A teacher dispenses energy in the form of knowledge and experience. a computer creates energy in the form of extra time saved and the speed with which it performs routine or repetitive tasks. Energy comes from relationships that provide support and love giving us new strength and motivation. All of these sources of energy, along with money, are the fruits of success. However they come with a catch. We can only use so much energy. Beyond a certain point, an excess is useless to us personally. Because of this there is a responsibility to spread your energy around after you attain success by teaching, creating jobs, empowering charitable organizations and providing motivation and support to others.
Ironically, the more energy you pass along, the more comes back to you in a variety of forms. One of the most effective ways to get started on the path towards success is to start passing the energy you have out to others without obligation or expectation of a return. It will come back to you in unexpected and exciting ways.

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When you look back on how you met your friends, spouse, got your job, found your vocation or learned your skills, you’ll almost always find that you were led in an unexpected direction by something or somebody. A painter is asked to paint some theatrical sets and discovers a fascination with acting. A teacher and student discover a mutual passion for French cooking. A book about exceptional investors leads you to an interest in psychological modeling. An attempt to define your goals and learn more about the process of achievement leads to a book about the ‘Secrets of Success’. When you let a conversation or research project take an unexpected turn you never know what may lie immediately ahead. It might be something that changes your life.

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If you want to learn more about the fringes of your business or art, read the classifieds at the back of the trades and on Craigslist. If you want to know more about all the work options out there suscribe to email feeds from Indeed.com. If you want to know about the hopes, dreams and delusions of your friends and co-workers, read the personals.
The classified ads are a window into all kinds of special interests, desires, opportunities and lifestyles. Like all information sources they lead the reader to all kinds of unusual subcultures. They can be very specialized if found in a web site or very general like those you pass by everyday in the daily paper. For small business owners, freelancers and anyone selling a product or service they represent many opportunities to form profitable alliances. Try reading just the help wanted once a week for a year. You’ll begin to get a feel for the economic ebb and flow of your community. You’ll find out who hires who and why. It only takes a few minutes to cruise through the ads.

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Imagine if, when you were a baby and just learning how to walk, you fell several times and just decided that walking wasn’t for you? The only way to learn and experience new skills is to start as a beginner, realizing that all those experts around you were beginners once. Interestingly, if those experts are really interested in their skill, they’ll welcome your first clumsy attempts and provide help all along the way. Whether you’re starting a new business venture, learning how to kayak or going back to school after years away, you have a great learning advantage: You’re a beginner. Exploit your ignorance by using it to get the ‘experts’ to help you. It’s human nature to want to help others with knowledge we already have. Just remember when you’re an old hand and some greenhorn is struggling along behind you to turn around and lend a hand. It can make all the difference.

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• Did you ever notice that the people who are early don’t miss anything?
• That the people who are early, get in on the project from the start and become decision makers?
• That people who are early meet the other early people and establish relationships before getting down to business?
• That the person who is early never misses an unexpected success or announcement?
• That early people are relaxed and organized when things get started instead of playing catch-up?
• That the early person gets a chance to warm up and get a cup of coffee?
• They don’t rush, don’t forget things, and enjoy life a little more.

Be early. It’s an easy way to give yourself a promotion in the eyes of your mentors and bosses. It also puts you at the advantage in a negotiation or interview.

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My friend Paul Nunes, an attorney and a musician, gave this secret to me. He says that if their offer is legitimate you’ll make them happy by accepting and if its not, then they deserve to get called on their insincerity.
Gifts are often the result of prior actions and a gift will come when you least expect it and most need it, if you’ve laid the groundwork. Gifts can be many things besides a package wrapped in shiny paper. They may be an offer of help, information or experience, they may be money or physical labor. They may be the gift of time or a sympathetic ear. One of the important parts of Paul’s secret is the phrase, ‘and you want it’. A gift you don’t want or need may be destined for someone else. Who knows?

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The original name for this secret was ‘Do your homework beforehand.’ however I knew the word homework would cause a horrible reaction from anyone reading this for obvious reasons. Fortunately the Boy Scout motto works even better. A little preparation can mean the difference between success and failure in many situations. One of the best examples is when you have an unexpected meeting or interview that might lead to an opportunity. You get a call or someone makes a referral and suddenly a door is open to you that you never expected to walk through. With a limited amount of time there are a few things you can do to prepare. You can either wing it, flying by the seat of your pants or you can immediately begin gathering information about the person you are about to meet. If you wing it you may succeed but you are equally likely to fall on your face. If you walk in with some knowledge, even superficial, of what the other person does or is concerned with, you can move the situation ahead much faster. Your prep work means the other person does not have to explain everything from the beginning and can get to the nitty-gritty right away. If they’re interviewing others this will probably make them very grateful. After all it’s one less speech to make. And you’ll have taken the initiative, displayed the resourcefulness to have gotten your act together under pressure and most importantly, showed a sincere interest in their needs.
Preparation is vital for job interviews, important meetings, first dates, and a host of other activities. The easiest route to rapid prep work is to get on the phone and ask other people for their knowledge. Google the company and people you are meeting with, check local business magazines for articles about the company you’re going to interview with, ask her friends what she likes to do with her spare time, etc. Sometimes you may have to do your preparation on the run but even a little homework can mean a much more profitable and successful opportunity.

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Throughout our lives there are certain persons who serve as pivot points, making it easier to achieve goals, make changes and find the resources we need to accomplish things. These Key People may be teachers, family members, friends, business connections or anyone else who takes an interest in who and what you are and who want to help you along. Very often Key People move in the background, affecting the lives of many others, seeing and making the connections that move us ahead in life. Finding and recognizing the Key People in your life is a necessary skill for achieving personal and professional success.
The first place to look for these mentors is in your past. Who has helped at times when you were stuck, frustrated or in trouble? Have you ever gone back and thanked them from the perspective of time and experience? Reestablishing and maintaining contact is important to finding and working with your Key People.

Look for Key People in the lives of others:

• Does a friend have a boss who takes an active interest in his or her advancement?
• Does a classmate always talk about a certain teacher who is so much more effective than the run of the mill?
• Are someone else’s parents always hosting their kids friends all the way into adulthood?
• Is there a person who seems to always know where to find a resource or how to go about solving a problem?
• Is there a person or persons you know who always are willing to make introductions and set up contacts between people with diverse skills and backgrounds?

These Key People are to be found in everyone’s lives- although many of us may have ignored their presence or resisted their attempts to help. By cultivating and maintaining mutually beneficial relationships with those people you will help to build a very effective team to aid in your route to success.
Put together a business contact list and keep the people on it up to date with what you are doing. Use the list to send out copies of things you’ve read or benefited from to others on the list. Make introductions when you meet people who can act as resources to each other. Eventually you’ll find yourself being regarded as a Key Person in their lives, a real measure of personal success.

Then take it to the next level and start actively making connections for the benefit of others.

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