Lessons Learned

     What a quick summer semester this has been! I want to reflect upon lessons that I have learned and hopefully be able to share what I've learned with you.

    The single best piece of advice I want to give you is learn to deconstruct your fears. I realized most fears we put in front of ourselves that hold us back from achieving greatness is all in our head and most likely will never happen. It's compared to the boogie man when you were a kid, it kept you from going to bed because you had this made up fear in your head. I had a fear of failure and being poor again, so poor that my family would suffer greatly. However as I learned the chances of that happening are very close to zero. If I work hard, charge for my services and not do it for free then I'll be blessed with the income that I need to support my families needs. This fear came from me working on commission and not having great success but I deconstructed this fear and realized that my fear does not even relate to what I plan to do as an entrepreneur.

    The next piece of advice I want to leave you with is don't be afraid to take calculated risks. I compare this to driving into the fog. You can't see very far in front of you, but you know that you're on the right path and you'll reach your destination. The reason this would be a calculated risk is because even though you don't know what's in front of you and relying prayerfully on the spirit you will be guided to know if you are on the right path and if that risk is worth taking.

    The other piece of advice is to make sure you are surrounded by those who will help you achieve your end goals. These will be family and friends and most importantly great mentors. Don't get caught up with people who are full of drama and turmoil. Get the right people on the bus who want to see you succeed and will help you succeed.

    Although entrepreneurship is hard work and you'll most likely put in 80 or more hours per week as your starting your business for the first few years, don't forget the importance of work, life balance. The reason I want to touch on this is because many family relationships suffer due to the lack of a work life balance. Years ago I read the biography of Larry H. Miller who owned several car dealerships as well as the professional basketball team the Utah Jazz. Larry stated one of his biggest regrets was not having more of a presence in the lives of his children. The relationships of his family especially his children were strained for several years. Fortunately but sadly at the end of Larry's life he was able to reconcile with his children but I'm sure as he took his last breath he wished things could have been better with his children. Make sure when your home, your home. This means even if you have to turn off your phone and tell your business associates that when your home you won't answer their phone calls because your family is your priority when your home. Most people will respect your dedication to your family and may even adopt your example in their own lives.

    The last thing you need to remember to do is to fulfill a need and love your work. Be passionate, be thankful and be gracious to all those whom you surround yourself with. Thanks goes a long ways! Years ago I was with my employer for around a year and my manager called me into his office at around 5:00 a.m. (I work in the oil field we get going early in the morning) My manager gave me my annual review and then he gave me my bonus amount. I thought he was kidding, I couldn't believe how big it was! I finally got over the shock and started walking down the hall to go call my wife to tell her the amazing news. As I was walking down the hall my manager yelled down the hall "Brandon, thank you for all you do, I really appreciate your hard work!" That right there meant more to me than that bonus. It was right then and there I learned the power of thanks and showing thanks to those around me.

    I loved this class, and I am grateful for the lessons I've learned and the insight I learned from conducting my entrepreneurial interview. I am going to strive to apply the lessons I've shared with you into my own life, because if I do I know I'll be able to continue my journey from ordinary to extraordinary.