by Carol Ritter
Who wants to be a millionaire? I’d say most people do, and that many think that having that kind of money will solve their problems. I’m not sure it will, but having that cash would certainly be fun. Last Sunday I went to the movies and saw The Intern starring Robert De Niro and Anne Hathaway. Hathaway plays a young entrepreneur who makes it big, fast. It came so fast that her excellence seemed unprecedented and leads to all kinds of problems. The idea for her company came from thinking that women would love to buy clothes online that fit. “Clothes that fit” – the idea that took her company from average to extraordinary.
Thinking about being a millionaire or thinking about being successful lead you to a road that will not be simple or easy. Here are some ideas that will lead you on the road to success:
- Write a blog educating people about your services. Tell some stories on your blog.
- Get published, share more information by writing a book, a newspaper article or op-ed.
- Network like a ninja. Networking is not about you, but about meeting people and building your brand.
- Ask others to refer you, but be sure they can explain exactly what you do.
5. Speak in public to teach, educate and get your brand out to the community.
- Tell the truth, I know so many successful people who don’t do this and it will catch up to you.
- Follow up like crazy, this is a common entrepreneurial failure. People don’t do this enough.
- Be a referral genius, refer others just to be known as genuine and helpful.
- Join clubs, boards and groups that meet monthly. It will help you grow your network.
- Never get comfortable, because it is the kiss of death. Some call it resting on your laurels. You need to keep a finger on the pulse of what is happening in your market.
- Be willing to fail. Failure is part of the game. You need to learn from failure, accept it and get over it.
- Take some risks. Risk is vital to success. You need to “go out on a limb” to succeed, the rewards will be priceless.
As far as the movie goes, I highly recommend The Intern. It might even give you some ideas for your business.
Carol S. Ritter, past President of the National Speakers Association in Philadelphia, is an accomplished professional speaker, coach and educational consultant specializing in innovative leadership, outrageous fundraising, million-dollar marketing and building organizational alliances throughout the country. FMI on Carol’s creative leadership with bulletproof ideas for recruiting more members, more money and better leaders: www.caroltalks.com, 610-442-4545, tellkids@aol.com, “Like” Carol on facebook at Caroltalks and CarolCoaches.
