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Tag: opportunity

How I screwed up (anxieties of an entrepreneur)

The following is taken from an interview with Jahan Mantin. For the original article, click here.

In the beginning I didn’t have my story straight. I knew there was value in getting certain people into a room to share and learn from each other, but I didn’t know how to articulate it. In my mind, the story and its importance was perfectly clear. My intuition of human dynamics and relationships was always on target. But the business side was lacking. I had to thrash and experiment and test formulas to make it sustainable. It didn’t happen overnight.

I didn’t come from a business background. I had a lot to learn and made a lot of mistakes. This is part of it. You have to go through it, do the work and press on.

Overcoming anxiety 

When I first started hosting dinners I was absolutely petrified. I’d give myself pep talks on the train before every event. The fact that I managed to convince these incredibly smart, brilliant, talented people to come meet each other in a secret room became a tremendous burden. I put intense pressure on myself to organize unforgettable evenings. My anxiety was through the roof. “What if no one shoes up? What if plates come crashing down off the walls? What happens if someone becomes angry and storms out? If I forget someone’s name? If someone drinks too much and stumbles down the stairs?”

Eventually I realized my fears were mostly irrational. Thankfully, I got to a place where I could recognize that these dinners are beyond me. Yes, I still get nervous, but I can manage my anxiety with the understanding that my responsibility is to provide the platform for people to come together and meet and enjoy. The rest is ultimately up to them.

The pressure of being an entrepreneur

We spend most of our young lives being told what to do. School is laid out for us, and certain milestones seem preordained — job, college, house, friends, relationship. When you start your own business, there is no set plan. There’s a sense of leaping, falling, an uncertainty of what’s to come.

For me, this levity was accompanied by obligation, a duty to see it through. It’s easy to shy away from fear like a fire, but these scary moments show us who we are.  When we are petrified and allow ourselves to be vulnerable, we grow.

Why do so many people become entrepreneurs when it feels like such a big risk?

At first glance, entrepreneurship doesn’t seem safe. Safety is 9 – 5, a steady paycheck and stock options. But if you think about it, freedom and creative independence can provide more security than any job. At any point you can be fired. When you create your own business/service/product, the power is in your hands.

Entrepreneurship isn’t for everyone. Not everyone wants to run their own show; it’s demanding and tough. But you owe it to yourself to sit down and ask, “What do I want? What do I want to contribute to the world? What brings me the most joy?”

When do you know you’re ready?

You have to be honest, ask hard questions and give yourself the time to go through the process of identifying your values and priorities, your skills and talents, what you’re really good at.

If you wait for the right moment, the right time, you’re never going to ship. You’re never going to put work out into the world. You’ll never create art (of which the most interesting and successful is far from perfect). You have to reach the point where it’s good enough, where you can feel satisfied and confident. “Done” is better than perfection.

There are always edits to be made. It can — and probably will — be improved. But your work has to make it out into the world.

Lessons on working for free

For almost one year, I’ve volunteered my time serving a group of people I’ve grown to care for immensely. While I’ve sacrificed a lot, I’ve been granted much more in return. Some key takeaways:

1. Let excitement be your guide.

Excitement is an internal barometer letting you know you’re on track. If you’re not excited to get to work, you’re in the wrong place.

There was a time I had to coax myself out of bed in the morning. I was bored, frustrated, unchallenged, disenchanted. After I began placing myself in environments that made me feel valued and appreciated, a train engine powered my days. Clocking hours no longer mattered, and my worth became less about the money I was making and more about the contribution I was adding to the world around me.

2. Don’t be afraid to ask for help.

It’s impossible have all the answers. Pretending you do so only prevents you from building relationships and trusted communities. Questions – no matter how obvious they may seem – not only provide information but also serve as gateway to meaningful connections. Asking for help allows others the opportunity to teach you about their world and their way of doing things. If you’re afraid to ask, you can bank on missing out.

3. Give, and you’ll be taken care of.

Decisions can be made from one of two places: scarcity or abundance.

A scarcity mentality is restricted to a finite amount of resources. The underlying emotion is fear. What if there isn’t enough, what if I give and there’s nothing left for me?

Abundant thinking, however, evolves from a place of trust, faith, and confidence. There is always enough; in fact, there is more than enough. Giving becomes less of a sacrifice and more of a responsibility to do what’s right — a pleasure.

I used to think a lot about what I didn’t have. In hindsight, I prevented myself from becoming who I wanted to be. When I started to concentrate on what I do have, I gave more. I cared less about what was lacking and more about using my gifts in a way that mattered.

4. Worry less (it paralyzes you)!

Worrying serves no one. It’s a black hole, a basket collecting your best ideas and strongest intentions. Anxiety has stopped me from solidifying friendships, initiating projects, finishing goals. I’ve found myself slave to an endless chain of insecurity about my worth, capability, value, productivity, and possibility. Not beneficial. Not fun.

The irony is this: when I gave more, I was given more. Even though I haven’t received a paycheck, I’ve been taken care of — there’s a roof over my head, food to eat, people to cheer me on. I’ve received introductions to incredibly accomplished individuals and have found greater depth in my relationships.

Yes, due-diligence is required to develop plans and take action. But after you’ve put in your work, believe in yourself and the purity of your intentions. Your efforts will pay off.

Ben Franklin was an impresario.

Ben Franklin was 21 when he first gathered friends and thought leaders for drinks and dinner on Friday nights. Invitees included poets and laborers, academics and politicians. The cohort was a motley one, but they shared one thing: a desire to improve themselves and their communities.

In his autobiography, Franklin laid out basic terms for these dinners:

“…every member, in his turn, should produce one or more queries on any point of Morals, Politics, or Natural Philosophy, to be discuss’d by the company; and once in three months produce and read an essay of his own writing, on any subject he pleased.

Our debates were to be under the direction of a president, and to be conducted in the sincere spirit of inquiry after truth, without fondness for dispute or desire of victory; and to prevent warmth, all expressions of positiveness in opinions, or direct contradiction, were after some time made contraband, and prohibited under small pecuniary penalties.”

Each meeting followed a set format, a series of business and personal questions acting as a springboard for conversation and creation. Volunteer fire-fighters, night watchmen, and a public hospital emerged from these discussions. In hopes Franklin’s questions might inspire you, I’ve included a few here:

  • Have you met with any thing in the author you last read, remarkable, or suitable…particularly in history, morality, poetry, physics, travels, mechanic arts, or other parts of knowledge?
  • What new story have you lately heard agreeable for telling in conversation?
  • Hath any citizen in your knowledge failed in his business and what have you heard of the cause?
  • Have you heard of any citizen’s thriving well and by what means?
  • Do you know of any fellow citizen, who has lately done a worthy action, deserving praise and imitation?
  • Do you think of any thing at present, in which our group may be serviceable to mankind, to their country, to their friends, or to themselves?
  • Do you know of any deserving young beginner, whom it lies in the power of our group in any way to encourage?
  • Have you lately observed any defect in the laws, of which it would be proper to move the legislature an amendment? Do you know of any beneficial law that is wanting?
  • Have you lately observed any encroachment on the just liberties of the people?
  • Is there any man whose friendship you want, and which our group, or any of our members, can procure for you?
  • Have you lately heard any member’s character attacked and how have you defended it?
  • In what manner can we assist you in any of your honorable designs?
  • Have you any weighty affair in hand in which you think our advice may be of service?
  • What benefits have you lately received from any man not present?
  • Do you love truth for truth’s sake and will you endeavor impartially to find and receive it yourself and communicate it to others?

There are men and women everywhere who are committed to asking questions, doing good, and improving themselves and their communities. Find them. Bring them together. Our world will be better for it.

“Either write something worth reading or do something worth writing.”  -Ben Franklin

Life is meant for sharing.

In over two years, hundreds of people I respect and admire have attended my events. Many have asked how to easily find and connect with others within this community. Now it’s possible.

I’ve spent the last few months building a private online resource just for this reason. My friend Clay and I have made unique profiles detailing the skills and interests of those who have requested to share their information. It’s a curated rolodex of individuals who are kind, generous, adventurous and creative.

I can’t help but imagine what the world might be like if we all gave a little more when and wherever possible. I hope this online network encourages the Project Exponential family to do so.

 Note: If you’ve attended a dinner event and would like to be included, send me a note.

7 sins of crowdfunding

My recent indiegogo campaign has elicited a flurry of emails from people looking for support and advice on projects of their own. I’ve attempted a few fundraising efforts — one that failed, one that supported inner city kids (and got me to Everest Base Camp), and another that had me running the 2011 NYC marathon (never again!). I’ve noticed a few patterns surrounding the psychology of asking and giving and hope this compilation might help you think carefully about your next crowdfunding endeavor.

ONE: APATHY. You don’t really care about your cause.

If you aren’t invested in your project, how can you ask anyone else to be? The solar project came out of something incredibly meaningful for me, and my passion is palpable through a screen. If you think your work will make a difference in someone’s life, probably it will. People will believe in you and your work, but first you must believe in yourself. It can be unnerving to put yourself out there, so focus on your goal and what you’re looking to accomplish to overcome any social anxieties. Excitement is contagious.

TWO: GLUTTONY. Stressing helps no one.

With each fundraiser I end up putting on a few pounds, ultimately telling friends “fundraising is bad for my health.” I won’t lie: fundraising is stressful. It can be an agonizing blend of deadlines, public exposure, asking for money, rejection, persistence, hard work, and time. Lots of time.

Keep in mind no one will give you an award for stressing out. Worrying only paralyzes you from accomplishing anything significant; this serves no one. If you are tired or rundown, you’re going to be an inefficient fundraiser, advocate, worker, person. Take care of yourself.

THREE: PRIDE. You’re not going to be successful by yourself; build a team.

You need supporters in your corner for the times you hit fundraising slumps (and you will). Enlist your funders to encourage and cheer you on. Basic mathematics: more people means more energy and effort directed towards your project. And more eyeballs (over 10k people visited the solar project page). You’ll need more than just financial support as you make the final push toward your goals.

FOUR: SLOTH. Fundraising is really like a marathon.

At first, your idea will sound exciting and meaningful and you can’t wait to get started.

Then reality sets in. Is crowdfunding going to work? What if this fails? (Anxious questioning is completely normal. If you’re not at least a little bit nervous, reevaluate #1.)

After you announce your campaign to the world, you will feel empowered and committed. You start telling colleagues, share your campaign on social media channels, and receive positive feedback from friends. This initial spike in enthusiasm will be followed by a slump. Don’t panic.

FIVE: WRATH. You are not getting the response you hoped for, and now you’re angry.

Don’t give up.

You have to work really freaking hard. Sometimes, all of your online efforts aren’t enough. This is when you start looking at offline options. Tell everyone you meet about your project. Plan events — events, fundraisers, silent auctions. At one point, I considered making animal balloons on the street for money. Then I started applying to every micro grant I could possibly find—THANK YOU, POLLINATION PROJECT!—for fear I wouldn’t reach my goal.

Remember #4. It’s a marathon race; pace yourself but be prepared for sudden sprints. You will regain energy and confidence as your deadline nears and you approach your goal.

SIX: IGNORANCE. You don’t know your own story.

You’ll need to get creative. Images and anecdotes create a portrait of what you’re trying to do. Show people why your cause is meaningful and what kind of impact you’re looking to make. Your shared content — photos, stories, ideas, videos, testimonials — will help you move past moments of doubt and remind you why you started this in the first place.

SEVEN: GREED. You got what you wanted.

Just because your campaign ends doesn’t mean your work is finished. Don’t be fooled — donor appreciation takes time and care. People went out of their way to support you and your cause; thank them and keep them updated on your progress and work. Follow up and be timely with updates. It makes you look responsible and reminds people they made the right choice by supporting your work.

Gratitude is everything.

Fear and two choices

Everyone has moments of panic.
If you don’t experience fear and anxiety from time to time, I’d wonder what kind of life you’re living. You’re probably not doing justice to your capabilities and talents or testing your limits. But this post isn’t about that.
I want you to pay attention to what you do AFTER those moments of panic and fear.
You have two choices:
1. Press on. 
Step on the gas and move forward (it doesn’t matter how slowly). Call it leaning in, fighting resistance, bucking up. I say you’re just going for it.
2. Ease off.
You’ve taken your foot off the pedal and/or you’ve stepped on the brake.
What do you do when you’re afraid?
Boarding my flight for Nepal, I was filled with trepidation and unease. I wish I could say I knew something amazing was waiting for me. I can’t. It wasn’t that I was afraid to travel around the world by myself; I was afraid of not knowing what the hell I was doing. There was fear and deep sense of anxiety, but I didn’t let it stop me.
I’m not unique. Many individuals have gotten on planes and found life-changing adventures — Scott, Eric, John, Tim, Hannah, Jim. Defining moments don’t have to involve travel, either. I felt this before my first dinner and my first project with Seth.
I’ve recognized panic and fear before many great learning experiences. There’s always something to lose, and your mind will come up with a million excuses why you will fail. The trick is finding a place of creative freedom and alleviating your fears just long enough to press on.