So I am going to try my forte at this blog writing thing. I hope it goes well. As I sit in my office, in not so Sunny Florida today (well usually, its nice and sunny, but today, the heavens are crying a bit), I think about what this Pandemic has taught me as an entrepreneur. What’s a valuable message that I as an Entrepreneur can share with other Entrepreneurs to support them during this time. So I have started to think about some of things that I am learning about this journey of starting and growing a business over the last few weeks in a pandemic no less. Here is what I have been reflecting on lately. Hopefully this helps you too.
How many times, over the last few weeks have you opened the refrigerator door and just gave it a blank stare? You look around and say, “I can’t eat cheese, I ate that twice already today” or “I am not hungry for fruit; that is so boring. Nothing in here is going to work for me, it’s just the same ole stuff.” Then you shut the refrigerator door with anger and frustration, making it the enemy. I am here to remind you that the refrigerator is not the enemy! It’s actually quite the opposite. You just have to change how you look at it and remember what the refrigerator represented before the pandemic.
Guess what? When it comes to Entrepreneurship, even the best of us have treated our thoughts as that damn refrigerator that has nothing to offer but the same ole stuff over and over again. If you remember, there was a time when the refrigerator was great. We loved it. There was variety, flavor, so many new options. The refrigerator was the gold mine that sustained us. You even created a great business idea from that “refrigerator” That was in your pre-pandemic state. Then your mental pandemic sets in. That means, our ideas get stunted. We are frozen in our current state. We cannot see the forest for the trees. We are in a rut and our ideas on how we grow our business or connect with the right audiences are mediocre at best. We doubt the power that we have to turn those ideas into revenue. We remain frozen and our thinking is halted for a bit. We go to the compartment of ideas in our head and we say, that idea won’t work or I tried that already. You then angrily and with frustration, I shut the refrigerator door on these ideas as you have decided that it’s not worth it.
What we have grown to forget is that the refrigerator, pre pandemic was not the enemy. It, like our brains are the source of nutrients, sustenance, and the power to provide lots of support. Let’s not quickly shut the door on any of our thoughts because we fear our ideas are not good enough, they don’t quench our immediate need or you tried that already and you don’t want to try it again. As Entrepreneurs, I suggest we value all of our ideas and thoughts. Write each of them down. As driven beings, we sometimes want immediate gratification. We want the right marketing strategy now and the clients should be pouring in already. “I need to make $20,000 today and now”. That is not how things typically work (although sometimes, they can). Remember, your ideas are a gold mine. Embrace your thoughts, ideas, and insights, even if they seem unattainable, boring or stale. Then look at your list of ideas every once and awhile and reflect on them. What we sometimes fail to realize is that from one idea is borne another one. Yesterday’s junk ideas could be tomorrows treasure chest. You might look at it from a different perspective or refine that idea in a way that it brings you clients and revenue. You just have to be resilient and see your ideas through. Each of them will shape or form your strategy in one way or another.
Remember you are a creator! The emergence of a great idea starts from those ideas that you never thought could satisfy you or your business. Be Strong, Be Resilient and remember ALL of your ideas are gems. Embrace them, write them down and reflect on them often. Let your mind be free to create as those creations will reproduce other creations. Even during this time, it’s important to remember that The refrigerator is not the enemy!
