99% of what affects the balance sheet is nowhere to be found on the balance sheet.
Look up and around and in the mirror.
There you will see what’s contributing to the bottom line.
Normally, the entrepreneur’s job description, we think, is to invent, create, dream up, execute, and take risk.
It may look like these things from the outside – but truly, now more than ever, his or her job is to obsess over finding new ways to create value in, through, and for the product/service.
The marketplace will always pay up to the value it sees and believes is there.
So while your invention, dream, and new risk may be fun, eclectic, interesting, and even worth talking about – you must never forget about its value.
An entrepreneur creates value. Period.
Could it be that the that thing you are least interested in doing is the most important thing you could be doing?
Meet the challenge.
Overcome the fear.
Success is probably summed up best in being defined as the road less traveled.
Don’t go to work just to avoid it.
Back in the day (not long ago), art wasn’t blessed within the lines of commerce.
We just wanted the news and maybe The Late Show.
We just wanted a pair of shoes.
We just wanted a hotel for the night.
We just wanted a cup of coffee.
No room for art here in these wants.
But that was then and this is now.
We just wanted a pizza when that is all Dominoes offered. Now enter Cane Rosso to open pandoras box on what you thought a pizza was. You didn’t know you wanted art with your pizza did you?
We just wanted to make mobile calls when that is all Motorola offered. Now enter Steve Jobs and with his cronies looking to bring sexy back with your phone. You didn’t know wanted fashion and art with your phone did you?
We just wanted to take a picture, but Instagram knew we wanted to make art. You din’t know you could be or wanted to be an artist did you?
Look at who is gaining market share and you’re going to find a bunch of artist, modern day hippies, ex-hippies, and so called “randoms” shaking things up and changing the world.
Intro to Art, in my opinion, is just as necessary as Intro to Business in your career development.
When the thought becomes physical the game has changed.
For instance when you move from “I should call that customer” to “I CALLED that customer” you just made a big leap and a push against resistance.
When you’re thinking “I think I love her/him” and then you speak out “I love her/him” – that relationship can never go back to normal.
When you move from “what if we________” to “we chose to GO this route” – now you’re pushing forward and changing things (always a good sign).
Our thoughts, dreams, and ideas are the rowdiest gifts the Muse has given us. The problem is they’re all paused until we physically do something with them.
When the thought turns physical this a quantum leap from wishing things to be done to willing them to be done.
Simply put, get your songs out of your head into a microphone.
Alas, that bird will finally fly.
Ashton.Gustafson 