Marketing Strategy Blog - Entrepreneurship - Page 5

I have been reading over the past week or so about the rise and fall of 1-Page, a public listed company on the ASX, headquartered in the US.

Having just returned from the slopes of Aspen, skiing down the mountain like I don't have a care in the world, and I have no fear for my life and what injuries a fall may result in, I am back in the grind.

Years ago I learned that working a 60 or 80 hour week as a small business owner was not effective, efficient or in any persons best interest, let alone my own.

I changed my life, started working what I deem to be reasonable hours and made sure that no weekend was filled with any work commitment and was left to me living life the way life should be lived.

That all makes sense, and in theory works a treat, except when your business grows and more opportunities hit your desk than you know what to do with it.

We all want to leverage opportunities, grow our business, and capitalise on what we have achieved, but that takes time, and time means not only money but energy.

The best managers delegate and prioritise - and know exactly when an opportunity that is too good to be true needs to be put to the backburner.

At times, I think I have it sorted, but I am foolish and no matter how much I tell myself that this is the case, I always fall prey to the next best idea. Fortunately, I have an ability to not leap on it without thorough thought processes determining its value to the bigger picture.

But as life would have it, some really amazing things have fallen on my desk and now I am in a conundrum. Some decision have to be made and one of them is about what is my real job and where do I really want to take my life.

When you are sitting in my shoes, you have people coming to you almost daily with "good ideas". I am quite experienced at cooling those ideas down, but all of a sudden there are some things I want to do and that means that I need to change it up a bit, make my priorities a little different but not work any extra hours and keep my head in clear space so I can always be in the position to make good decisions.

I'm sitting at the Qantas Lounge at the Melbourne International Airport ready to board another flight to Los Angeles. I am a tad tired. 2.15am wakeup wasn't my best work, but sometimes excitement does get the best of me. Travelling for me, is exciting and part of the bigger adventure. I get to meet people that inspire me, shock me and sometimes join me on my journey as a friend, client or person "I just know".

Meeting people when you are an introvert is completely and utterly out of your comfort zone, and I know the value of being outside your comfort zone. It's one of the best things that can happen, especially if you are an entrepreneur.

It's been a hectic few months and this week has been no different. 

With the weekend upon us, I can safely say that the next few months I am only focused on Marketing Eye, technology development and the people who have already been in the incubator and need my support. It's time to pass on the baton for all the things I have become so passionately involved with, and focus on my own backyard - so to speak.

Jack Ma's speech at the World Economic Forum struck a raw and real note with me. He is more successful than I would ever be even if that was my pursuit in life, but we do have some similarities and that is based on a view of the world we live in and our roles in making it a better place.

Talking to my sister-in-law today, we discussed how I could sell up my home in Melbourne and move to the Fraser Coast and live on the beach in a brand new house, designed by me, for less than $800,000. Imagine that? When you live in the city, you soon realise that $800,000 buys you very little, but in some of the most beautiful places in the world, it brings you a lot. Imagine what I could do with the leftovers. Retire? Do more for the community and causes in which I support? Change people's lives and outcomes? It really is endless. I was born with a brain and it works just as well outside the constraints of business. What if I used it more on a fulltime basis to improve our world?