The 10 Things I Discovered About Running a Successful Business (#5 Is Not What You Expect)

Earlier this month I was super excited to fly out to New York for the Social Triggers Live event by Derek Halpern the internet marketing expert.

I even got to take a selfie with the main guy himself!

Derek Halpern and Ruth Noel
Me & Derek Halpern

That one day in New York blew my mind! Being there was such an inspiring experience and the ideas I walked away with are going to make a HUGE difference to the success of my business.

The event covered tips, suggestions and strategies from Derek Halpern, Ryan Holiday, Todd Herman and Noah Kagan. Honestly, you had to be there for the full-throttle experience on how to become a high performer and how to take your business to a level you have never imagined…

Here are my 10 favourite take outs:

1. Stop juggling everything
Derek shared that to be a successful entrepreneur you need to stop doing so many things. But how do you do this, when you have all of the responsibility of success on your shoulders…?

2. Group your tasks into compartments
Todd Herman provided the answer. He recommends separating things into compartments, that way you can easily prioritise and schedule the important work you need to focus on like getting more clients as opposed to administrative work.

And it also helps when a new urgent priority arises, like family related incidents. You can easily get back into your routine afterwards.

3. Focus on the most important
Derek asked, ‘If your feet are on fire, how can you focus on anything else?’
This is a key question to ask yourself if you put things off until the last minute. Very successful people have restrained themselves to embed their efforts in ONE area.

4. It’s about numbers and figures
You love the work that you do, the art you create and the way you can help others. If you’re reading this then I know you’re not the type of person who wants to work ONLY to make money (nor do I). But as Todd puts it, the numbers tell you the truth about what’s really going on in your business.

5. Soccer, basketball and hockey have one thing in common
Personally I don’t know much about the technical side of sports… So when Todd explained that soccer is not just about scoring goals, basketball is not just about hoops and hockey is not just about getting the puck in the net… I was confused I admit!

But as soon as he explained that the best sports stars focus on creating TIME and space when playing to win it CLICKED for me. Success is based on clearing up the things we get stuck working on that isn’t related to our main priority, which means you create more time!

6. You need to implement quickly

If you really want to be successful then you need to take action within 2 weeks. Whatever you’re planning, thinking of doing (or putting off) something has to be done to get to the next level. It’s only when the wheels of action are in motion that you’ll see how it works for you in real life.

7. Systems make all the difference
From really simple systems – like being able to quickly contact your web designer to make important website changes, or always forwarding email invoices to your personal accountant – to more complex CRM, sales or supply systems, if you don’t have a system to get it done, then you wont get it done. At least not quickly enough to save yourself the worry and potential loss of money. There always needs to be a system to place tasks in someone else’s hands when you need support.

8. Cause some disruption
If you need encouragement to go against the status quo then Ryan Holiday is simply the best current marketing expert for this! He firmly believes that there is no need to be afraid of being disruptive in your industry. Make the decision to change the game & focus on what is most compelling about your brand or business.

9. Don’t worry about negative outcomes
Don’t let the fear out negative outcomes hold you back. Quite often the reality of doing something is not as extreme as we fear in our minds. When you really set your mind to it the positive possibilities are endless!

10. Meet people
Going to Social Triggers Live was the first time I’ve travelled to the US for an event and admittedly I was a little nervous. I’m not keen on ‘networking’ just for the sake of it. I enjoy myself when I get to truly connect with other entrepreneurs, or as Noah Kagan put it ‘building relationships’.

Really challenging myself and working through some tough questions has helped me to clarify my purpose, priorities and focus. I strongly believe this is going to make a massive difference in my enjoyment and the success of my business.

I encourage you to do the same, it will change the way you look at things, how you run your business and your success!

I would love to know your opinion:

What is ONE main area that you need to focus on? If you have an idea in the back of your mind that you think is a little ‘disruptive’, will you follow through with it?

Leave a comment below and let me know!

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