There are amazing people around the world who draw from their inner strength, and use a little magic to do what others might consider impossible. These talented people, known as "entrepreneurs," know and do certain things that not only expand the quality of their lives, but also of life itself. Is it grace? Charisma? What is it that makes all the difference for the successful entrepreneur?
As a professional speaker and strategist to several SMEs and corporations, I'm always working to hone my craft and keep improving on this entrepreneurship journey. So when I connected with Simcha Gluck and Ronen Gafni, two lifetime entrepreneurs who meet and train successful entrepreneurs in our their FreshBiz Game-Based Entrepreneurial Workshops around the world, they helped me to see some new patterns of entrepreneurship. Simcha and Gafni are two of the Co-founders of the FreshBiz Game, entrepreneurs with a passion to uplift the world through fun and games, and authors of The New Entrepreneurz: Changing the Way you Play Life.
And what I found is this 'special sauce' isn't something extraterrestrial, but rather extraordinary, a little extra, that can be leveraged. Here are the 7 hats entrepreneurs wear well, as shared by Simcha and Ronen, and how you can begin to do the same.
1. Adventurers -Entrepreneurs know that they can win the game and therefore, they don't need or ask for unattainable proof. Just imagine that you are in NYC, you got $400 in your pocket and you need to get to LA. Every type of contraption from a paper map to the latest smart gadget on Kickstarter lies around you at your disposal. Your mission is simple: Get to LA. And you have 7 days to do it. Would you be nervous? It might be a little challenging, but even if you've never been in that exact scenario before, you already know how quickly you'd win that game! And you are probably going to have a nice adventure on your way there. Entrepreneurs look at turning ideas into reality with that type of 'no-problem' attitude because they believe they have abundant resources at their fingertips. They believe the following formula is true and line-of-site:
Mindset + Tools = Success
As such, each action appears as simple as lifting a pea.
2. Game Changers - "If is to be, it is up to me". Successful entrepreneurs are never willing to just settle for the status quo. They are here to make a change, and the bigger the better.
They look on the world and ask Why? And they go and look for answers. If they don't find one they like, they go out there and change things. They come up with new ideas, products and services that changes the way we think and act. Sometimes those changes are so profound they change the entire industry or even the world.
3. Storytellers - Entrepreneurs, or at least one entrepreneur on the company team, are storytellers who use their lives as the manuscript through which to live and love the journey. And best of all is that they generously share it with the world. Entrepreneurs don't wait for the exit in order to be happy. That would be like waiting for the fairy tale to end with "And they lived happily ever after" before starting to enjoy the story! Because they understand that the journey is the reward, they experience it as an incredibly colorful experience to share around the campfire.
4. Collaborators - Knowing that they can win, and win faster with and through others, entrepreneurs always seek collaboration. Sharing platforms, creating joint ventures and 'smartnerships', and seeking to expand the pie for everyone makes each action reverberate with power. Successful entrepreneurs understand that they can win the game without beating someone else in order to do it. The competition in life is between who they are and who they could be, so they compete with themselves against time rather than waste time competing with others. This allows them and others to expand life, like never before, and just focus on bringing value to everyone.
5. Seeders - Entrepreneurs believe that everything we send out is a seed being planted. The seeds of relationships, education, love, etc are being scattered around the world by the millions. Some will sprout immediately while others might take years to become activated. Entrepreneurs understand that to be considered a happy successful farmer, they only need a small percentage of those seeds to become healthy plants. Therefore, without worry, they lay possibility everywhere and see which soil, sun, and water come together the nicest.
6. Value Providers - Entrepreneurs care about providing value to you and the world through products, services, and attitude. They are not looking to sell you something, or convince you of something, or win an argument. Their approach is simple: If you are not looking for what they can provide, then you are not their market, and that's fine. If you are looking for what they can provide, then BINGO, and "in a world full of people, some want to fly." Just like air rushes to fill a vacuum, entrepreneurs want to find the space to share value and contribute from their passion.
7. Gamers - Life has never been a richer, more abundant game to play, and entrepreneurs play it well. They understand that if the journey is the reward, then let's have some fun, make some memories, and laugh along the way...just like we do when we play games. As children we learned, explored, and discovered what works and what doesn't, through the process of playing games and playing team. Why would we stop that now? The mindset of entrepreneurs is that of serious playfulness, which to others seems like a paradox, but to them it translates into playing the game seriously while having lots of fun along the way. The best part is that they can play as many games as they want and choose people from all over the world to play with them on their team!
So next time you see something miraculous happening in the world of startups, entrepreneurial thinking, or just regular life, look for the mechanics behind it. And try on the hats above, one by one. Build a habit by wearing one consistently for 30 days, then wear the next, and so on. Look for these hats as you carry your startup through its infancy. And see that these 7 hats can propel you're your business further. Don't just know these tricks. Be them, use them, and enjoy the magic that they create!