All rich people are cheaters.
All black people are privileged.
All women are oppressed.
All footballs are round.

You might agree with some of these statements or you might be offended by them. Either way, they’re all lies.

Now, exchange the word “All” with “Some” and read it again. Agree? Offended? Either way, they’re all true.

Make no mistake, the current emotional/political narrative is intended to produce anger, fear, and separation. We can condense the nonsense if we judge the lies and respect the truth.

Ye shall do no unrighteousness in judgment: thou shalt not respect the person of the poor, nor honour the person of the mighty: but in righteousness shalt thou judge thy neighbour.

Leviticus 19:15 KJV

I was blessed to be on a Zoom call yesterday with serial entrepreneur, author, and speaker, Gary Vaynerchuck. This was not a one on one conversation; there were about 650 of my fellow EO members in attendance. That said, Gary stayed true to his core message, the same one I’ve heard him preach on YouTube and every other social media platform. “Social Media is still the next big thing and the cell phone is going to turn television into the radio.”  While I agree with the projection, this was not the real value from yesterday’s call. I was delightfully surprised when about 10 minutes in, he stopped speaking and hit us with an amazing 45 minute Q&A session!

Some people speak to think and others think to speak. I think Gary V is the former. This is a good thing, as it is easier to glean information about how he arrives at conclusions. Really successful people leave clues when they answer off the cuff questions. Yesterday, I could see he was a master of something of which most people are incapable, holding conflicting ideas.

Genuinely holding two conflicting ideas simultaneously is a super-power leaders need in their mental arsenal. The internal conflict of opposing ideas generates energy, new ideas, and solutions. Instead of arguing at the speed of analog (speech/hearing), you can reason through problems at the speed of light.

Differences, like poles on a battery, create potential.

Potential for learning.
Potential for growth.
Potential energy.
Potential to be better.

We can use the potential energy naturally generated by our differences as an opportunity for learning and growth. Or, we can waste those opportunities trying to eliminate the difference.

We are all different for a reason.

And that ye may put difference between holy and unholy, and between unclean and clean;

Leviticus 10:10 KJV

I have a great idea.
I think I’ll start a business.
People really like my stuff.

If you are experiencing some level of business success, it’s most likely because of who you are not because of what you produce. Your customer could easily go to the local grocery store and buy a birthday cake, but they don’t. They buy it from you. Why? I’m not sure exactly why, but I can almost guarantee you that it’s not because they want a birthday cake. 

Do yourself a favor and figure out what your “thing” is early on. If you are smart, driven, resourceful, persistent, willing to sacrifice, and a little lucky; you get to go from solopreneur to entrepreneur. You get to make the transition from me to we.

“We” will not naturally operate at the level of “me”.

“We” has other ideas about how to do things.

“We” might not love your baby.

“We” might  just be here for a paycheck.

Expansion has caused the wheels to fall off many small businesses. During the transition to we, be very careful not to lose the “me” that made the whole thing possible. Guard your “special sauce” as though the life of your business depends on it, because it probably does.

What are the odds that the odds are against you?

Why does “pick yourself up by your bootstraps” work for some folks and not for others?

Why are some people born into poverty and others into opportunity?

Why do bad things happen to good people?

I don’t have the answers, and I’m not so sure I could understand them if I did. What I have is faith, hope, love, and a handful of promises.

Judge not, that ye be not judged.
Ask, and it shall be given you.
Seek, and ye shall find.
Knock, and it shall be opened to you.
Narrow is the way that leads to life.
Believe on Jesus, and thou shalt be saved.

What are the odds that the odds are against you? 100% But don’t let that stop you; it’s already a statistical improbability that you are reading this. If you beat the odds once, I bet you can do it again. 😉

A hero struggles to overcome seemingly insurmountable obstacles, defeats the adversary, and wins the day. This storyline resonates with all of us but it doesn’t always mirror real life.

What happens when the hero doesn’t overcome the obstacle?
What happens if the adversary never relents?
What happens when there is no win, just another day of struggle?

The wrong answer is “everyone gets a trophy”.

Your eating habits align with your health.

Your media inputs align with your gratitude.

Your relationships align with your happiness.

Your work ethic aligns with your success.

If you find one side of the equation is not what you expected, look at the inputs on the other side. Your results align with your actions.

And they came, every one whose heart stirred him up, and every one whom his spirit made willing, and they brought the Lord’s offering to the work of the tabernacle of the congregation, and for all his service, and for the holy garments.

Exodus 35:21 KJV

If you pay attention to the pennies, the dollars take care of themselves.

If you pay attention to your actions, your character will take care of itself.

If you pay attention to detail, the outcome will take care of itself.

We make huge errors when we force results without first focusing on the detail.

Detail isn’t just a big deal… it’s the whole deal.

“Act like who you are.”
I can’t count the number of times I’ve said this to my children. Every time they leave my presence I want them to remember to uphold their family name and ultimately remember they are children of GOD.

“Act like who you want to be.”
Be intentional. You first have to act like the person you want to become. You cannot be an owner if you act like an employee. You cannot be a winner if you practice like a loser.

“Your actions have consequences.”
This isn’t a negative statement. It’s a promise. 😉

Your silence shows empathy and respect.
Your silence allows you to listen.
Your silence is a negotiating tool.
Your silence shows compliance.

There are times to speak out and there are times to listen. If you don’t listen first, you will speak as a fool.

There is great wisdom in knowing when to be silent.