For the past two years, I have had the privilege of serving as program director for the FW Inc. Entrepreneur of Excellence awards program. As I have worked side by side with Hal Brown, Brian Ritenour, Scott Nishimura, Natasha Freimark and all of the other terrific leaders at the magazine, a strong theme has emerged from our collective efforts: entrepreneurial passion.
It has been a terrific experience for another reason as well – it turns out that the folks at FW Inc. truly think, believe and act like the entrepreneurs they write about. They are not only committed to getting the facts right in every story, but also to conveying the drive and passion each entrepreneur feels for their ideas, employees and customers. I believe it is this commitment to revealing the heart of every entrepreneur that makes their stories compelling, practical and applicable to leading our companies.
The 2018 EOE finalists and winners profiled in this edition sat down with me and Scott to share their entrepreneurial passion and how it informed the decisions they made while growing their industry-leading companies. Many common themes kept bubbling to the surface as they shared their heartfelt stories of loss, gain and ultimate success.
Here are seven lessons we learned about entrepreneurial passion that may help you reach your goals in 2018:
“Entrepreneurial passion is attractive”: It takes our focus off of ourselves and places it on the dreams and abilities of others as we work together toward a common goal. In this way, it is an unseen force that pulls like-minded, talented people into our orbit and unites us to seek answers and overcome obstacles as a team.
“Entrepreneurial passion is encouraging”: It refocuses our will on the tasks at hand by reminding us that we can do most anything we put our mind to. Remember, long-term gains often require short-term sacrifices. In those situations, it is our passion that encourages us to push through the hard times as we work toward success.
“Entrepreneurial passion is optimistic”: It provides a strong defense against the overwhelming negativity that exists in the world today. As so much bad news, political unrest and general confusion increase in our society, it lifts our eyes and spirits to what’s possible within our areas of influence instead of what’s wrong in the world around us.
“Entrepreneurial passion is satisfying”: It reinforces our belief that the skills and abilities we bring to our business are valuable, applicable and sufficient to accomplish our goals. Each time we overcome a big obstacle or uncover a potential opportunity, we gain the satisfaction necessary to try even harder the next time.
“Entrepreneurial passion is sustaining”: It fills the gaps when our brains and bodies tell us it’s time to give in and give up. Every entrepreneur faces burnout in some form during their long, hard climb to success. Passion is the “eternal flame” that may flicker when adversity comes, but somehow manages to not be snuffed out.
“Entrepreneurial passion is required”: It is not too hard to pump up our passion when good things are happening in our business. However, to become a truly excellent entrepreneur requires a high level of commitment to consistently exhibit passion for our employees, customers, vendors and mission regardless of the circumstances.
“Entrepreneurial passion is infectious”: It filters throughout our entire company and results in new ideas and problem-solving solutions that keep us ahead of our competition. It also forms the foundation of our culture by giving every member of our team a voice in how we serve our customers. It is a simple formula for success: Passionate leaders + passionate employees = repeat customers.
As a leader, I am sure that you can identify with many of the ways our Entrepreneur of Excellence award finalists and winners leverage their entrepreneurial passion to meet the challenges in their businesses. So here is a question:
“How will you use your entrepreneurial passion in the coming year to reignite the flame in your own heart for even greater success?“
If you are clear about what you intend to do and how you intend to do it, go for it with everything you’ve got!
If not, then I invite you to contact me. For over 30 years, I have worked to connect great entrepreneurs and executive leaders with the people and resources they need to succeed. It’s my way of “paying it forward,” and it is the way we do things here in Cowtown. It is the reason I started the Fort Worth Business Assistance Center, co-created the EOE awards program and coach owners and leaders in our area. You can reach me at 817-832-5696.
Fort Worth is a truly unique and wonderful place to put down roots and grow a business. I invite you to contribute your entrepreneurial passion to helping us all make 2018 the best year ever in our wonderful city.
I will be praying and cheering for your success!