By Dalia MacPhee
At times, being an entrepreneur is like being a warrior. The weapons, armor and battlefield may be different, but the rules are still the same. Being a female business owner in one of the most cutthroat industries (apparel), the most important thing I’ve learned is the value of strength.
Here are five key things I’ve learned to become a stronger entrepreneurIOR (entrepreneur warrior).
Stay Flexible
No matter who you are, at some point you’re going to run across an opponent stronger than you. It’s what you do in that moment that counts. I used to study competitive Muay Thai (Thai kickboxing), and I always remember a story my teacher told me about the mango tree and the bamboo tree: “The wind came to take both trees down. The mango tree knew it was strong. It would not sway. It was too sure of itself. But finally its roots gave way, and it tumbled down. The bamboo tree was wiser. When wind blew, it bent its head gracefully. It made loud protests, but it let the wind have its way. When finally the wind got tired of blowing, the bamboo tree still stood in all its beauty and grace.” When things get tough, be like the bamboo tree.
Keep It Moving
Newton’s first law of motion says that when outside forces are at play, any mass can only move forward or backward. It cannot say still. In other words, if you’re not moving forward, you’re moving backward. Think of the last time you were standing still on a bus that started moving.
In business, momentum is everything. A few years back I was confiding in a successful PR friend. The No. 1 piece of advice that really stuck was a phrase she kept repeating: “Keep it moving, keep it moving.”
In business, we can get hit with a big blow that leaves us temporarily paralyzed. Once during New York Fashion Week, the shipping company we used lost my whole collection. I had major meetings the next day and only one set of samples. If I had missed these meetings the whole season would have been shot. Fifty calls to account representatives, managers and manager’s managers proved to be useless. I was told the samples were lost for good, and that I should cancel my flight. I kept moving. I made 20 more calls. While on the plane, I used my last resource: I tweeted customer service. By the time I landed, my whole collection had been located, and delivered via private courier to my hotel (at 11:30 p.m.) with a bottle of champagne with a good luck note. I got the order. No matter what is happening on the battlefield, keep moving forward. Small steps are better than no steps.
Passion Is Power
Psychologists have identified desire as the first ingredient for success in any endeavor. Passion trumps fear, talent, skill and experience. It’s what drives us to work harder, longer, to never give up. It’s what gives up super human strength. I personally believe the key to passion is purpose.
When I started my apparel brand, I made it a mission to make sure that every time a woman bought one of my products, a less fortunate woman somewhere else in the world was helped. It gave me purpose. Your gift to the world is like a fingerprint. There’s only one. Before you leave this planet, it’s imperative you put your fingerprints all over it. How do you find your purpose? If it energizes you, if you can’t stop thinking about it, if your desire to do it is greater than your fear of failure, you’re found it.
Be Proactive, Not Reactive
I grew up riding horses and still jump and compete. When you’re on a 2,000 pound animal that suddenly decides to take off, the body naturally reacts in one of two ways: the first is the fetal position. We ball up and hunch over to protect ourselves. This is one of the most dangerous positions to be in. It’s ineffective, and although it might protect the body a bit during the fall, it’s almost a guarantee to coming off. The second is panic -- pulling hard, screaming, and sometimes bailing out are all normal reactions.
Neither of these tactics work, and yet they’re the most normal human responses to many stressful situations. As riders, we have to teach ourselves to ignore these impulses, and instead learn be proactive. This involves preparation: steps to try to avoid a runaway situation, anticipating such a scenario, and skill to calmly deal with the situation should it still happen. Try to prepare for potential business disasters. Learn the warning signs, prevention tactics, and training for calm and effective response if and when the situation arises.
Of course, you can do all this and still end up eating dirt (I just learned this last week), However, the odds are much more in your favor. I believe the key to becoming a stronger entrepreneur is being proactive rather than reactive when the battles present.
Collaborate
Alliances have been used for centuries as a way of creating strength. In today’s environment where everything is moving so fast, pooling resources and information can be very valuable. Consulting with fellow colleagues, employee sharing, and even merges can all help to strengthen business. I’ve learned this in my own industry. Often when doing a fashion campaign, we will team up with a beauty or accessories company. Not only have we helped leverage one another by merging our audience, we’ve been able to help each other grow through sharing of best practices, tips and tricks related to our respective industries. There is power in collaboration.
The life of an entrepreneur may not be the easiest, and we have the battle wounds to show for it, but it is definitely one of the most rewarding.
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Dalia MacPhee is a celebrity fashion designer, tech innovator and TEDx speaker.