Sometimes we get so busy running our business that we forget some of the very basic foundational goals of what we are doing. But I always come back to "The People and the Thing." It sounds simple, but the sky is the limit when you get both right.
The Thing
First, we start with the thing. What are we doing? Why are we waking up every day and going to work? What's the thing that we are working to achieve, and does it align with our values and goals? If we don't pick the right thing, everything else won't matter. It is important to identify this early, or else you could end up going down the wrong path trying to develop a business around the wrong set of goals and objectives.
You can ask yourself some simple questions like, "Do you believe in the product you are selling? Would you buy your own product?" Your thing can change over time but the core values around it should always remain the same.
Being in the tinting business for 23 years, my thing actually has nothing to do with tinting. The tint is a product and the vehicle for my thing of building a business. Think of it like basketball. Basketball teams work as a team to try and come together and win the game. They are not passionate about the basketball itself, it's about the strategy and teamwork created to figure out the best way to get that basketball through that hoop. It's the game that matters.
The People
That brings us to the people. You may have chosen the right thing, but it will never become what you envision unless you have the right people working on the thing.
In my opinion, the single most important talent any entrepreneur can have is finding great people, and leading and motivating them to accomplish one common goal. Getting them to believe in what they are doing and have them care about it every day is what should be on the forefront of every entrepreneurs' mind.
As leaders, it is so important to put people in the best situations to succeed for the growth of the individual as well as the company. When you have the right people working together on the right thing, the magic happens.
