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Entrepreneurship

Colorado Collaboration, Entrepreneurship, Miscellaneous Thoughts

A great example of Colorado business spirit(s)

My friend Brian Freeman of Growers Organic (left) hosts the radio show The Modern Eater with Greg Hollenback (right) and Jay Parker on Saturday evenings from 6 PM to 8 PM on 630 KHOW.  The show invites chefs, restaurateurs, bar owners and alcohol producers to come on the air and talk about their creations which they cook and serve LIVE in the studio.  Friends and collaborators are invited to attend and enjoy the festivities, food and drink.  Brian’s instructions to me upon arrival… (pointing) “The walk-in fridge is over there.  The food is served over here.  Take whatever you want.  Talk with everyone.  Have fun.”

I know, this sounds like an ad for Brian and the team, or maybe a public thank-you note.  No, I’m writing this because I’m inspired by this example of the Colorado spirit of entrepreneurial collaboration and generosity.

Entrepreneurship, Marketing, Miscellaneous Thoughts, Sales

What the CU Buffaloes Are Showing Me About Customer Acquisition

I went to the University of Colorado football game last weekend along with 52,000 other people – the most fans in 20 years.  Winning attracts fans.

photo courtesy of Evan Semón Photography

I’ve been thinking of how I can “model” what a winning team does and use that to attract more customers:

Win.

Customers have to see this.  When I started my business I practically gave away the work, and then way overdelivered.  Why?  So that I could show the next customer that my customers were winners.

Keep winning.

Sounds simple and of course it’s not.  Winning teams don’t tolerate long cycles of failure.  After a loss they redouble their efforts.  After a losing season, they change coaches, change players, do what it takes to get back to winning.

Be humble about winning.

Fans are massively attracted to a winner, but not an arrogant winner.  Coaches thank players.  Players thank fans.  Businesses thank customers.

Entrepreneurship, Miscellaneous Thoughts

What if I fall to my death?

Sometimes risk just has to be IGNORED so that WANT can win.  I was going to say risk has to be “accepted,” but when it comes to life and death, even big failure, IGNORED is a better word.  Here’s a story to illustrate.

Yes, I’m up there – look closely!

I was honored by my wife and sons with a surprise birthday climbing trip to Ouray.  At climbing gyms, I know that the rope is secured by over-engineered, professionally installed anchors.  In Ouray, as my sons took turns “lead-climbing” to set the top rope using anchors bolted by strangers, I wondered, “were these anchors well-installed?” Then, I climbed because I wanted to, not because I was certain it was safe.*

That made me think more about risks taken by entrepreneurs.  Lots has been written about business risk – risk assessment, boldly taking risk, minimizing risk.  It’s clear to me though that…

The difference between those who start a business and those who don’t isn’t determination of risk, it’s determination.

Entrepreneurs simply decide that they want to climb.

* My guest for the next PROCO360 podcast, Chris Wright, CEO of Liberty Oilfield Services and an avid climber, has a further theory I’ll share in Part 2 of this blog subject.

Entrepreneurship, Miscellaneous Thoughts

Sign-up for Your Fantasy

I love this story because not everyone gets to live their fantasy.  Most people don’t TRY to live their fantasy.

Sometimes a magical moment happens, as it did for Scott Foster, an accountant called into action for the Chicago Blackhawks by a weird fluke.  He never expected it, but he signed-up for it.  Nobody else did.  Why not?  To most it seemed too silly, too outrageous to bother.  After the game he said, “This is a dream.  No one can ever take it away from me.”  14 minutes and a lifelong dream.  (video)

People thinking about starting a business also worry about being outrageous, about failing and looking foolish.  In my interview with Matt Talbot of GoSpotCheck, we talked about how others would judge founders who, as Matt and his partner did, start a new company then abandon it to start something completely different, becoming over-the-top excited about this new thing.  Matt did that, and he was married with a baby, living away from his family on his co-founder’s couch.  Worthy of bewilderment from anyone observing.  Since then GoSpotCheck has raised $48 million in venture funding and is serving customers including PepsiCo, Panera, Under Armour, and Dannon.

Goalie Scott Foster had a good night.  He stopped all 7 shots.  What if he hadn’t?  What if he’d been scored against and lost the game?  How do you think he’d look back on the experience?  Still a “dream?” Would he feel he’d lived his fantasy?  I’ll bet so.  Trying, regardless of the outcome, is always more gratifying than sitting on the sideline.

Default, Entrepreneurship

From Media Darling to Shut Down

What a headline.  It makes me sad – but not depressed or troubled.

Revolar is Jackie Ros’s, first start-up.  She’s amazing!  One of the most delightful and upbeat founders I’ve interviewed, she has accomplished great things,
was celebrated in national media, and her customers love the Revolar product.

At a recent dinner bringing together five past guests of PROCO360, all having become more successful since our interview, I was struck by their genuine gratefulness that their successes outweigh their failures.  I could sense the recognition that even high-profile success can be fragile.

As a past entrepreneur I was not as successful as Jackie or those who joined me for dinner.  Still, I experienced firsthand the amazing “rock star” highs as my business took off – thriving, growing, expanding.  I also remember with great pain, the feelings of inadequacy and vulnerability when I didn’t have all the answers.  I remember the relentless fear and embarrassment, and the sleepless nights during a dramatic downturn.  I know what all that feels like because I did it, and that’s really gratifying.

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