Building a Business is a Marathon, Not a Sprint

Building a business is a marathon. It requires devotion, commitment, and resilience. Mistakes, setbacks, and struggles are guaranteed. Success is not. Sacrificing everything, including your health and family, for a business idea is bad advice.

I was exposed to the entrepreneurial realm since early childhood. I used to help my grandmother sell vegetables and flowers when I was 3-4 years old. Then school and university aka “The Program” kicked in, and I was heading for a corporate career. After climbing the glorious ladder and moving between multinationals, I exited the system and let my entrepreneurial spirit continue the journey that I had interrupted after I turned six.

Over the years and decades, I’ve received a ton of amazing, as well as terrible business advice. I’ve had the opportunity to negotiate and close multi-million dollar deals, lead big teams, build my own company as well as help clients build, grow, and sell businesses. I’ve been in business for several decades and I am an avid student of sales, marketing, and, more importantly, human relationships.

As I’m training for my first marathon, I can’t disregard what I’ve learned in business and not be willing to see the similarities between building a successful business and prepping for a marathon. It starts with observing the mental diarrhea and the emotional rollercoaster and ends with adjusting the physical imprint on the body.

Burn the Ships. No Lifeboats. Really?

“Go all in”, “Burn the ships”, and “No plan B” … are some of the standard tips that get promoted by wealthy entrepreneurs and business experts who should know better.

How well have these “nuggets of wisdom” worked for the folks promulgating these ideas?

Did they adhere to their own advice when building their companies?

I’m convinced many of you have read or at least heard of Sun Tzu’s book “The Art of War.” Or maybe you’re a weirdo like me, who studied Genghis Khan’s and Napoleon Bonaparte’s warfare strategies and tactics meticulously.

They may have used the phrases above, but the execution reveals what they truly meant. You see, Genghis Khan didn’t prioritize war over his family. He planned and strategized extensively, and when he decided to go “all-in” he had his entire family with him.

How often have you heard the experts explain that “all-in” doesn’t mean to the detriment of your health, family life, and relationships?

Never?

Sacrificing your health to build a business is straight-out dumb.

Sacrificing your family life and the relationships with your loved ones to pursue a business idea is ridiculous advice.

What about the following “novel” concept:

1. Get super efficient with your time. Work at night, early in the morning, or on weekends when the phone isn’t buzzing frequently, and you can get more done.

2. Choose a business you’re devoted to. Devotion and dedication trump passion. You better love what you’re doing, as this will help you overcome the obstacles.

3. Failure is part of the game. Get up, dust yourself off, and keep going. Strengthen your mental stamina, expand your consciousness, acquire new skills, and never stop learning and growing as an individual. Your business is a reflection of you.

4. Be smart. Entrepreneurship sounds sexy, but it isn’t meant for everyone. Keep your job or side hustle until your business can cover the bills, especially if you have dependents.

5. Focus on your strengths. Outsource. Get people on board who cover your weaknesses. Double, triple, quadruple down on what you’re good at.

6. Test what works best for you. Tweak and adjust as you move along. Make this an ongoing process and habit.

What’s the Secret?

Most people want the shortcut. They are wasting precious time, money, and energy, desperately looking for the secret sauce or recipe.

What if there isn’t a secret?

What if the secret to building a sustainable business is boring beyond imagination?

Would you still embark on this adventure?

Consistency, determination, discipline, perseverance, flexibility, and continuous improvement are mission-critical ingredients to building a successful, long-lasting business.

Indeed, it all comes down to mastering the fundamentals.

Trends and fads come and go. A sound foundation stays. It might be boring to build a business adhering to this principle, but it always pays out in the long run.

Building a business is a marathon, not a sprint. Choose wisely, beautiful soul.

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Image by wal_172619 via Pixabay

Originally published on my business blog at StrengthInBusiness.com