Old saying: The harder you work, the luckier you will get.
New saying: The SMARTER you work, the luckier you will get.
As an entrepreneur, I've learned that success is often a combination of hard work, perseverance, and a good dose of luck.
Or ‘right place, right time-itis’.
While you can't control luck, you can increase your "surface area" for it in 3 meaningful, (and enjoyable) ways:
1) By surrounding yourself with interesting people
2) Saying yes to interesting opportunities, and
3) Believing in yourself.
1) First and foremost, surround yourself with interesting people. These are the people who will challenge you to think differently, introduce you to new ideas, and support you when things get tough. They'll also be the ones who will help you turn your ideas into reality.
As the entrepreneur and author, Gretchen Rubin, once said,
"The people with whom we surround ourselves exert a powerful influence on us. So we should choose our friends and colleagues carefully."
Yes Gretchen!
2) Second, say yes to interesting things, even if you're not sure how to make them happen yet. Opportunities are often disguised as hard work, so embrace them with open arms. As the Founder of Rent the Runway, Jennifer Hyman commented:
"The biggest risk is not taking any risk... In a world that's changing quickly, the only strategy that is guaranteed to fail is not taking risks."
3) Third, shut out the nay-sayers and believe in yourself. There will always be people who doubt you, but don't let their negativity stop you from pursuing your dreams. As the CEO of The Honest Company, Jessica Alba once said,
"Don't be afraid to fail. Don't waste energy trying to cover up failure. Learn from your failures and go on to the next challenge. It's OK to fail. If you're not failing, you're not growing."
Increasing your surface area for luck is all about surrounding yourself with interesting people, saying yes to interesting opportunities, and believing in yourself. Keep these tips in mind and you'll be well on your way to success as an entrepreneur. Remember, as the founder of Spanx, Sara Blakely famously cited,
"I never dreamed about success, I worked for it."
Happy Marketing.
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