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What Separates Successful Entrepreneurs From Others?

Anything related to matters of the mind

StayPositive

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My subjective list:
  1. DESIRE. They know what they want, and they want it badly.
  2. FAITH. They are sure as hell that they can accomplish whatever they want and that it is totally up to them.
  3. COURAGE. They are not afraid of dreaming big, taking action and running a risk if needed.
  4. ACTION. They know that there is no other way than just taking real action day after day.
  5. CONSISTENCY. They do not expect events to happen, they persevere with consistent action and stick to the process.
  6. LISTENING. They keep their eyes and ears open so they can see a new opportunity or necessity to change their decision.
What else?
  1. HABITS. They can form habits. They know that habit equals process and process is everything.
  2. NO F*ckS GIVEN. Sometimes it is necessary to not care about what other people think or say.
  3. ...
 
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Ninjakid

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If a successful entrepreneur is not successful, that means water becomes dry, the sun becomes pitch black, and gravity reverses itself and we all shoot off into space.

A person who achieves what they are the kind of person who does just that. It's the order of the universe.
 

Boo Blizzi

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I definitely agree with "No F*cks Given." I have witnessed a few top dogs say some off the wall shit and not even blink when people turned around and looked at them like they had 3 heads.

I dont know about "listening" so much as being "aware" or tuned-in to spot opportunities.

And as much as I would hate to say it (because its an uncontrollable variable)... I think a dash of good ole fashioned luck plays a part in it too. I've seen bone heads given a shot just because someone likes them. And it seems like no matter what they do, they just dont fall off (I'm talking about a few rappers I know in case you're wondering)

And I have to second your point about taking action. Especially when there is no guarantee of payoff! (Damn, that one has been kicking me in the nuts as of late... I get hesitant to pull the trigger on new ideas after I put alot of time and money into a project and the shit flops)

I know dusting yourself off and getting back on the horse is part of being an entrepreneur... but damn it hurts when you lose stacks in the process!

Oh... so I guess the ability to get back up after you get knocked down so many times is another trait that separates the successful from the unsuccessful.
 
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The-J

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Time.

Also, define 'unsuccessful entrepreneur'. Is that an entrepreneur who is on the road to success yet hasn't found it, or a person who quit the entrepreneur game and went back to his 9-5 for good? Because if the definition is the second one, then it's a lot of things, mainly courage, drive, and the desire to never stop learning.
 

Ezio

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quote-i-m-convinced-that-about-half-of-what-separates-the-successful-entrepreneurs-from-the-steve-jobs-283988.jpg
 

ZCP

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I think it is knowing the difference in a 'pain in the a$$ obstacle that can be overcome' and a 'key issue that requires a pivot in product or strategy'.
 
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StayPositive

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StayPositive

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Also, define 'unsuccessful entrepreneur'.
I didn't exactly say 'unsuccessful entrepreneurs', but 'others'.
For me, in this case, 'others' are all of us who have been trying to find a way but are still in the same place for a long time. Maybe because of fear, maybe there is another reason. Something is missing and we don't know what it is. Yet.

That's why I started this thread - to help find the missing links and start working on them. I hope it will be easier when we have most keywords on one short list.
 

Guest

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I think what makes a great and successful entrepreneur is someone who align and satisfy their own wants and needs with that of the consumer.
You just simply can not cater to only one side. Someone who "sees" value around them and understand how the exchange of these values take place.
 
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Boo Blizzi

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This is a pretty good list. Most of the people that are doing these things don't even consciously think about them.

That is a person who is just born to win. I feel like that sometimes myself.

Also when I am having a run of bad luck... I say to myself "it cant be like this forever" or "this too shall pass" or "this is gonna make one helluva story to laugh about when I get back on top."

Next time you're down, try it -- it works!

Oh shit... and another trait I think successful people have is the ability to ACCEPT THEIR SUCCESS without apologies.

A perfect example is 50 cent. His grandmother died recently so he was back in the hood (more like Manhattan) but dudes were asking him how he felt about his music career slipping because his last few albums didn't go anywhere. He was like it didn't really matter because as his music career was waning, his acting and TV/movie production career was on the upswing and making him crazy bread.

He basically summed up his success like "I aint worrying about falling off cause God wants me on top. And who am I to argue with him about whether I deserve this or not?"

I was like WOW!
 

SteveO

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I have seen people make a ton of money that did not give one little shit about the customers. Payday loan stores, apartment buildings, brake shops, the list goes on. Some businesses simply advertise that they care about people, have the lowest prices, want to give you free stuff.... Mostly bullshit. You care about people because, YOU CARE.
 

SteveO

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this is gonna make one helluva story to laugh about when I get back on top
I lost millions of dollars at one point. You are right, I said that to myself AFTER I scraped myself off the ground. I am making it back now and I can laugh about it.
 
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RogueInnovation

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Your list is good, I think it sounds about right.

For my personal take, I think that there are more seperating points than one when it comes to entreprenuers. The MOST important seperating point to me is DENIAL. Those who hide behind an image or an idea or an accomplishment fail to see the obvious flaws they have.

Sometimes you can't control this denial. Sometimes, what you are struggling with isn't wrong, just narrow minded, and ineffective. And you'll struggle through all this illogical nonsense to try to change it, and it won't change for YEARS... Until eventually you grasp it, hold all its cr#p in your hands and become better than it.

You can't blame yourself into success, and you are the only person that will forgive your flaws and encourage you to keep pushing you until you change the cr#p stopping you.

Great entreprenuers, understand it is better to STRUGGLE than be in DENIAL, great entreprenuers don't carry as much BAGGAGE, as those who allow the struggle to twist them.


Be light footed
Struggle rather than deny
Encourage yourself
 

samuraijack

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Financially successful entrepreneurs often have the qualities we want innately. They don't have to think about them, or work towards them, or work on "daily habits" like meditating or visualizing etc. It's not that those things aren't important, but it's because they already have the benefits that those things bring, naturally.

And I think this is one of the hardest things to internalize. Those of us not endowed with these gifts can either play the victim, or work and bust a$$ for these qualities and BECOME the man or woman that we want to be.
 

Andy Black

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Great thread.


I used to do sprinting.

One of the drills practised a lot is STARTING.

After settling into the blocks and after the starter has said "SET" we've a second or two waiting to drive out of the blocks.

We don't listen for the gun, think "Time to go", then move.

That's too late.



The line drilled into us was:

Go on the "B" of "BANG".


Winners don't think when it's time to go.

They go.


As @RogueInnovation says in his great post here... "Get Started. Keep Going."
 
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RazorCut

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What else?
  1. HABITS. They can form habits. They know that habit equals process and process is everything.
  2. NO F*ckS GIVEN. Sometimes it is necessary to not care about what other people think or say.
  3. ...

...LEVERAGE THE RISK - Often being a successful entrepreneur is as much about what you don't do as it is what you choose to do.

Many people see Richard Branson as a gung-ho risk taker but he became super successful from reducing the downside to the barest minimum. If you can't afford to take the hit if it all goes tits up then let that opportunity pass, dilute the risk through shared investment or postpone it until you can afford to. There are plenty of other opportunities awaiting your attention.
 

eqttrdr

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Winners have contacts, money and leverage.
 

H. Palmer

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I studied several dozens of billionaires systematically (Americans and Europeans) and this is what they ALL have in common.

This is also what sets them apart from millionaires.


1. They think VERY BIG and set themselves seemingly impossible challenges.

(Like how to make space travel possible for the ordinary citizen).

2. They think VERY long term.

(Not 5 years ahead, but lifetime).

3. They work 24/7.

4. They put themselves in situations where they HAVE TO come out victorious. There is no plan B.

(Branson says that he always covers the downside, but if you study his life closely this is NOT what he does).

5. They seek out mentors and maintain their peer group actively.

Almost all billionaires at one point in their lives volunteered to work for FREE to learn the ropes, many times as an apprentice for their role model.

6. They never ever give up. They don't accept ultimate failure.

They get rejected 125 times, people may die through an accident, they go bankrupt, whatever. They press on.

7. They give back MASSIVELY.
 
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