Don't Just Presume That You Understand Enough

I believe strongly in burning your ships so that you have to succeed, but I also believe in knowing where you are headed as best as possible.

You don't jump into the riptide before you learn to swim.

Of all of the 500+ startup businesses I worked with, those entrepreneurs who understood their industries intimately and could narrowly define their products, services, customers, etc.before opening the doors had a vastly greater chance of success than those who figured out their business plan after starting the business.

If you are convinced you came here to be a musician, figure out the rest before you jump in. Learn your instrument, study theory, practice, play with the best.

Can You Find A Mentor?

One of my favorite mental games is to identify who on you planet you respect the most in your chosen field. Who would you give anything to meet, to work with, to learn from?

If you don't know, maybe you haven't researched your chosen field and niche enough.

Once you do know, how can you reach out to them? They're famous, you're not. They are likely approached by hundreds, maybe thousands annually, asking for something.

You know what you want from them, but what do they need? What might they want from you? How can you help them?

Now we're in the field of sales. I used think that sales was not my calling, that sales equated to something questionable, a hustle. Then one day, while working in a record store and sharing a few Miles Davis albums with curious customers, I realized, I was selling, and that true sales is helping others to secure what they are searching for. I became a lifelong student of relationship selling.

Can you ask them a unique question that you are searching for the answer to, and make them your consultant? Do they need a research assistant?

The world revolves around personal relationships. If you put yourself in the path of knowing these individuals, you will find yourself on an amazing pathway to realizing your vision.