DRIVING YOU!?

At the age of seven Dad let me drive for the first time. A 1960’s Corvair. The Corvair was considered the most dangerous car on the road when it was first introduced in 1960 according to Ralph Nader.

Dad’s was blue and had a standard gear shift on the floor between the bucket seats. I can still remember vividly when he told me to take the wheel just a block from home. I scrunched down on the bucket seat so I could reach the pedals. I could barely see above the dash nearly laying flat on my back on the seat as I revved the flat 6 motor pushing that gas pedal hard while trying to clutch it so Dad could shift the gears. Off we went down the block swerving back and forth laughing all the way. Mom just smiled when I told her.

I started driving at a young age which I believe was the key to many years of successful driving. Yes I’ve had few accidents, mostly minor, and yes, I’ve had my share of tickets and close calls but with expereince I survived the mean streets. When you consider that I’ve driven close to 2 Million miles in the 33 years I’ve been in business, my record is above average.

Do you think of your business as the vehicle you are driving? Do you just get in that sucker, put the key in the ignition and go without having a plan of action? A reasonable and actionable plan that will take you to your destination without accident? Are you the one driving this hot rod?

When it comes to operating a motor vehicle nearly anyone can put the key in the ignition and start it. Even a 2 year old can do that. Most people with basic knowledge can drive a car safely, but how many can actually drive without, close calls, without cutting people off, without causing an accident and how many drivers know what that car is made of?

I started driving at 7 then full-time at 11. I think most of us are tuned in to how cars function at a very early age but that’s where it ends for most drivers. Not every driver is 100% capable of driving a car as well as he or she thinks. Same goes for your business.

Are you driving it…or is it driving you?

Entrepreneurship has it drawbacks – and advantages. Like driving your car, the biggest advantage is it gets your from point A to point B in one piece. It is basically an easy task but getting to your destination without destroying something is the hard part.

Dreaming of and starting a business is easy. Everybody can dream up an idea and put that idea to work. However, not all can do it successfully without wrecking.

This is the great American dream; start a business so we can live the dream life, make big money, become financially free, and the desire for independence is natures call to go for it.

But this dream is NOT for just anyone. Why?  More times than not that dream turns into one hellacious nightmare.

Do you want to own a business? You have to be absolutely freakin’ crazy to endure the enslavement and mental beatings that can occur on a daily basis if you own a business.

 Owning a business is not for the timid. Running a business can rip your mind to shreds.

The Dream…

I know what you go through to make a decent living for yourself. You would rather work for yourself than for someone else. You deserve that right. I’ve been driving on that road for what seems an eternity. It is full of detours and potholes. It would be nice if everything ran smoothly during the trip.

Business life doesn’t always goes as planned. If you own a business you know the games it plays. You stress out about not having enough business, or, wonder if you will ever catch up because of too much business. The latter is better.

“I’ve been poor and I’ve had money” Money is better. Too much business is good because, if you remember the way I do, slow times can kill you emotionally and financially.

Your own business; that’s a good life. If that’s you and you’ve expereinced all the stuff that goes with the dream, then you may wonder if it really is worth all the effort. Slaving day in and day out, people driving you mad not caring what you do for them – “get it done fast – I want it cheap”.

And, when you go home at night, if you do, why all the fuss just to make a few dollars, when in the end, it really doesn’t matter – everything you work for goes to an unthankful child, a pissed off spouse, lawyers or the government. It could all end today, tomorrow, next week.

You can’t let it get to you. You have to keep your mental engine tuned-up and souped-up so you can win this highly competitive and emotional race we call the life of business. Why give up after all the love and growing between you and your business all these years. Like a successful marriage with it’s ups and downs, you keep it rockin’ no matter what happens.

You won’t win the race if you give in to defeat. Business will attempt to beat the heck out of you but you learn to fight back by staying in to the end.

Because I’m a “business junky”, I’ve started several over the last 35 years. Some had a measure of success. Most failed. Those failures (lessons) could have destroyed my faith in the dream. It didn’t. Through all the hardships and denial, I still believe in me and what I can do. There’s your key to this ride.

The business I own (www.mikeyspinstriping.com) and have owned since the 1970′s, consists of me and me only to get the job done. I’m one of the fortunate few – I can do it all myself. But it took a long time to get it the way I wanted.

Over the years my business(s) have run me ragged into the ground and took a good portion of my sanity. I never knew what to expect while I whittled away at each dream but I do know this; the mental torture one goes through in order to achieve some success can be gut wrenching and disastrous. That’s how you figure it all out. You’ll never develop the trait of perseverance if you never go through pain.

Business can burn you. After a few years on the “highway of business”, you gotta find an outlet so you can get handle the mental challenges associated with running a wild and crazy enterprise. Read my article “Calm Yourself” for ideas.

Business can be compared to a ride in a hurricane. It is deadly. The difference is, with the hurricane, the wind stops. In business, strong and uncontrollable winds blow every day, all day long. Whether that’s dealing with customers, employees, yourself or other issues running rampant within the confines of a growing business the wind never ceases. 

Sometimes you need help.

I know people in business that never seek help or advice when it comes to handling the mental tortures incurred as the head of a business. They just keep striving and that has a negative impact personally and professionally.

This article could be titled – “Self-help for the Mentally Sane Dysfunctional CEO.” If you’ve been in business for any length of time you know what it is. Although the financial freedom and independence is nice, business can be a source of extreme mental anguish. Running a business can and will drive you crazy.

Business can be fun, profitable and challenging. I’ve been in business full-time since 1978 and can testify to one thing – it’s a rewarding yet treacherous adventure. Business takes a toll on you physically, mentally and emotionally. You weather the storm and come out stronger or you get blown away.

When you own a business, not only is it 24/7/365 work and distress, it is an emotional roller coaster as well. Not only for you, but customers’ emotions are risk factors you have to consider every day. Emotions, not rational thinking, are the reasons customers buy from you. Mindgames you learn how to play otherwise you lose.

DREAM BIZ

Your business dream was most likely born from a hobby, career change, early retirement, lifelong dream, discovering a need or some other interest. Most start on a whim and a prayer. Not much else.

Only a twisted, mentally unbalanced mind would risk so much for nothing more than a vision that, for the most part, lacks rationale.

Enterprising individuals with high hopes and dreams. That is what this country was built on – people with vision taking chances, helping others get what they need and those risk takers becoming emotionally and financially independent in the process.

You never get anywhere sitting on your rear just dreaming about it. Ideas run rampant. Thye cost less than dime. But crazy ideas and vivid imaginations acted on and developed into viable and desirable products and services is where entrepreneurial types store their trust and mental riches. It works if you are willing to work it.

Your business is a labor of love

I’ve seen that labor of love turn into hate and misery. What was once love and passion can become an emotional destruction derby. I’m not talking about the business itself, I’m talking about the owner. Business has no feelings. People feel things. To see someone who has worked so hard only to end up with feelings of no self-worth is heart wrenching.

The point is, even if you lose it all tomorrow and if you are strong enough in your mind and body and know how to take that learning experience from a miserable failure and turn it into good, you will do even better the next time. Now get out there, put the key in the ignition, start your ‘car’, mash the gas and smoke ‘em!  – Mikey  www.carisms.com