I have started more businesses than I want to admit. But when I look back over time what I see is a bit of magic. The businesses that worked weren’t the ones that were planned out in detail. No, it was the few that sparked from a hidden place.
I have a desire to master business. In twenty years as an entrepreneur I’ve strived for this, or pushed, and at times even rammed my way to success. Ultimately the grandest secrets of mastery are the simplest.
There have been a few ideas. They weren’t businesses at all. These ideas were natural often-unassuming small steps, one and then another. Until when I look back I see the magic that they became.
Last month I was at author Robert G Allen’s house. He was talking about this inspiration. He believes it’s the voice of God. Call it what you want, it’s semantics to me.
Bob was a highly successful real estate agent when one day he heard a voice. “It’s time to write your book”. He promptly told his broker that he was quitting his job. And naturally everyone thought he was a bit crazy.
The magic of his book Creating Wealth is staggering. It’s recorded over a BILLION dollars in sales.
But wait, it’s easy to find a little success and start to think you are the origin of magic. I guess that happens to all of us. Bob talked about going bankrupt in the 1990’s. He wasn’t listening to that voice.
For me, I have followed this voice or inspiration a handful of times, like here…
“…my passion for coworking erupted like many house fires, unexpected in the night. One early morning between 4:00 AM and 9:00 AM this blinding surge became a blueprint to open a coworking space in downtown Salt Lake City. I don’t know where the idea came from… it was just there.”
Here is the full article. Ultimately, that inspiration became the first bank sponsored cowork space.
Other times, this inspiration shows up in a simple left turn. The little steps that become something extraordinary. This was the case when I started a wee little club to teach success principles.
That little club exploded into the largest financial literacy group in Utah.
Neither of these projects had an extensive business plan. Contrast that with MY idea to create a massive hedge fund. I spent eight months of my life structuring and building relationships to create $250,000 in documents.
Now that FUND is just a stack of paper in my desk, an expensive stack of paper. There was no divine inspiration here.
What I can tell you is this. That voice or inspiration is undoubtedly the source of all that is great in your life. Sometimes its just a feeling and we say, “it just feels right” other times there is a proper voice that quietly screams, “Create a coworking space!”
And, yes people will think you are crazy. They still think I’m crazy when out thin air I am in flames over a project that seemingly appeared out of nowhere.
“Some people hear their own inner voices with great clearness and they live by what they hear. Such people become crazy, or they become legends.”
One Stab from the film Legends of the Fall