I spent 20 years growing businesses.
Here are 40 guiding principles to grow yours:
- Trust but verify. Due diligence is your ally.
- Measure what matters. Metrics drive decisions.
- Develop discipline. Consistency is power.
- Keep a journal. It’s your map of self-discovery.
- Don’t fear competition. It validates your market.
- Take calculated risks. Fear is the cost of growth.
- Master your emotions. They can cloud your judgment.
- Embrace change. Adaptation is a key survival trait.
- Practice minimalism. Focus on what truly adds value.
- Learn to sell. It’s the lifeblood of every business.
- Create systems and processes to scale your business.
- Seek freedom over wealth. It’s the ultimate currency.
- Your reputation is your brand. Protect it.
- Stay curious. A beginner’s mindset leads to innovation.
- Work with A-players. A great team makes the journey enjoyable.
- Cultivate patience. Overnight success usually takes years.
- Focus on a niche before expanding. Depth precedes breadth.
- Don’t be afraid to pivot. Adapt to changing circumstances.
- Practice gratitude daily. It’s the key to a fulfilling life.
- Build an audience. A loyal following is an asset you control.
- Diversify your income streams. Relying on one is risky.
- Invest in your health. A healthy body supports a healthy mind.
- Ship fast, iterate faster. Perfection is the enemy of progress.
- Learn to negotiate. It’s a vital skill in every aspect of life.
- Learn the art of storytelling. It’s how you connect with others.
- Value your time. You can’t buy more of it.
- Invest in yourself. Your skills and knowledge compound over time.
- Learn to say “no.” It’s your scarcest resource; guard it fiercely.
- Keep your costs low. Frugality is the mother of sustainable growth.
- Ask for feedback. Great ideas can come from anywhere.
- Invest in quality. Cheap shortcuts often cost more in the long run.
- Prioritize experiences over possessions. Memories enrich your life.
- Treat failure as a stepping stone to success. It’s a crucial teacher.
- Understand the power of compounding, in investments and knowledge.
- Don’t chase vanity metrics. Profit and sustainability matter most.
- Develop resilience. Success and failure are two sides of the same coin.
- Start a business you love; you’ll be living and breathing it every day.
- Build for the long term. Short-term thinking leads to short-term results.
- Solve high-value problems. Don’t chase trends; create lasting value.
- Understand your customers better than they understand themselves. Solve their deepest pains.