Collaborate on Your Goals.

One of the most interesting things I’ve learned in 25 years of running a seminar and coaching business is that if you concentrate on what you do best and give the best of yourself to others, you will undoubtedly cross paths with others who have the same vision. And, if you’re fortunate enough, your paths will cross and complement one another. And every once in a while, when you sharpen your focus, you’ll find that your goals overlap.

That’s exactly what happened when I met John Ellis of Create Socially at a networking event in Lancaster County in 2019. We instantly got along great and I thought that John might enjoy coming to my seminars occasionally. But our interaction grew much bigger and more significantly than that.

As the pandemic interrupted my “in person” seminar schedule, John contacted me with a proposition. If I wanted to continue doing my seminars remotely, he could set up live presentations on Zoom so that people could continue going to the rest of the seminars as scheduled. Not only did it save my business from massive delays and the potential loss of customers — many of whom had already prepaid for their seminars — John’s idea introduced me to a nationwide audience that I had previously not been able to serve. My seminar revenue has doubled since implementing John’s idea.

That interaction taught me that you must always be focused on your core business and open to ideas that may result in your massive growth. It’s easy to get distracted when the world around you is constantly changing. Customer preferences can also change as their priorities shift and their interests wane. As smart entrepreneurs, we need to be business savvy and read the trends. It doesn’t mean that we have to follow them, but it does mean we need to figure out how to make our business more visible — especially where our customers and prospects are looking.

Because John Ellis had a vision — for not only his business, but mine as well—both of our organizations have benefited and he, along with his wife Sarah, will be carrying my vision forward in the future. This is what happens when you look for collaboration among like-minded entrepreneurs.

In your business, you need to keep looking straight ahead while using your peripheral vision to notice the incredible possibilities and opportunities that are all around you. Not all of them are going to help you scale your business but picking one or two can make all the difference in the world to your company’s future. Most entrepreneurs do not experience a straight line from their starting point to massive success. It’s the ones who are focused and are open to minor tweaks that seem to outdistance and outlast their competition. I challenge you to make exploring collaborations one of your goals.

“Don’t be pushed around by the fears in your mind. Be led by the dream in your heart.” – Anonymous

Let me hear from you.

This excerpt is taken from my most popular seminar of all-time entitled Designing Your Destiny. I encourage you to click here to register for my live in person Designing Your Destiny seminar on Thursday, October 12, 2023 from 9 AM to 12 noon Eastern Standard Time at the Comfort Suites in Manheim, PA. This event will also be available through live streaming.