“ One of my favorite Jim Rohn quotes is ‘ Don ’ t wish it were easier ; wish for more skills .’ Frustrations , setbacks , problems and dealing with dishonest and unethical people is the daily walk of an entrepreneur ,” Robins said . “ You learn to have the strength to look those things in the face — not back down — push through , and figure it out because it will make you stronger . It ’ s also necessary for progress to happen .”
Embrace the suck .
“ If you can learn to love the suck … embrace it … appreciate it … everything gets easier ,” Robins said . “ True self-respect and confidence come from pushing yourself through tough times and from doing things you know others won ’ t do . Thoreau said most men live lives of quiet desperation . That ’ s 1,000 percent true , but the desperation doesn ’ t come from being buried in problems . It comes from running away from them , making excuses , and failing to do what you know you should do . You can lie to others , but you cannot lie to yourself .”
Own it ALL .
Certain things happen in a business that you can ’ t foresee and that you don ’ t deserve . Take the COVID-19 shutdowns as an example . It was no one ’ s fault , and there was nothing any business owner did wrong , yet many paid a dear price and lost everything . That said , as a business owner , you must take personal responsibility for what happens in your business .
“ Three weeks before our big annual event was scheduled to go live , we were forced to shut it down ,” Robins said . “ This was a disaster on many fronts and took a huge financial bite out of our hide .” But Robins didn ’ t roll over . She and her team quickly came up with a Plan B . Going virtual , she pulled off what many in the IT industry called the most inspiring and impressive pivot they ’ d ever seen , getting almost 5,000 attendees and rave reviews for the experience and content .
“ At some point , you get to a maturity level where you stop saying , ‘ Why is this happening to me ?’” Robins said . “ As a business owner , problems are what you deal with on a day-to-day basis . It ’ s like being a goalie in a hockey game , but with 12 pucks flying at you all at once . You better be ready . But remember , you signed up for the job , so you can ’ t blame anyone but you ,” Robins said , adding , “ The benefits of personal and financial freedom that come with running a business come with a price . That price is being willing to take complete and full responsibility for every bad thing that happens . Everything . If you can ’ t accept that , you ’ ll never succeed in business .”
Make sure your actions support your spoken goals .
“ I ’ m an amateur gardener ,” Robins said . “ But as inexperienced as I am , I ’ ve never planted tomatoes and ended up with broccoli . Just like a garden , you reap in life what you sow . If you want something , you must get clarity on it , then make sure your daily activities support that goal . If you don ’ t back up your goals with action , you ’ re full of it . Stop lying to yourself and others .”
Robins is crystal clear on why she is in business . “ It is the financial freedom promise I made myself a long time ago that still drives me today ,” Robins said . “ But I also get tremendous satisfaction and pride from overcoming so much . Running a business is like enrolling yourself in the toughest personal development seminar you ’ ll ever attend .”
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