Staying Healthy as an Entrepreneur

Staying healthy as you endeavor on your entrepreneurial journey is as critical as any other aspect of your business launch.

Entrepreneurship can be both mentally and physically draining. It is critical that you prioritize self care and making taking care of your physical and mental health.

Harvard did a study on the impact of sleep deprivation on performance and I thought it was a great visual for entrepreneurs to realize the trade-offs they make when they "Grind 24/7".

I used to follow the methodology of working 24/7 and saw people who didn't as inefficient and not hungry. It's hard for me to say that because it was such a large part of my view for so long.

The important balance is making sure that you are practicing self care before you get into entrepreneurship or it will be all the more difficult to be successful when you're in it.

Stay hungry. Stay healthy.

An article by my business partner...

Recently published on Forbes.com, was an article written by my business partner, Wil Schroter. The article, '5 Things Founders Don't Talk About', hit on many aspects relatable to my own life.

Feeling alone in your startup, without anyone who truly understands what you are going through... been there.

Constant questioning of whether or not I am doing the right thing for my business... been there.

Debt because of a business and the stress that goes along with it... unfortunately, I've been there.

Pending doom of a startup that is about to fail... been there. The doom is worse than once you have actually failed. After the startup failure, you pick back up and make things happen, which usually comes with positive vibes.

Being the captain of a sinking ship, as Wil refers to it... been there. It's a risk you take as the ship's captain. You may find the new world or you may go down with the ship while all of your men swim to shore.

Fortunately, I have quite a few good friends who are also founders, but it's important for all of us to make a mental note to share these things with one another.

To read Wil's article, click here: http://www.forbes.com/sites/theyec/2013/05/10/5-things-founders-dont-talk-about/

Wil Schroter's Version of "The Secret"

While I think that the movie is great to remind people of how powerful their minds are in directing their lives, this blog post raises some hilarious points.

Sir Richard Branson

Below I have included a video of Sir Richard Branson - one of the most respected and successful entrepreneurs of this century. He has created one of the world's most recognizable yet diverse brands while creating over 200 comapnies.

Mr. Branson is idolized as an entrepreneur. Given that almost all of his strategies have gone against conventional wisdom and succeeded, Sir Branson has continually built a brand seen as "the under dog" and everyone loves the under dog.

Virgin Atlantic vs. British Airways
Virgin Cola vs. Coca Cola
Etc.

It's definitely worth a watch and if you haven't read his book, "Losing My Virginity", it's definitely worth a read.

Eric


Image from www.theage.com

To Get the Edge - Learn from those that have it.. 1000 of the Smartest People - T.E.D. Talks

I came across the posted videos from the exclusive T.E.D. talks a month or so ago and I have continually been amazed by the value of the content as I have watched each one. The availability of this content and it's value makes me so much more conscious of the societal changes we are going through right now. Even ten years ago content of this nature would have been exclusively available to people who either attended the seminars (~1000 each) or to those who purchased tapes. Yet today, anyone from a teenager to a professor can log onto the internet and watch some of the most intelligent individuals speak on their chosen fields for free at their leisure.
This is taking the opportunity to expand our minds to a whole new level and we have the ability to control what information we have access to - not just mindlessly watching what a television station feels I may like. We are able to discriminate what information we want to access to a "t" and I can't stress how amazing that is and how grateful I am to be living at a time when I have the opportunity to do so.
To avoid rambling on, here is the link to the T.E.D. talks that I mentioned above;

http://www.ted.com/tedtalks

Stick to Your Goals - Free Online Tool

JoesGoals.com is a free, easy to use web application that helps you set, track, and follow through with your goals. You can even "share" your "status"(you recieve points on + or - actions) to help hold yourself accountable.

Six Human Needs

I came across a great video of Anthony Robbins talking at the TED conference. Every time I watch this guy speak I have great "take aways" so I'm going to keep posting his material for you.

TED Talks

Anthony Robbins

http://www.ted.com/tedtalks/tedtalksplayer.cfm?key=tony_robbins

Anthony Robbins states that we can control our lives by prioritizing our "needs".

Do you know what your needs are?

Six Human Needs*:

1. Certainty/Comfort. We all want comfort. And much of this comfort comes from certainty. Of course there is no ABSOLUTE certainty, but we want certainty the car will start, the water will flow from the tap when we turn it on and the currency we use will hold its value.
2. Variety. At the same time we want certainty, we also crave variety. Paradoxically, there needs to be enough UNcertainty to provide spice and adventure in our lives.
3. Significance. Deep down, we all want to be important. We want our life to have meaning and significance. I can imagine no worse a death than to think my life didn't matter.
4. Connection/Love. It would be hard to argue against the need for love. We want to feel part of a community. We want to be cared for and cared about.
5. Growth. There could be some people who say they don't want to grow, but I think they're simply fearful of doing so—or perhaps NOT doing so. To become better, to improve our skills, to stretch and excel may be more evident in some than others, but it's there.
6. Contribution. The desire to contribute something of value—to help others, to make the world a better place than we found it is in all of us.

*Pasted from <http://www.econsultant.com/articles/tony-robbins-six-needs.html>

10 Ways to Use Linked In

Guy Kawasaki recently published a great blog on the ten ways to use linked in. I especially liked the following point.........

• The average number of LinkedIn connections for people who work at Google is forty-seven.

• The average number for Harvard Business School grads is fifty-eight, so you could skip the MBA, work at Google, and probably get most of the connections you need. Later, you can hire Harvard MBAs to prepare your income taxes

You can find the full article here; http://blog.guykawasaki.com/2007/01/ten_ways_to_use.html

Useful Websites for Entrepreneurs

Stumble Upon
www.stumbleupon.com
This site let's you vote on the newest web 2.0 companies.

Go Big Network
www.gobignetwork.com
This site helps entrepreneurs connect with the resources they need to start and grow their businesses.

Buzz Shout
www.buzzshout.com
Features the hottest web2.0 companies of the day.

Tech Crunch
www.techcrunch.com
A favorite among startup junkies as it features the leading web 2.0 companies in depth. Also, Michael Arrington, the founder, frequently posts his interviews with their founders which gives you an inside look at the companies.

Technorati
www.technorati.com
Search the contents of millions of blogs.

Business 2.0
www.business2.com
Offers great articles on the leading business opportunities.

Inc.com
www.inc.com
Great website that profiles the founders of today's largest and fastest growing companies.

Eric Corl - Ten Greatest Quotes on Competition of All Time

10. "I don't fear failure. I only fear the slowing up of the engine inside of me which is saying, "Keep going, someone must be on top, why not you?""
-Patton

9. "Show me a good loser, and I'll show you a loser."
- Vince Lombardi

8. "Never interrupt your enemy when he is making a mistake."
-Napoleon Bonaparte (1769-1821)

7. "The greatest accomplishment is not in never falling, but in rising again after you fall."
- Vince Lombardi

6. "While most are dreaming of success, winners wake-up and work hard to achieve it."
- Unknown

5. "The higher we soar, the smaller we appear to those who cannot fly."
-Friedrich Wilhelm Nietzsche

4. "Winners build on mistakes. Losers dwell on them."
-Arnold Mori

3. "No one can defeat us unless we first defeat ourselves."
- Dwight Eisenhower

2. "The fight is won or lost far away from witnesses - behind the lines, in the gym, and out there on the road, long before I dance under those lights."
-Muhammad Ali

1. “Each player must accept the cards life deals him or her: but once they are in hand, he or she alone must decide how to play the cards in order to win the game.”
- Voltaire