Are you Betting on Your Business?

Belmont Ticket Booths

By JGNY

I did see some trailers and advertising of the Movie Secretariat during my visit to Disney in September.
Being the Disney fan I am, my dad is a huge racehorse fan, and I am an animal lover I was waiting for the movie to see how they all tied into how I thought I had a connection with the movie.

I really enjoyed Secretariat but it was very interesting how I found myself identifying business lessons that can be very useful for small and medium size businesses.

I also recommend you to read @lucymfel’s post on Career Lessons from Penny Tweedy. It is a great perspective on lessons related to Work Life Balance. Read more… @womenleadersnet

Small businesses that are struggling because they need to refresh themselves or they are a start-up. I was able to catch these 5 business lessons from the movie and would like to share them with you:

  1. Cold Calling was not effective at that time (70’s) it is not effective now, and I am not sure if it will ever be effective.

    When Penny and her team attempted to raise money with a list of people with no interest in what they where trying to sell it was a complete waste of time. Their offering was so much of a risk, cold calling people did not get them anywhere.

  2. Relationships matter. Most issues in the movie where solved by people that had relationships with Penny and her family. To succeed in any business it is key that you have genuine and healthy relationships that understand your goals and will support you unconditionally. Continue to build and strengthen your relationships.
  3. Immediate Distance. A horse during a race is identifying his immediate environment and reacting with instinct to what he thinks is the best outcome. It is key to have goals with no limitations.

    Although sometimes you really have to focus on what is around you. We have so many tasks, and shores now days, sometimes we forget to work with what is near us and build upon it.

  4. Being the Underdog sometimes can work to your benefit. Just keep in mind that your actions speak louder than words. Make sure you really excel at what you do, only then will you stop being the underdog and be considered either a peer and with luck a leader. I have seen too many times where people actually set expectations very high & can even meet them.

    Jumper

    By dregsplod

  5. Think out of the Box when an issue seems impossible to understand. Take yourself out of the situation and think of all solutions.

    Once you found one that sounds like it has not been done before follow your gut feeling and organize yourself around it. If you genuinely believe that your idea is a good one your job is to convince others that you have a great idea.

    People who thought of something ridiculous or impossible have created the best inventions.

When was the last time you saw a movie where you learn a business lesson? What movie was it? Did you put into practice? How did it help your thinking in the future? Are you betting on yourself?

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