Ee 001 The Who

EE 001: The Who, the What & Most Importantly, the Why of the EXECUpreneur’s EDGE Blog

If you’re an entrepreneur or corporate executive looking to move the needle on your business but you feel like you’re  STUCK in neutral, or even worse… in reverse, you are reading the right blog!  

Herein, I will detail exactly WHO The EXECUpreneur’s EDGE was created for (hopefully that is you) and just WHO this gal at the keyboard is.  More on that wild one in a moment. 

I’ll unpack WHAT makes someone an EXECUpreneur and how they can double down to stack the success deck forever in their favor.  I’ll share with you the ONE thing ALL EXECUpreneur’s possess…you’ll want to be sure to MASTER this ASAP! 

So…who am I and why should you listen to one word I say? 

I am a tried and true entrepreneur in the wellness arena. Though that is where I cut my entrepreneurial teeth, the principles I share in this work apply to all fields of business. Now that I think about it, all aspects of life!

I was an active holistic health clinician for over 25 years. I have always been drawn to forging my own path, so I walked alone…many a time.  And I am cool with that…in fact I encourage you to try it on for yourself.  I’ve got your back and absolutely love sharing knowledge and helping others on the topics of entrepreneurship, health, and mindset.  

It is unusual for a career of this length to be all roses and carrot cake (my fave by the way)…and my story is not unusual.  My story is mired in madness (with a heaping dose of stubbornness…I’m Irish, what can I say?) 

Now, my story is also steeped in success.  Success isn’t always found on the winning side of the ledger either.  Sometimes success comes with a painful price tag.  It’s how we apply that cost to said ledger that makes the impact.  Now THAT’s creative accounting at its best, my friend.  

I am a passionate person who goes the extra mile and over-delivers as my standard. That said, I will throw a BS flag on the play when warranted. Yes ma’am. Yes sir.  My version of tough love leaves the recipient stronger … and more resilient.  

I follow the “teach a wo/man to fish” adage. I help clients navigate their own way through my core teachings and consider myself a “change agent”, for change is what I leave a trail of in my wake.  

I wanted to expand my impact, so the EXECUpreneur’s EDGE Podcast was born…

Building an empire.  Leaving a legacy.  Forging a path where there was none before.  Making a lasting impact on the world.  These are the things that motivate many to wade into the EXECUpreneurial waters.  

Or maybe it’s the lure of being your own boss.  Being at the helm, in charge.  Never again having to answer to some blowhard boss who couldn’t find his way out of a paper bag.  Being one’s own boss sure sounds better than working for someone who is less qualified than you.  Or worse, a micromanager! 

In steps the always sexy, sure to entice EXECUpreneurial Lifestyle.  

Private yachts, lobster benedict & mimosas for breakfast, weekly massages & mani/pedis, a personal assistant, exotic travel, a personal shopper, and a driver at your beck and call behind the wheel of a drool-worthy luxury vehicle…

Sexy? Yes.  Realistic? I think not.  For most of us that is.  

In all honesty, I don’t want all of that excess.  If you do, good on ya and go get ‘em Tiger.  You can apply the same principles I uncover in this work, just as well as the person for whom I created it.  

Who Is This For?  

I developed the EXECUpreneur’s EDGE with a specific person in mind.  She is a she, but the same characteristics apply to a he as well.  I just envision someone like me when I write.  

You see, I get her.  I am her.  

I’ve been running my own business since I graduated with my professional degree in 1997.  I played it safe for a couple years, then I went out on my own and got my butt handed to me.  It was not pretty.  

I was so ill-prepared for the many curveballs lobbed my way. It almost seemed like a cruel joke.  Get into over one-hundred thousand dollars of debt for the privilege of running your own business and driving yourself straight to the poor house in a vehicle that is anything but drool-worthy.  

I was at a loss. I didn’t know what else to do.  I’d seen a few ads for business coaching in an industry-focused periodical, so I signed up for a coaching package.  That helped for a moment in time, but there was nothing in that type of structure that addressed the underlying problem I faced.  Even after years of expensive coaching, I was left with the same problem I had when I started out on my entrepreneurial pursuit.  

My problem, you ask?

Me.  I was the problem.  The same ME was still there.  I was showing up every day and getting memories of my past failures all over that day’s brand spanking new potential.  

I was the source of my problem.  AND my solution.  

This same scenario has played out for every single EXECUpreneur I’ve ever worked with.  And it is why I developed the EXECUpreneur’s EDGE.  

You may be raising an eyebrow my way right about now.  I’ll dive into this deeper during our work together, but the long and the short is that if WE don’t address our beliefs, our habits, our deepest desires, and resolve our past experiences; WE will spin our wheels and possibly fall square on our bum.  

I should know, I had my fair share of tread wear and sore bottom moments.  Not to mention bruised ego…yeouch, that one stung!  

Being an EXECUpreneur is demanding to say the least.  

It requires an exorbitant amount of mental and physical energy.  It requires an ability to be driven from within. When the buck stops at you, you’ve got nobody to look to but yourself.  

EXECUpreneurship requires the grit to get through the worst of economies, dodge the political BS and the ability to dig deep on the daily.  Oh, and don’t forget you must have the skills to leave your past in the past.  We have never been taught how to do this.  We carry that stuff with us everywhere we go.  The term “baggage” is so spot on!    

As you liberate your inner EXECUpreneur, you will find yourself going down some dark paths.  In fact, some paths that will make you question what it is you are doing.  And why the *bleep* you don’t just go back to your day job or go out on your own when your spot in the C-suite is constantly being questioned.  If you are not aware of the pitfalls that lie in wait, nor equipped with the tools and skills to push past them, you will quit.  I guarantee it.  

It happens to the best of us in the fast-paced world of EXECUpreneurship.  The EXECUpreneur’s EDGE was designed to get you the best vantage point to do what it is you do best in the world.  

To truly become the most successful EXECUpreneur you can be, you must evolve into her.  

No matter your chosen field, the principles you’ll learn here transcend specifics.  For the EXECUpreneur’s EDGE hones in on the most important part of your business endeavor.  You.  

What Is an EXECUpreneur?

You may be asking yourself what an EXECUpreneur is right about now.  That would be a natural reaction to seeing what is most likely a new term in your vocabulary.

EXECUpreneur is a hybrid word.  I like to use it because the principles I will discuss in the EXECUpreneur’s EDGE apply to those in the entrepreneurial space as well as corporate executives.  Hence, EXECUpreneur is a perfect term to use.  

Both roles take a certain set of skills, a specific blend of character traits and a hefty, hefty, hefty bag of tricks.  

The entrepreneur takes on a different set of risks than the executive, indeed. But they both take risks in their day-to-day.  They are both high-achievers.  And they are both visionaries to a degree.  

The executive has some degree of bridled freedom, confined to their company’s policies, procedures and culture.  While the entrepreneur has a little more freedom to roam.

Freedom…A True Seductress

Freedom sounds so liberating, doesn’t it?  It is the seducing influence that captures many an aspiring entrepreneur’s heart, and what drives them to set out on their own after working for others.  But freedom is a double-edged sword. One must pair freedom with discipline when building and guiding an entrepreneurial venture.  

Neither role is simple.  Nor do they come without sacrifice.  

It takes a very special someone to go for it within the corporate structure.  Internal competition for promotions, waiting around for committees to actually get something done and endless reports are daily obstacles in the life of a corporate executive.  

The entrepreneur is faced with a whole host of unknowns.  If they are forging a new path, there is no handbook to consult, no manual to Google, and no wizard behind the curtain.  They are out in the elements, often alone.  And the truly entrepreneurial spirited thrives all the while.

We all know the statistics.  They do not favor the entrepreneur in any way.  Now most entrepreneurs set out with “Champagne Wishes and Caviar Dreams”, only to end in a tight tailspin sipping tap water and choking down ramen noodles from a nasty Styrofoam cup.  

Anyone in their right mind would wonder…”Am I cut out to be an entrepreneur?”

First things first, entrepreneurs as a whole, are not in their right minds.  And that my friend, is a compliment.  It takes one to know one when it comes to this rebellious, often a wee bit on the crazy side tribe of humans.  We just aren’t right and that’s exactly how we like it.  Heck, it’s exactly how we need to be to set out on this wild ride in the first place.  

I’ll let you in on a secret…come in closer…anyone can become a successful entrepreneur with the right mindset. The mindset of successful entrepreneurs is different from everyone else, but has some mirroring qualities to the high level executive. 

There are many ways in which the executive and entrepreneur will think and act differently. Each person has their own nuances as well.  When you know what you are looking for, you can begin to think and act like a successful EXECUpreneur. 

Cool thing is that most are not born an EXECUpreneur.  They become one.  On purpose, or purely by accident.  (I just love hearing people’s EXECUpreneurial stories, don’t you?) 

Now when it comes to creating a successful business of your own or with a team of others, like any journey, you need to have a plan. Having a clear vision of where you want to go will help you plan how to get there in the fastest time possible.  Knowing exactly where you are now and what tools you have in your toolbox will assist you in forging a solid path. 

The EXECUpreneur’s EDGE is meant to be your roadmap.  It is designed to help you become a successful EXECUpreneur, as fast as possible. 

To be truly successful, in anything that you do, you have to possess the right mindset. This is true whether you are an elite athlete, have a corner office, or live the life of a billionaire business owner. All of these people share a specific mindset.  If you want to be a successful EXECUpreneur and be successful in life, you will need to develop this same, robust and focused mindset.

The Most Important 3-Letter Question

The most important question that you will have to ask yourself at the beginning of your journey to EXECUpreneurial success is, “Why?”  

Why are you doing this?   

Really think about it.  The answer that you give is one that has to last you for the majority of your life, so the answer better be good. Real good. Stick to the ribs kind of good.  It has to be so good that you won’t falter, even at the worst of times. 

Staying focused and driven to reach your goals, ultimately finding success, will require you to rewire your brain. 

However, if you’ve never been an entrepreneur or an executive, or have failed before and haven’t quite moved past it, how are you going to do this? How can you get into the zone and stay there, all the time, no matter what? 

Finding the zone and staying there month after month, year after year isn’t an easy task. That is exactly why your answer to why you’re doing this is critical. 

To obtain unparalleled success as an EXECUpreneur, you must embody a spirit of rebellion, creation, cultivation and an unwavering sense of personal evolution to pursue your life’s work.  You must strategically pursue the EDGE.  

The EXECUpreneur’s EDGE was written for this very purpose.

When it comes to YOUR Why, it needs to be “stick to the ribs” level good.  Join the EXECUpreneur’s EDGE Inner Circle to stack the success deck forever in your favor!