- March 19, 2015
- Posted by: Topher Morrison
- Category: Blog, Business Tips, Speaker Tips
You can google, “Biggest mistake business owners make” and you will find over 2.8 million opinions. And my guess is they all have a different “biggest mistake”. I’ll start by saying that this is just one damn big, ugly, hairy mistake that a lot of business owners make and I see it happening all the time. It’s infuriating to see so many people with so much potential throw it away because of this one thing. Here’s a perfect example:
I’m offering a pitching contest currently called The BIG Pitch and the winner will receive a check for $25,000.
You would think local business owners would be jumping all over this to have a shot at winning $25k and with only 200 applicants allowed, the odds are incredibly good for such a low up front risk.
Unfortunately, many of the business owners I’ve spoken with are afraid to compete because of one thing only – their fear of looking stupid.
If you are afraid of looking stupid in business my advice would be to get out of business and go work for someone who will tell you what to do.
Do you think Richard Branson looked stupid when he offered $180,000 for Necker Island? It was priced at 5 Million! Damn right he did!
Do you think Steve Jobs looked stupid when he told his investors he wanted to start making mobile phones? Damn right he did!
Do you think Elon Musk looked stupid to his board when he said he wanted to invent a rocket that could take off and land from the same location? Damn right he did!
If you are worried about looking stupid for taking chances in life, here’s the reality: expect it if you want to accomplish anything great. It’s a necessary step in order for you to get to the place where people call you a genius. [drops mic, walks away]