What is your story? ? I don’t know about you, but I didn’t plan to be in the race I am today. I started my journey 20 years ago as a wedding DJ and went on to become the CEO of a digital marketing agency, specializing in search engine optimization. It wasn’t a traditional path, but few entrepreneurs follow a conventional path.
He had just gotten out of the Air Force and was trying to save money for college. I got a job as a wedding DJ in Las Vegas, where I was living at the time. I was booking weddings, but I knew I could book more events if I could find a way to market myself better. This is where the entrepreneurial instinct started.
Most entrepreneurs start their businesses because they find a problem and try to find a solution. I knew there were hundreds of brides coming to Las Vegas for their weddings and if I could connect with them, I could have an endless supply of business. More than 20 years ago, this was in the early stages of Internet search. I tried advertising in wedding magazines and even worked on-air at a local radio station in an effort to raise my profile and generate business. Both efforts led to a modest degree of success.
But as almost every entrepreneur knows, reward comes from risk. Here’s what I learned on my entrepreneurial journey:
No risk, no reward
Taking risks is not easy.
Finally, I decided to take a chance and hired someone to build a website. Disappointed with the number of unique visitors to the site, I asked my web developer why the site wasn’t getting more views. He explained that his experience was building websites that didn’t bring traffic. This was my first a-ha moment when I realized that the skill sets of website building and traffic generation were very different. (Here are some other mistakes entrepreneurs make when building their websites.)
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Entrepreneurs are generally curious and that curiosity leads to discovery. I dove headfirst into the world of SEO to try and figure out how to drive traffic to my website. Little by little, I began to crack the code of driving traffic, and as the traffic increased, I began to have other marketers contact me to advertise on my website. One day, I got a call from the head of catering at a famous hotel in Las Vegas who wanted to advertise on my website. I took another calculated risk and instead of just charging them to advertise on my website, I told them they could advertise for free if they listed me as one of their preferred vendors. This risk paid off.
Although taking a risk requires serious consideration and calculation, it could pay off in the end and generate more business. The key is to be strategic.
Be a lifelong learner
I consider myself a lifelong learner. In fact, one of the guiding principles of my company is “Stay Agile, Never Stop Learning”. These principles were honed early on as I transitioned from being a wedding DJ to an SEO expert.
It is important for entrepreneurs to value innovation and pivot quickly if necessary. Continue to learn and seek out other industry experts. Go to conferences and share best practices with like-minded people. Keep asking questions and stay curious. Eventually, that curiosity turns into a passion and you become an expert in your field. Even to this day, you continue to ask questions. Business is a continuous learning process. We must have a learning mindset and be willing to adapt to change.
Cultivate a learning mindset
Here are four tips for developing a learning mindset:
1. Look at every interaction you have as an opportunity to learn. Even if you are at the top of your field, there will always be new things that you may not have thought of.
2. Practice mindfulness and be intentional about paying attention to the circumstances and opportunities around you.
3. Embrace learning by taking courses, reading books, and attending conferences. While my journey began by reading an online book about SEO, I eventually wrote my own book to share what I learned over the years. Be open to sharing the knowledge you’ve acquired.
4. Find someone who inspires you and learn from their knowledge and experience. Having a life coach has been invaluable to me as my business grows. In the end, I sold my wedding website and made a few more pivots to where I am today.
Whatever stage you’re at in your career, don’t give up on your dreams. It might not happen the way you envisioned, but if you’re adaptable and have a learning mindset, your dreams can become reality.
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