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My 14 years’ experience of growing a business from £0-£100m as well as the life that goes with it.

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Simon Says

Winformation This Week...

There’s a version of success that gets sold online. Travel. Freedom. Constant excitement. 

Then there’s the real version. If you have started your entrepreneurial journey, or about to, I want to send you some real insight and reassurance this Good Friday. In today’s One Idea to Win in Business I talk about my most shocking realisation of becoming “successful”.  

Why is it we are always better at solving other people’s problems and pretty rubbish at solving our own? If a mate comes to you with problems at work, relationships or a big decision. You listen, think clearly, and give (usually) pretty good advice.  Same situation happens to you? You overthink or procrastinate as the emotion of it takes over. In today’s One Idea to Win in Life, we look at what psychologists call Solomon’s Paradox, and how to become your own best mate.  

One Idea to Win in Business

Something to Understand Success

The Most Shocking Realisation About Success & How to Notice It

First up, I want to just say, I don’t go around calling myself successful. But if you surveyed people in the street and asked them what success is, I would probably qualify in that bracket. Happily married, 2 amazing kids, nice house, £100m company that we started from scratch that I could hypothetically leave tomorrow and never work again.  

But to me, I beat myself up on the regular that I’m nowhere near where I thought I’d be at this age, truth be told. Which is why I know I will be grafting away for the next decade or more trying to reach the vision I have set for myself.  

Now...getting that out of the way... One of the most shocking aspects to becoming successful (as society would deem it)...hit me around 5 years in.  

We were sat in our 3^rd expanded office. 30% year on year growth. Always new people joining, new computers and desks being delivered. More revenue, more noise.  

Then you look online and see other business owners with what seems like an exciting life, different places, different time zones.  

I thought to myself...what am I doing wrong? Is this it?  

Every stat told me I was becoming “successful”. So, what was missing? 

But the issue is, the process of becoming successful....is boring.   

There it is. Becoming successful is mundane. But there is magic in the mundane. 

It has to be. Think about it. Success is trialling lots of different things, making mistakes and false dawns until you refine something that works. And when it works, (minus a few little tweaks over time) you have to do that “thing” for weeks, months, years and decades.  

That’s scaling, that’s becoming successful. Scaling is repetition by definition. You’re either doing the same thing for a decade or more, or teaching the same thing for longer. So next time you see the laptops by the pool, the business class flights, always perfectly on camera… 

Just remember this. 

If you’re sat in the same room, doing the same things for the same people, day after day… 

You’re probably on the right path. It might not look great on Instagram. But eventually it will look very good on your bank statement. 

One Idea to Win in Life

Something to Solve Your Own Problems

Solomon’s Paradox Explained: Harness Your Problem Solving Power

Apart from that one guy we all know, “Dave” down the pub that dishes out the maddest advice when you haven't even asked for it. By and large we are all way more effective at thinking about other people’s problems than we are our own.  

Why? 

Because we have distance from the problem. We are able to look at something and not get caught in the emotion. Usually, you are spot on with advice for a mate but hopeless for yourself.  

This is so common; they gave it a name. Solomon’s Paradox. Named after King Solomon that often gave sound advice to his own people, but managed to royally (lol) screw up his life on the regular.  

How can you harness your amazing problem solving skills for yourself? 

Write the problem down on a piece of paper. Ask yourself, “what would a friend advise me to do?”  

Write down the steps they would advise. You’ll be surprised how quickly the path forward appears. Getting it down on paper removes it solely from your head. You start to separate yourself from the problem physically.  

Back yourself, you know more than you think you do. Remove the emotional bond to the issue, find the way forward and keep pushing.  

Win or Wonder?

Ask Me a Question…

No matter where you are on this mad journey. Starting out, scaling up, or somewhere in the messy middle feel free to ask me anything.

Business, life or mindset, I read and reply to every question. The best ones will get featured in future editions of Winformation, with your permission of course!

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Until next week! 

Let’s win, together!