Archives For Self-Actualisation

Leadership Toolkit 2: What is failure in its greatest sense?

Camille Monce —  July 7, 2021 — 13 Comments

One thing I have learned is that for the most part, people express the same idea but they express it in many different ways and with many different words. It is the details in the expression, the words, and combination of words used, that give a story its colour, its texture, and brings it–and its lessons–to life.

We are unique combinations of our beliefs, values and life experiences. Differences notwithstanding, we, and our experiences, are important. Therefore, there is value in compiling and sharing these stories and the multitude of ways in which ideas are expressed. Combined, these stories weave a wonderful tapestry that exemplifies just how rich and beautiful life can be.

And who knows? An inadvertent remark or detail in the retelling of a story can stand to attention and have an impact in the world of a reader. And with that exciting possibility, perhaps the most valuable thing I can do is create the space where the stories of those whom I admire and respect can be shared.

Below are people that I have come across on my own life journey whom I deeply admire and respect. Whether it be their tenacity or courage, or relentless drive or passion, each individual generously reveals a different lens in response to the questions I regularly pepper them with.

As we continue on our sharing over this anthology, I will share tidbits and anecdotes as to why I hold them in such high esteem, and what I love most about them. In turn, I hope that you do too.

What is failure in its greatest sense?

Failure to me means not taking that risk at all

Adam Massaro, Partner at Akerman LLP. Denver, Colorado.

Failure to me doesn’t mean taking a risk and not achieving the desired outcome. Failure to me means not taking that risk at all.

When you embrace risk, you have the opportunity of learning something invaluable about yourself (or others).

Failure, therefore, is knowing that you had the opportunity to move forward or fix a problem, but not taking the steps to do so.

Failure is not living your days the way you want to live your life

Arnie Malham, Founder and President of BetterBookClub.com, Author and Speaker at Worth Doing Wrong. Nashville, Tennessee.

To look back on life (at any age) and realize you have more money than friends, more regrets than adventures, or more hate than love might all singularly qualify as failure. From my perspective, the culmination of all three might be the trifecta of failure in the game of life.

But life comes at you fast and failure on a daily basis might not be so easy to spot in ourselves. I’d submit the argument that failure, much like success, accumulates over time. It accumulates in the seemingly small daily choices of life. Our diet and exercise (#YoungerNextYear), our reading and conversations (#CompoundEffect), and how we prioritize our most valuable asset, our attention (#Indistractable).

The uncomfortable truth is this: how we live our days is how we live our lives. Therefore, failure is not living your days the way you want to live your life.

Failure is not living a life with intentionality

Finnian Kelly, Founder of Intentionality, Inc., International Keynote Speaker, Area Director for Entrepreneurs Organization. Aspen, Colorado

Failure is not living a life with intentionality but living a life by the conditioned state of your societal, cultural and familial influences. Failure is when you operate in a default mode and where you don’t fully live in the present and enjoy the wonder that is life.

No success in life can compensate for failure in the home

Kym Huynh. Founder at WeTeachMe, Former President at Entrepreneurs’ Organization. Melbourne, Australia.

I am of the belief that no success in life can compensate for failure in the home.

The wonderful thing about life is that we have agency i.e., that we have the ability to choose, to craft a vision or determine our destination, to make intentional decisions that move us closer to our vision or destination, to reflect, learn and course-correct as we go, and to hopefully one day be at a place where we are at peace with our past, content with our present, and hopeful for our future.

Therefore, I suggest that life is not chance, but premeditation.

And with the basis that no success in life can compensate for failure in the home, we have within us the ability to build connected and successful families by giving the following: (1) love; (2) dedication; (3) patience; (4) sacrifice; (5) service; and (6) commitment.

P.S. Having a successful family is infinitely more fun than having a successful business.

Failure in its greatest sense is not trying, not starting that business, not approaching your crush, and not giving your idea an honest try

Randall Hartman, Founder at GROUNDWRK. Denver, Colorado.

One hears a lot of gobbledygook about failure in nearly every business success story and inspirational speaking event etc. For example: “My failures taught me insert-important-business-lesson),” or, “My failures made me the person I am today.”

In my opinion, failure in its greatest sense is not trying, not starting that business, not approaching your crush, and not giving your idea an honest try. The inaction is something you live with for the rest of your life and may be one of your greatest regrets when it’s too late.

If you are not failing you are not growing. I think this is particularly true for entrepreneurs.

Richard J Bryan, Founder at The Bryan Group Inc., Keynote Speaker and Author. Denver, Colorado.

I like the quote by Richard Branson, “If you are not failing you are not growing”. I think this is particularly true for entrepreneurs.

I remember needing to close a loss-making business and lay off all the staff in my home town of Bristol when I was 28. It was a harsh lesson about what can happen if one gets things wrong, but I learned a huge amount in the process that made me stronger going forward.

Failure is to not be the best to the people I care about, to never discover what my personal potential is, and to let happiness elude me in lieu of ego-driven activities

Ross Drakes, Founder and Creative Director at Nicework, President at Entrepreneurs’ Organization, Keynote Speaker, Host of One More Question Podcast. Johannesburg, South Africa.

The first is to not be the best to the people who I care about. So often we get distracted and stressed and take it out on those people who matter the most. Family and friends should not pick up the burden of the business.

The second is to never discover what my personal potential is. I am not talking about living to the standards of others but to live to ones that I myself define.

The first is to let happiness elude me in lieu of ego-driven activities.

It’s when we neglect the ability to reframe the negative as opportunities for insight and inspiration that we fail

Stu Swineford, Founder at Relish Studio, President at Anabliss, Partner at Forty105 LLC. Denver, Colorado.

Failure is not living up to one’s full potential, and accepting setbacks as permanent. Every moment holds opportunity for growth and discovery. It’s when we neglect the ability to reframe the negative as opportunities for insight and inspiration that we fail.

What do you think?

Do you agree or violently disagree with anything shared in this article? Or do you have any of your own stories that you want to share? Pop them in the comments and I will personally reply.

Call to action 

My goal is to help 1,000,000 people. My wish is to have these articles shared 1,000,000 times through the various social networks. For this reason, I provide this collection online for free and all I ask of you is this: If any of these articles have helped you in any way, please take a moment to share on social media, email to someone you think will find benefit, or print and leave it on the desk of someone whom you believe has the motivation, but lacks the tools to take themselves to the next level.

Don’t miss out on any new articles. Subscribe via email using the form at the bottom of this post and I’ll have the articles delivered straight to your inbox. Alternatively, you can also follow me on my various social media accounts: Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and Twitter.

In Advice, Challenge, Character, Choice, Coaches, Competition, Courage, Creating, Decision-Making, Discipline, Education, Ego, Empowerment, Entrepreneur, Experience, Failure, Family, Family Leadership, Fear, Focus, Goal Setting, Greatness, Growth, Happiness, Home, Hope, Intent, Intuition, Leadership, Leadership Toolkit, Learning, Life by Design, Mentors, Motivation, Passion, People, Personal Leadership, Perspective, Potential, Purpose, Relationships, Risk, Self-Actualisation, Self-Awareness, Self-Belief, Self-Care, Success, Try, Uncomfortable, Visioning
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Leadership Toolkit 2: What does success look like to you?

Camille Monce —  June 2, 2021 — Leave a comment

One thing I have learned is that for the most part, people express the same idea but they express it in many different ways and with many different words. It is the details in the expression, the words, and combination of words used, that give a story its colour, its texture, and brings it–and its lessons–to life.

We are unique combinations of our beliefs, values and life experiences. Differences notwithstanding, we, and our experiences, are important. Therefore, there is value in compiling and sharing these stories and the multitude of ways in which ideas are expressed. Combined, these stories weave a wonderful tapestry that exemplifies just how rich and beautiful life can be.

And who knows? An inadvertent remark or detail in the retelling of a story can stand to attention and have an impact in the world of a reader. And with that exciting possibility, perhaps the most valuable thing I can do is create the space where the stories of those whom I admire and respect can be shared.

Below are people that I have come across on my own life journey whom I deeply admire and respect. Whether it be their tenacity or courage, or relentless drive or passion, each individual generously reveals a different lens in response to the questions I regularly pepper them with.

As we continue on our sharing over this anthology, I will share tidbits and anecdotes as to why I hold them in such high esteem, and what I love most about them. In turn, I hope that you do too.

What does success look like to you?

Success on every front can often be tied to the books we read and the people we meet

Arnie Malham, Founder and President of BetterBookClub.com, Author and Speaker at Worth Doing Wrong. Nashville, Tennessee.

There are many forms of “success”: personal; parental; spiritual; spousal; and financial (just to name a few).

For me “business success” appeared when I began to understand the difference in being a “solopreneur” and being an “entrepreneur” #TheEMyth. “Entrepreneurial success” appeared when I began caring more about asking the “right questions” than having the “right answers” #ScalingUp. And “leadership success” appeared when I began thinking more like a “leader” in my company and less like a “boss” #GreatbyChoice.

Ultimately, success on every front can often be tied to the books we read and the people we meet. I certainly wish everyone great and abundant adventures in both.

Success is the ability to find time again so that you can do all the things you really want to do

Ash Rathod, Managing Director of Digital Focus Creatives. Leicester, United Kingdom.

I define success has the ability to find time again so that you can do all the things you really want to do. Whether it be personal or business, these are things that you do not because you need to do them, but because you want to do them.

The true meaning of success is asking yourself every day, “Am I living a life of Intentionality?”

Finnian Kelly, President at Entrepreneurs’ Organization, Founder at Intentionality, Founder at Wealth Enhancers. Boulder, Colorado

Success to me is about not having regrets. This doesn’t mean you can’t have mistakes—mistakes are natural—but rather how you respond to the mistakes and set yourself up for a different course of action in the future.

For me, the true meaning of success is asking yourself every day, “Am I living a life of Intentionality?” This means deciding how you want to feel and then taking deliberate action forwards.

I believe that the key to success is when one can identify if their entrepreneurial journey is aligned with their spiritual journey. That’s much more important than scaling a company to $100M.

The amount of financial success won’t matter at all if my home life, my health, or my mindset isn’t good

Katty Douraghy, President at Artisan Creative, Author at The Butterfly Years. Los Angeles, California.

Success means inner and outer harmony; personally and professionally. The amount of financial success won’t matter at all if my home life, my health, or my mindset isn’t good.

Success means happiness, fulfillment and contribution to something bigger than me.

Success is the creation of a life where we all walk each other home

Kym Huynh. Founder at WeTeachMe, Former President at Entrepreneurs’ Organization. Melbourne, Australia.

Success to me is the realization that every one of us have agency i.e., the ability to decide, and that we have the ability to determine how we see, and how we experience, the world.

Firstly, the understanding that when we change the way we see the world, our world changes. This understanding has given me choice in how I look at my life experiences, and subsequently how I experience life.

Secondly, the realization that we can’t change our past but we can create our future. And that we have the ability to envision a future; one that is hopefully so bright and vivid that it becomes a guiding light for all our life decisions.

Thirdly, the empowerment in knowing that the great thing about life is that we don’t have to look like what we want to become but rather, it’s all about heart and desire and skill. Satisfy those three requirements and the destination is inevitable.

And finally, the grace in knowing that as per the wisdom of David O. McKay, no success in life compensates for failure in the home.

And whilst home can mean “home” in the nuclear sense, if we include our friends, our communities and the lives we touch, and build a life where we lift each other, then perhaps we can create a life where we all walk each other home.

My philosophy is you need enough money to do the things you want to do but you also need enough time to enjoy it

Richard J Bryan, Founder at The Bryan Group Inc., Keynote Speaker and Author. Denver, Colorado.

Success is all about the freedom to choose how I spend my time both personally and professionally. When I became the CEO of our family business at the age of 28, I did it out of a sense of duty and not necessarily because it was what I wanted to do. My philosophy is you need enough money to do the things you want to do but you also need enough time to enjoy it.

I measure success in my late 40’s by what sort of legacy and positive impact I can leave behind

Steven Ziegler, Founder at Z3 Talent, Founder at ConstructionJobsColorado.com. Denver, Colorado.

In my 20’s and for much of my 30’s I was consumed with how much money and financial wealth I could create. Although those items are still important to me, I measure success in my late 40’s by what sort of legacy and positive impact I can leave behind. I’m certain this has a lot to do with the fact I have 3 kids and I am getting older!

I judge my successes by the positive effect I have on the wellbeing of others

Stu Swineford, Founder at Relish Studio, President at Anabliss, Partner at Forty105 LLC. Denver, Colorado.

I get the most joy out of knowing I have helped someone level up. Whether that’s making an introduction, shining a light on a solution to a problem they are facing, or helping them reach their goals and establish even bigger objectives, I get a ton of good vibes knowing that I was part of that success.

I judge my successes by the positive effect I have on the wellbeing of others. That and knowing I have given my all in an activity or objective. Because at the end of the day, that’s all we can do.

At the start I wore 20 hats. I drew a line in the sand and stated that once successful, I would be wearing 1 hat, and that hat is “owner”.

Tim Glennie, Co-Founder & Managing Partner at BridgeView. Denver, Colorado.

It is important to define success at the start of your entrepreneur journey.

My goal was simple. At the start I wore 20 hats. I drew a line in the sand and stated that once successful, I would be wearing 1 hat, and that hat is “owner”.

Success meant creating a business that could scale and have the proper processes and systems to operate without a dependency on an owner.

What do you think?

Do you agree or violently disagree with anything shared in this article? Or do you have any of your own stories that you want to share? Pop them in the comments and I will personally reply.

Call to action 

My goal is to help 1,000,000 people. My wish is to have these articles shared 1,000,000 times through the various social networks. For this reason, I provide this collection online for free and all I ask of you is this: If any of these articles have helped you in any way, please take a moment to share on social media, email to someone you think will find benefit, or print and leave it on the desk of someone whom you believe has the motivation, but lacks the tools to take themselves to the next level.

Don’t miss out on any new articles. Subscribe via email using the form at the bottom of this post and I’ll have the articles delivered straight to your inbox. Alternatively, you can also follow me on my various social media accounts: Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and Twitter.

In Advice, Books, Choice, Coaches, Entrepreneur, Failure, Family, Family Leadership, Freedom, Giving Back, Greatness, Growth, Happiness, Health, Home, Hope, Influence, Intent, Leadership, Leadership Toolkit, Learning, Life by Design, Mental Health, Mind, Motivation, Passion, People, Personal Leadership, Perspective, Planning, Potential, Purpose, Relationships, Resilience, Self-Actualisation, Self-Awareness, Self-Belief, Self-Care, Success, Time, Wellbeing, Women in Business
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Leadership Toolkit: How did your business come to be?

Camille Monce —  April 21, 2021 — Leave a comment

Foreword

One thing I have learned is that for the most part, people express the same idea but they express it in many different ways and with many different words. It is the details in the expression, the words, and combination of words used, that give a story its colour, its texture, and brings it–and its lessons–to life.

We are unique combinations of our beliefs, values and life experiences. Differences notwithstanding, we, and our experiences, are important. Therefore, there is value in compiling and sharing these stories and the multitude of ways in which ideas are expressed. Combined, these stories weave a wonderful tapestry that exemplifies just how rich and beautiful life can be.

And who knows? An inadvertent remark or detail in the retelling of a story can stand to attention and have an impact in the world of a reader. And with that exciting possibility, perhaps the most valuable thing I can do is create the space where the stories of those whom I admire and respect can be shared.

Below are people that I have come across on my own life journey whom I deeply admire and respect. Whether it be their tenacity or courage, or relentless drive or passion, each individual generously reveals a different lens in response to the questions I regularly pepper them with.

As we continue on our sharing over this anthology, I will share tidbits and anecdotes as to why I hold them in such high esteem, and what I love most about them. In turn, I hope that you do too.

How did your business come to be?

Old ways have got to give for new beginnings to happen

Ai-Ling Wong. Founder at The Decorateur, President at Entrepreneurs’ Organization. Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

My entrepreneurial journey started at the age of 25 where I worked in one of my family businesses; a trading business which had no family members running it but only hired people. Thrown in to the deep end, it was a steep learning curve. In spite of the little experience I had, slowly but surely I increased sales 30% year-on-year.

After 12 years running the business, our Singaporean business partner started meddling and telling us “what to do”. Not surprisingly, it didn’t take long for us to reach the point where we could not see eye-to-eye.

Not wanting to cause more stress to my father–who was Chairman at the time, I offered the Malaysian Managing Director position to the Singaporean partner, and gave him 3 years to prove himself (as he claimed he could increase the business turnover). I then embarked on my new interior design business which took off swiftly.

Fast forward 3 years, the Singaporean partner did not manage to meet targets, and I was asked to return. By that stage, I was too entrenched with my growing interior design business to return to run the trading business.

A negative experience sometimes happens for a good reason. In other words, old ways have got to give for new beginnings to happen. In this case, despite my dissatisfaction towards the Singaporean partner, I have him to thank for the better opportunity to start my new business.

Little did I realize how much my company would grow to improve the lives of our supplier partners, team members, and many others around the globe

Andrea Grisdale, Founder and CEO at IC Bellagio, Board Member at Entrepreneurs’ Organization. Bellagio, Lake Como.

My business was created out of my love and passion for all things Italy and travel.

When my company was founded back in 1999, it was a great opportunity to live the life I wanted to live, that is, improving the lives of others through travel and all things Italy. This gave me opportunity to enjoy not only all that this beautiful country has to offer but be able to share the best of it with those from afar.

Little did I realize how much my company would grow to improve the lives of our supplier partners, team members, and many others around the globe.

My business came to be from of a mixture of: (1) a pinch of chance; (2) a hint of right timing; (3) a bag of hard work; and (4) the audacity of sticking through challenging times

David Fastuca. Founder at Ambisie, Founder at Locomote. Melbourne, Australia.

My business came to be from of a mixture of: (1) a pinch of chance; (2) a hint of right timing; (3) a bag of hard work; and (4) the audacity of sticking through challenging times.

My business partner and I almost gave up on our efforts to create a business for ourselves after struggling in our very early days with a variety of other businesses.

Sticking “with it” and having the courage to persevere led us to opportunities in industries we knew nothing about. Isn’t life funny?

Serendipity has been a strong theme throughout my career

Jamie Skella. Chief Operating and Product Officer at Mogul, Former Chief Product Officer at Horizon State. Melbourne, Australia.

Serendipity has been a strong theme throughout my career. I focus intensely on the things that I’m interested in, then keep an open mind about the opportunities that present themselves without deliberate planning. In the case of my most recent project, Trax, it came to be on these same familiar terms.

Trax combines esports, cryptocurrency, and digital product to capitalize on a gap in the market; each of which I have accumulated vast amounts of knowledge in during past years.

I deeply admire specialization yet having a “broad T” has enabled me to combine knowledge sets to identify and seize opportunities that would have otherwise been missed. I imagine this is how many of my future businesses will come to be, as the effects of a broad T only continue to compound positively over time.

Knowing what I know now, would I do it all again? Absolutely. Without question. Without hesitation.

Kym Huynh. Founder at WeTeachMe, Former President at Entrepreneurs’ Organization. Melbourne, Australia.

WeTeachMe was born from: (1) a chance encounter between strangers at a weekend hackathon; (2) the sharing of an idea that the strangers believed in and could get behind; (3) a bag full of enthusiasm and dreams; (4) a sprinkling of youthful optimism and nativity; and (5) a willingness to throw caution to the wind and give things a good go.

The following years saw these strangers: (1) bond over weekly meetings at local cafés eating complimentary biscuits and cake the staff brought over; (2) spend their days, evenings and weekends hunched over dimly lit computer screens obsessing over the business, the strategy, and the product; (3) chatter excitedly about grandiose ideas and what the future could bring; and (4) experience joy as their vision came to life before their very eyes.

What these strangers didn’t anticipate, however, was: (1) the many hard lessons that would need to be learned; (2) the overwhelming stress would at times cripple one another and cause burnout; and (3) the difficult challenges that would need to be navigated as part and parcel of the journey.

Knowing what I know now, would I do it all again? Absolutely. Without question. Without hesitation.

The learning curve for me was steep… but life-changing. The relationships and friendships I had were tested… but the ones that survived will last a lifetime. The experiences tested me… but have changed me for the better. All these things are things that no amount of money can buy.

I consider myself an accidental entrepreneur. I just started walking and just continued walking.

Raymond Chou. Founder and CEO at Infront Consulting APAC. Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

I consider myself an accidental entrepreneur. I started selling cookies when I was 14 to help the family, and a lot of the “entrepreneurial spirit” was learnt along the way.

In my working life, I could somehow never hold on to a job for more than a year. I would join a company, work to improve the systems and efficiency, and once achieved would get bored. After some years of this, I went into self-employment and established myself as an IT trainer. I started off by teaching Microsoft Project, Microsoft Excel, and Microsoft PowerPoint.

After some years of this, a friend coaxed me into starting a business of my own and said that he would invest in me. I jumped on this opportunity and have never looked back.

Did I plan it all? Did I have a grand vision? Not at all. I just started walking and just continued walking.

Sometimes we’re hard on ourselves in regarding to having a plan. But do we even have enough knowledge to even have a plan? As a young 24-year-old, I did not possess the knowledge of business, and did not have enough life experience to create a grand vision. Is that wrong?

Perhaps it is more important to not stand still, and to take steps forward until one day you can see what your grand vision is.

My business came to be by asking myself one big question

Ron Lovett. Founder and Chief Alignment Officer at Connolly Owens, Founder and Chief Community Officer at Vida Living, Author at Outrageous Empowerment. Halifax, Nova Scotia.

My business—VIDA Living—exists to revolutionize affordable communities, and came to be by asking myself this one big question: “What if I had to restart the affordable housing industry? What would it look like?”

From there the second question was born: “What if we treated tenants like customers?”

The rest, as they say, is history.

My company was purchased for $1 and now has a market capitalization of about $80M. Not a bad return on $1.

Tony Falkenstein. Founder and CEO at Just Life Group Limited, Founder and CEO at Just Water, President at Entrepreneurs’ Organization. Auckland, New Zealand.

I once worked for a publicly listed company, and started a division to rent out fax machines. The public company went into receivership, and I purchased the fax division for $1.

From renting faxes, we moved to water coolers, water delivery, ventilation systems, Solatube and hot water cylinders.

Just Life Group is now a public listed company in its own right and has a market capitalization of about $80M. Not a bad return on $1. (And I still own/control 80% of the company.)

My business started on a bet

Tui Cordemans. Co-Founder at Koh Living. Melbourne, Australia.

For some reason, I expect people to have serious and purposeful responses as to why and how they started a business. For me, it started on a bet. I was an unemployable twenty-something-year-old and wanting to live my highest values (travel and fun).

During my twenties, I left a business behind in Germany and when I moved to Australia, I had to get a job. 3 short-term jobs later, I decided I was not made for the employment market.

During that time, my best friend (now business partner) were planning our holidays. She wanted to go to Vietnam but didn’t have the funds. I offered to give her some to which she responded that she would only accept if I started a business when I came back from my 3-month stint travelling Nepal and south-east Asia. With that at the back of our minds, off we went on our travels.

Towards the end of our respective trips, we reunited in Bangkok. Sitting outside an Israeli restaurant, we drank ice-cold beers and shared photos of our holidays. We were bent over with laughter, so much so that a lady approached us and asked if she could join us. She was curious as to why we were laughing so much you see.

As fate would have it, we ended up having way too many beers and started talking about business. This lady turned out to own a distribution company in Melbourne, Australia selling homewares. She had been travelling around the world sourcing new products and was on her way home.

We both thought that this sounded amazing, and sounded like the best job in the world.

After this encounter, my friend went home and I was left with the task of finding product. On a budget, I trawled the Chatuchak market and came across some colorful unique candles. Not having ever bought a candle in my life, I put $1,000 worth of candles on a credit card and my friend went about trying to work out how to get them to Australia.

We don’t sell those candles anymore, but a lifetime later, we have one of the most recognizable tourist brands in Australia. And true to form, our business continues to fulfill our highest values of travel and fun!

What do you think?

Do you agree or violently disagree with anything shared in this article? Or do you have any of your own stories that you want to share? Pop them in the comments and I will personally reply.

Call to action 

My goal is to help 1,000,000 people. My wish is to have these articles shared 1,000,000 times through the various social networks. For this reason, I provide this collection online for free and all I ask of you is this: If any of these articles have helped you in any way, please take a moment to share on social media, email to someone you think will find benefit, or print and leave it on the desk of someone whom you believe has the motivation, but lacks the tools to take themselves to the next level.

Don’t miss out on any new articles. Subscribe via email using the form at the bottom of this post and I’ll have the articles delivered straight to your inbox. Alternatively, you can also follow me on my various social media accounts: Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and Twitter.

In Accident, Advice, Alignment, Business Partners, Challenge, Choice, Courage, Creativity, Culture, Decision-Making, Education, Ego, Experience, External Experts, Failure, Family Business, Growth, Hope, Intuition, Leadership, Leadership Toolkit, Learning, Mentors, Opportunity, Passion, People, Planning, Purpose, Questions, Relationships, Responsibility, Risk, Sacrifice, Self-Actualisation, Self-Awareness, Self-Belief, Self-Care, Serendipity, Specialisation, Starting Up, Stress, Stress Management, Succession Planning, Travel, Trust, Women in Business
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What I learned from Ben Trinh (Founder at Life Ready Physio & Pilates) and Demi Markogiannaki (Founder at WeTeachMe)

Camille Monce —  September 12, 2020 — Leave a comment

“I need to create space in my life for self-actualisation, to: (1) reflect; (2) define my core values; and (3) define the boundaries where I play.” – Ben Trinh

“Your values are what you believe about the world. Your values are the boundaries and the ethical convictions that you consider true in your world. They are not going to be true for everyone and don’t expect them to be as such; they are just true for you. These are the lines you won’t cross no matter how big your business gets.” – Ben Trinh

“What are the relationships immediately around you? Who do you bounce off and get energy from? Who do you share your problems with and do they deeply listen? These people are good first employees. They’re good for your first five employees because these people are the early doctors in your business. Our bookkeeper is a great example. When she came in through our doors she had never been a bookkeeper; she was a restaurant manager. But she said to me that she connected with our values, and wanted to be our bookkeeper. She was so clear in her vision that we hired her because you can train competencies but you cannot train character. Well.. you can.. it’s just a lot harder.” – Ben Trinh

“You will need hope and vision because you will need both resilience and grit when things get tough. It will give meaning to those moments when you feel like giving up and so I’d encourage you to piece together and deeply understand your vision, your passion, and your strengths. Have a tangible, descriptive picture of what the world looks like when the problem you’re solving is solved. It should be inspiring. It should be something that gets you out of bed every day. This is what will get you through the tough times.” – Ben Trinh

“Your business is your team; your clients; the people you surround with. A person by themselves do not make a business. Create a team around you that is based on your values and principles. When you say thank-you to the members of your team, anchor it in your values.” – Demi Markogiannaki

“Listen. Always listen. Identify what are the actual problems are that people have. Draw on their feedback and create a solution that will solve their issue. When we did that at WeTeachMe, I knew we were on the right path because people were willing to give money for the solution that I created.” – Demi Markogiannaki

“It’s never a good time and it’s never the right time. A lot of people approach me and tell me that they have an idea. Everyone has an idea. However, the person that wins is the person that executes the idea. In contrast, the person who over analyzes will one day turn 50 and they will still be analysing.” – Demi Markogiannaki

“It doesn’t matter how many books you read, or how much you think, or how many notebooks you fill with bullet points about the things you plan to do. The important thing is that you actually do something.” – Demi Markogiannaki

“In business, suffering is actually good. It’s what brings out the gems, it’s what builds character, it’s where you get your learnings, and it’s the way you humble yourself. So, I’d say in addition to hope, it’s about reframing our thinking around suffering.” – Ben Trinh

“I love what Demi said about listening and being an active listener. How can I listen better so that I draw out the key insights? And how do I fail and get through this as fast as I can, so that I can get the learning gems?” – Ben Trinh

“Jess and I were new graduates when we started the business and as new graduates, you know nothing. You have no shame asking for help because you come from a university environment where everyone needs to help each other so we had no shame asking for help and really latching on to feedback. We spent a lot of time reflecting and deepening our sense of self-awareness. You need the humility to be open-minded to other things and you also need to be an action person. It’s all great to be a philosopher and sit there and learn about the world, and how you’re terrible person or how you can be better, but if you don’t make your reflections a a tangibility in your life, then you’re not going be on that journey towards self-actualization.”  – Ben Trinh

With thanks to

Ben Trinh is the founder of Life Ready Physio & Pilates. Fresh out of university, Ben realised there was a fundamental problem in the physiotherapist’s business model. His solution has grown to 30 locations and over 300 employees in less than a decade.

Demi Markogiannaki is one of the founders of WeTeachMe. Demi worked with her co-founders to create a solution to help teachers find their students – but that wasn’t the solution they were looking for. After listening to their customers, WeTeachMe grew to become the go-to marketplace offering hundreds of classes to thousands of students.

About Masters Series by WeTeachMe

Masters Series is a show about inspiring entrepreneurs, creative thinkers, and visionary dreamers, and the stories behind how they built their companies.

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Question of the day

What was your favourite quote or lesson from this episode? Please let me know in the comments.

In Active Listening, Advice, Character, Energy, Execution, Growth, Hope, Motivation, Relationships, Self-Actualisation, Self-Awareness, Values, Visioning, What I Learned From.., Women in Business
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