Day 42: I’m winning as an Entrepreneur thanks to NARCOS
— 10 Entrepreneurial lessons —
Yes. I am Colombian.
For years I tried to tell the world I was French.
Yes. I have a French Passport… I also have an Australian one. But when I smash little toe against the foot of the bed… I scream in Spanish. (In fact, i scream hijueputa → the best way to describe pain — trust me)
I drive in Spanish.
I fight in Spanish
I love in Spanish
I sell in Spanish.
But more than “in Spanish” I do things in Colombian… and not the Colombia you think of Shakira, or the modern Colombia…. my Colombia is the messy one, the one that “used to be” the one of Narcos.
So you can understand this article. let me put things in perspective.
I was born in 1977 → a very long time ago
When I was a young boy… Narcos Season 1 happen.
When I became a teen… Narcos 2 happened…
and in case you wonder… when Narcos 3 happened (the next Season) I was I was in the army fighting against … you guessed it: NARCOS.
But the story behind Narcos made me an entrepreneur before I even knew I was going to be one.
Sorry no Netflix. This is the real deal.
Here are the 7 points why I’m winning based on the simple fact of Being Colombian.
1. NOBODY LOVES YOU IT’S BETTER THAN EVERYONE LOVES YOU
I grew up with a mother that told me — over and over… “YOU NEED TO LEARN ENGLISH!!!” — — because nobody wants to learn Spanish.
Now Spanish it’s a cool language… in the 80’s … not too much.
When nobody loves you… when you are the little ugly duckling … you can only go up.
Being the pretty one in the Party it’s always more difficult to keep. Be the underdog, it’s more difficult for them to see you climbing up.
2. ORIGINALITY COMES FROM CHAOS
The best art, music, novels have come from Chaos… from a bit of insanity, from a bit of NEED to do something different. I grew up in a country technically in Civil War… thinking different not only became the best way to survive but the only way to guarantee you will not become the next “sad” story in the newspaper.
As an entrepreneur, we need to launch ourselves into chaos, into messy environments, stop playing safe… do stuff that scares…. remember.
If you are under control you are not going fast enough.
3. BE HAPPY
Colombians we are happy people. We are passionate. We do things because they bring us joy.
I find so many entrepreneurs that are miserable of being … entrepreneurs.
So if you hate it so much… don’t do it.
Being happy, and enjoying life it’s for sure an asset we need to harvest more often in the entrepreneurial world.
4. BE HUMBLE. THE WORLD IS NOT SILICON VALLEY BABY
Entrepreneurs that lose their sense of reality will lose the game. Yes, stop talking about ROI, KPI, ENGAGEMENT. AUDIENCE and talk about humility, humanity, values, and humans.
The world is not your startup. The world is not your business. You are in this world for a lot more than making a profit.
Don’t forget: you need the world more than the world needs you.
5. STREETSMART > HARVARD
If you spent thousands on your HARVARD …. good for you, but I will hire the best car salesman EVERY DAY over you
The street smart entrepreneur will survive a Zombie Invasion… the Harvard guy will be one of the first ones to die.
Learn to survive the REAL WORLD vs the “entrepreneurial world” .. if you can’t survive in the real world, how do you think your startup can make a difference in “this world” ?
6. STOP CRYING. JUST DO THE WORK
Once again the lack of connection with the real world pushes many entrepreneurs to live in a world of triggers, political correctness, and feelings.
Entrepreneurs are now softer than ever.
We cry because we get trolled online and we can’t wait to call someone a bully or to become the next keyword warrior… but in reality, we cry about out own crisis from a Mac Book Pro… while checking our Instagram Feed from our iPhone.
Time to wake. There are real dramas in the world.
Nobody cares if you fail.
7. LEARN TO WORK WITH LIERS — EMBRACE HUMAN NATURE
Everyone lies in business, you realize that quickly or you are stupid enough that you think your friends and businesses partners haven’t lied to you in the past.
Lies are like Nitrogen when you scuba dive… you can’t avoid it. But you can manage it, you can master it. Learning about human nature it’s more important that learning about accounting.
8. BE McGIVER or at least TRY
I can’t remember how many times I got robed in Bogota… and how many times I found myself in a dodgy bar, ready to be stabbed or robbed… but at the end day, we always found a way to return home.
We call it Malicia Indigena… and although I struggle to translate the expression, I think I can define it as “The ninja-smart mentality of being local”.
In other words… don’t behave like a tourist. Be smart. Do things differently. Save the day.
9. TRY UNTIL THE OTHERS QUIT
We try harder because we know it’s not easy.
As a Colombian nothing it’s easy…
Just try to enter a foreign country with Colombian Passport… or try to survive years and years listening to the same the same stupid jokes about Pablo Escobar that every single “not Colombian” tells you OVER AND OVER.
That’s why we work harder… because it’s easy to listen to the jokes when you are the boss and not the employee… ;)
We want to be your boss and we are willing to outwork you.
10. DREAM HARDER
Yes. Colombians dream harder… because if Dreaming was a sport we would be Olympic champions. Colombians, we let our heart push our drive, we let our passion tell the world how amazing we are and we don’t let anyone stop us…
Don’t believe me?
Haven’t you seen NARCOS?
— — — — — — — —
Day #42 Stats Goanna Social
Day #42 Hours worked: 12 (back to work)
Overal Hours worked: 256
Original Funds: $13.500 AUD
Overall Invoiced : $41.000 +
Clients Pending : 4
Phone calls: 0
Emails sent: 22
FB / Lead generation interaction: 15
Active Leads: 5
Feeling: Tired
48 days to go
