The Unexpected Entrepreneurship Lessons I Learned from Steven Bartlett
A Journey Beyond Success: Unveiling the Deeper Lessons from Steven Bartlett’s Story
Steven Bartlett has the picture — perfect rags to riches story. The ‘Hero’s journey’ from dropping out of University just after one lecture to making millions by the age of 23.
For many, this seems like a dream come true, however Steven never glorified his rags to riches story. In fact, he saw it as overrated, leaving him feeling empty.
Unplug Yourself from Chasing the ‘Rich Instagram Life’
Ask yourself: What if you are already enough?
The best journeys are ones you never arrive at. What this means is that it’s best to chase an outcome that you will never reach. Instead of saying my goal is to become a millionaire by the age of 25. Change it to something such as my goal is to understand the whole of the universe. I am never going to actually achieve this, yet I will be fulfilled in trying to accomplish this.
Framing a goal so that it seems like there is something missing in your life, until you accomplish the goal is a one way ticket to being miserable.
How do marketers convince you to buy something, by expressing the thing they want you to buy, is going to fill something you don’t have. We have been programmed to believe that we can’t be content until we have everything. I agree with the idea of always trying to make improvements in your life, yet there’s a good chance that there is nothing terrible with who you are right now.
Steven tells the story during the week when someone offered him £25 million to buy his company. He began to search all the mansions & supercars that he could buy. That's amazing right — well to Steven all he could feel was a deep void. Steven described this moment in his life as if he was trading his purpose for materialistic items. The real value came in the intangible concept of being fulfilled & working on his purpose. Not the luxuries!
Focus on Proving Yourself Right
Steven believes directing your actions in pursuit of proving others wrong is illogical. Okay, let’s propose the outcomes in your life disprove what people have said.
For example, your teachers said you weren’t going to accomplish anything in your life, so you start a multi — million dollar company. Amazing!
The value you provide lies in all the people who benefit from your company, not because your teacher was wrong. You shouldn’t let the opinion of others be responsible for your creations in life. What you create should reflect your purpose and your service to others.
I have noticed most people can’t comprehend certain visions of the future. Majority of the population prefer things that seem familiar and less risky to them. This means it’s normal to have people doubt you, your job should be to find the minority of people that believe in your vision.
Funny enough as Steven became the youngest dragon on Dragon’s Den. The UK version of ‘Shark Tank’.
There was an episode during 2007, where Co-founders Shane Lake and Tony Charles pitched their ‘Online Food Ordering App’ Hungryhouse.
They failed to convince the dragons on their potential upside apart from James Caan and Duncan Bannatyne, who eventually dropped out of their deals after the show.
“I don’t think you go on to a website and think “What do I want to eat tonight?” I just don’t think that’s people’s thought process.” — Deborah Meaden
Well Deborah was painfully incorrect about this, as many of you reading know how trivial it is to order food online on Uber or Doordash. Just Eat acquired Hungryhouse for £200 million back in 2016, meaning the dragons missed out on a very lucrative deal.
I believe the lesson here is simple, even the most experienced individuals can be wrong. It illustrates the importance of believing you can actually bring your vision to life, and working relentlessly towards it.
Find out more about this story:
Do Not Be Afraid to Be Vulnerable
Every time you hear Steven speak, you get the feeling that he’s not afraid to express his insecurities & be authentic with his opinions. Many entrepreneurs communicate as if their personality has been sucked out of them. They fail to connect with everyday people.
On the other hand, the refreshing thing about Steven is that he can deeply connect with his audience. On his podcast: The Diary of a CEO, he knows how to extract the authenticity from all his guests.
What to take from this is that if you own your true self and are comfortable with who that person is, people will feel this. They will also begin to share their true self.
Business is truly a game of relationships. Opportunities emerge from people, and you cannot afford to miss these. You have to connect with people and do it authentically. People can spot inauthenticity from a mile away.
The best yet simplest advice I ever received:
Be a good human
Conclusion
You don’t need the perfect rags to riches story, and it’s okay if you do have a story like Steven’s.
What truly matters is:
- Do you understand yourself?
- Are you comfortable with this?
Share any unexpected advice you have received that proved useful!
