I recently returned from attending the Real Talk Summit in Vancouver and I must say, it was an unforgettable weekend. One for the ages really.
Filled with meeting old friends and new friends while enjoying the beautiful city of Vancouver. The best part of the whole trip was just sitting in that room with 1300 other strangers listening to stories and advice from some of the top entrepreneurs of our time.
Whenever you can immerse yourself in a situation that empowers you like the Real Talk Summit did, it breathes new life into you. It shows you a new path to embark on in your life or business and makes you realize that everyone has to start somewhere.
What I find funny about listening to others talk about famous entrepreneurs of our time like Gary Vaynerchuk, who happened to be the keynote speaker at the Real Talk Summit, is that people put him up on this high pedestal that makes him sound unreachable.
Don’t get me wrong, he’s a top performing entrepreneur that is running multiple businesses at once which at times makes him seem superhuman, but one thing you need to remember is that every person on this planet had to start somewhere. Success doesn’t happen overnight so stop believing it does. Vaynerchuk preaches this in lots of the content he puts out online.
If you want something bad enough and you work tireless at it, you can become the best. It may sound simple, but it’s far from simple because being successful is tough and takes work. But if you want it bad enough it’s inevitable.
To arm with you some ammunition to set you up for success I wanted to provide you with some takeaways from the summit that are all somewhat related.
1. Hire & Partner with The Right People
This is arguably one of the most important things for a business to succeed. Having the right personnel and surrounding yourself with people with skills that complement yours is so important.
Every business icon or championship winning sports team attributes having a solid team and support staff as a prime reason for their success. This is no different than what was talked about during the summit as well.
My favorite panel of the day was based around “solo entrepreneurship” and it’s funny because the panel wasn’t actually about being a solo entrepreneur. It was around the topic of being able to surround yourself with the proper team and personnel to get you to your goal. Basically the opposite of what I thought it would be.
Too many entrepreneurs believe they need to run their business by doing every job and task within the organization. This couldn’t be farther from the truth because as a leader you need to find others that will complement your skillset and apply their skills in areas you’re so-so at. This way you can focus on what you are really good at.
These principles were echoed throughout the panel which consisted of Brian Scudamore, Founder & CEO O2E Brands, Greg Smith, Founder & CEO Thinkific, and Jean-Pierre Leblanc, Co-founder & CEO, Saje Natural Wellness.
2. Company Culture
When it comes to building a team and surrounding yourself with the right people in your business it’s important to always keep the company culture in mind. This is such an important piece of the puzzle because if you have a great company culture it means several things, which are usually always positive.
Creating a place that your employees and team members enjoy going to that also gives them the opportunity to thrive is an ingredient for success. It’s quite simple because as humans we put more effort and energy into things that we like. Which is why we play certain sports, take cooking classes, or study a certain subject.
One of the panelists at the summit, Brian Scudamore, Founder of O2E brands announced that he took all of his employees to Hawaii for a weeklong vacation. Now talk about creating a winning company culture where as a team when you crush your goals, you all get to celebrate together. That’s the way it should be because success in business is not a one-man party.
To have a winning company culture you don’t have to get ping pong tables and have millions of dollars to spend on your employees. It can start with something as little as paying attention to your team and getting to know them. Know when their birthday is, sending people home when you know they are having an off day, or as simple as throwing weekly barbecues at your house in the summer.
Build a winning company culture and see your company thrive. Don’t neglect your employees, instead get to know them and provide an environment they can succeed in.
3. Surrounding Yourself with Positive Energy
Of all the amazing entrepreneurs I’ve had the privilege to connect with or interview over the years, one thing rings true for all of them, they choose to spend the majority of their time with people that force them to level up. They have positive uplifting friends they hold close, whether it’s a spouse, family member, or business associate.
What I mean by this is that they are attracted to positive energy people. They all chose to make their circle of friends extremely small as they got older because they wanted to be around people that made them feel good about the path they were pursuing. Going back to my same point earlier about how if you create a company culture people enjoy being in, they will thrive.
Same thing goes for when you surround yourself with positive people. The impossible starts to look possible and your dreams aren’t just dreams anymore, they’re your goals. This is why you need to choose wisely with whom you choose to spend your time with.
You may not have been able to attend the summit but I hope you got something from these takeaways. Apply one or all of them to your business and/or life to take you to that next level.
(If you are interested in watching keynote speaker Gary Vaynerchuk and his talk at the summit, take a watch below. Or if you want to attend the event next year take a peek here)
Enjoy!
[embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=slt64S9Ioh0[/embedyt]
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