I was thinking the other day about some of the conversations I’ve had with business owners who have been profiled in Cleaner the last few months.
No matter how much time I spend talking with a potential profile candidate, I always learn so much more about them when I dive into the finished stories our writers deliver to me a few weeks later.
A few companies stood out to me as I started reviewing the 2021 issues, and I realized all those business owners shared a few things in common that made me remember them.
These owners all put in several years working for other people: learning how to do business the right way (or learning from other’s mistakes), honing their craft, and building a solid foundation of knowledge in order to eventually strike out on their own. Not everyone dreams of owning their own business but it seems that for many of these entrepreneurs, when the passion is there, they end up wanting to do things their own way.
These were also relatively newer businesses, on average about three to five years old, but they were growing, hiring and adding services, and they make it a priority to keep learning in order to do all of them well. Another common thread was putting an emphasis on treating their customers right. And they’re already enough of a success that others in the industry are shouting them out and introducing them to me.
The last thing all these owners have in common is big goals. Some of them are huge, really — an office in every state, a nationwide franchise system, world domination, you name it. And they aren’t afraid to talk about those goals publicly. They have the confidence to chase those dreams because they have confidence in themselves and their abilities, and they are willing to put in the work. They’re already taking steps to achieve those goals.
Entrepreneurship will bleed into every area of your life. But to build a successful company and see those dreams come true, you need to embrace that. “It is a lifestyle, not a career,” says Diego Lujan, featured in this month’s profile of Alphalete. “We are only going to live once, so we should give it all we’ve got.”
Your plans for the future don’t have to include world domination, or even multiple locations. A “big dream” is different for everyone. But what these business owners should make you realize is that you should go after that dream, whatever it is you want for your company, and commit to it wholeheartedly.
I want to tell more of these stories. They inspire me, and hopefully they inspire you too.
I hope you enjoy this month’s issue.
