Successful Entrepreneurs INSPIRE Others!

I am inspired when I witness other people's greatness! Many times in life, we do not realize how much inspiration we can be to other people, some that we do not even know, simply by living into our own potential.

There is a business in my area that is extremely successful. For the purpose of this article, I am simply going to name the business owner "Joe" (which is not his real name) Joe has recently expanded and added a new line of product. Seems like a normal business activity, right? Here is the amazing part. The product line that Joe has recently added, is something that is experiencing very bad press currently. Joe, not only added the product line, he built a new facility to store the product, hired new staff and is moving forward with his goal, despite the naysayers and bad press. He is one of the most successful business owners in the area, and is focused on achieving a huge increase in his business, despite outside circumstances.

This comes at a time, when other business owners that are carrying the same product, are cutting back and playing it safe. They are unsure of the outcome, so they are doing what many in life are conditioned to do - buy into fear.

Joe is a big thinker. Joe has a goal. He is moving forward 100% full steam ahead with his goal, despite what may be perceived to be happening around him. He has blinders on, and is only focused on where he is "going". He has customers lining up, he has a full staff of employees that are moving forward with him. He is successful. Joe is an example that inspires others!

Joe doesn't know me. He is not attempting to inspire me. I have never even spoken to him, and don't know what he looks like. Yesterday, I was at Joe's business facility, and because of his incredible vision, tenacity, and focus, I witnessed a busy, thriving business. You would never know there was any challenge to overcome, because Joe is only focused on the outcome, focused on where he is going.

This was a great reminder to me that successful entrepreneurs do not get sidetracked. They decide what they want, and then play full out. They are not sitting on the "sidelines", waiting for this or that to happen so that they can be successful. They do not let challenges get in the way of their dreams. They decide what needs to be done, and then simply do it. They don't buy into excuses. They move forward and find, create or invent new ways of creating the end result they want, despite any challenge that may come up.

In Your Service

Debbie Ruston
1-800-576-2917 or
1-519-342-4050

Does Tenacity Play a Role In Being A Successful Entrepreneur?

One of the most important qualities anyone can master in life is tenacity! It does not just apply to being a successful entrepreneur. This quality is something that serves us in every aspect of life.

Time and time again, I have pulled this quality from my "entrepreneurs toolbox" to assist me in getting the type of result I am looking for. This does not just apply to business.

This is one of the basic principles of success that a lot of people miss. Society is conditioned to "give it a try" and buy into the excuse "at least you tried your best", when something does not work out. Giving "per mission" that it is ok to give up, as long as you "tried". This is one reason so many people live a life of mediocrity, never living into the potential they have, and just going through life, "accepting" whatever life/bosses/friends/family/government/media/circumstance throws at them. This is why people "settle".

It amazes me how often I see people "give up" on something they say they wanted. This applies to every aspect of life - fitness goals, personal goals, business goals, etc. Someone joins the gym in Jan., saying they are determined to get in shape. By Feb., they are not going to the gym any more - it's too hard, they are too busy, the classes don't work out for them. Excuses!

Then there are the excuses people make for not reaching their business or personal goals. They all boil down to the same thing - society is so conditioned to give up at the first sign of challenge. And because this has been part of the social conditioning for most of our lives, it seems to be accepted because "everyone" else they know believes this to be true as well. This should be a red flag - if everyone you know believes it is ok to give up on something you say you wanted - you are not networking or associating with the right people if you want to take your life to a different level.

Here are a couple of personal examples:

A year ago my daughter graduated as a web designed/graphic designer. She applied for some jobs in her field. There was one job that she particularly wanted - working for a very large, reputable, successful company. She went for the interview - was told they would get back to her. After about a week or so, she hadn't heard anything - she called me and asked what I thought and I advised her to call them to see if they had made a decision. They were very surprised that she called and that she was indeed still interested! She got the job and 1 year later is absolutely loving her work. It was her tenacity that got her the job. Her willingness to step outside of her comfort zone and make a call, and not wait for it to fall into her lap.

Our son has recently started working in the auto industry as a salesman. He is working for one of the most professional and successful dealerships in our area. One of the things in his personal life he is committed to is physical fitness - he goes to the gym 6 days/wk and is totally committed to his physical health/development. He typically goes to the gym after work. There have been some days that his schedule was changed at the last minute. He did not miss a beat. He simply re-arranged his plan, went to the gym on his break, and went back to work to finish his shift. He is tenacious in his commitment to himself. He will not let anything sidetrack him from his business goals or his personal goals outside of his work.

The other day I had one of those little business challenges that stop many individuals. I required some assistance with some technical issues, that was stopping me from conducting my business, and was dealing with a customer service rep. This rep would not assist me in getting the result I required to conduct my business. "It was out of her control" I asked to speak to her supervisor for assistance - I was informed her supervisor could not assist me either. Now to some people, this would be a stopping point. They would throw up their hands in frustration and give up. Their business would either be put on hold or they would simply give up and pack it in. I simply ended the conversation with this rep, called back into customer service, got a different rep who totally and happily solved my technical issue. I could have been frustrated, I could have given up, I could have used this as an excuse on why I couldn't run my business or have success that day. That is the way most of society handles these type of things. But like any successful entrepreneur I have tenacity - I do not let roadblocks get in my way! There is always a way around things. You must be solution oriented. You must not buy into excuses. You must be committed to yourself and your goals and be willing to do whatever it takes, for as long as it takes.

Successful Entrepreneurs understand this success principle very well. However, this principle does not just apply to entrepreneurship - Tenacity is a success principle that every single individual can implement into their lives to start living the life they truly deserve and want to be living!

In Your Service,

Debbie Ruston
1-800-576-2917 or
1-519-342-4050

Why Would Anyone Want To Step Outside of Their Comfort Zone?

Successful Entrepreneurs understand the importance of continually stepping outside their comfort zone.

Why is this important? Let's first take a look at what occurs within the comfort zone.


Within The Comfort Zone:
-There is No Challenge
-It is Easy
-It is Comfortable
-There is no personal growth
-Everything stays the same - nothing changes
-Live a Life of Mediocrity
-Boredom
-Depression
-Low Self Worth/Self Esteem/Confidence

If this is what an individual wants from their life, then the comfort zone is the place to be. If however, one wants to have a different/better experience at anything, it is important to take that step outside of the comfort zone.

What Occurs Outside of The Comfort Zone:
-New Experiences
-Personal Growth
-Adrenaline Rush
-New Opportunity
-Better Results
-Improved Self Worth/Self Confidence/Self Esteem
-Excitement/Fun
-Happiness
-Develop Leadership
-Diminish Fears

I have been on both sides of the fence. I have had times I stayed within the comfort of my own comfort zone. I have had more times though outside of my comfort zone, and that has given me so much more fulfillment. This realization is only something you know when you experience it and it applies to every area of our lives.

I have had times when I did not prioritize my own physical fitness. I did not go to the gym, I ate what I wanted and did not exercise. How did that play out? I could feel myself actually aging....aches, pains, gaining weight, not feeling good in my clothes, lack of energy - and this was all in my younger years! Just before my birthday of the start of the 2nd half of my life (50) I decided to join the gym. Having spent the first 49 years not prioritizing my own fitness, this was a big step out of my fitness comfort zone. It takes effort to go to the gym 6 times/week. It takes a change in thinking, a change in priorities, a change in focus and in personal fitness goals. What are the benefits...why would someone actually choose after 49 years of doing something the same way, to take a dramatic turn like this? Looking back 1 year later, I have lost 20 lbs, have zero aches or pains, have built strength I never realized I was capable of, I have built my confidence in an area that I didn't even realize was lacking, and have more energy and feel better and healthier than I ever have in my entire life. I honestly wonder why I waited so long to take control in this area of my life. I look back and know that I simply made a conscious choice to take that step outside of my fitness comfort zone.

This same concept of stepping outside of our comfort zone applies, of course, to our career or our business life as well. I think back 25 years ago when I first became an entrepreneur. I was extremely shy and part of my role in the business I started was to do presentations in front of small groups of 5-10 people. The first one was dreadful, I looked at the floor the whole presentation. I didn't have the confidence to look up and make eye contact with anyone. But I kept at it, and eventually I got very good at it. Then about a year later I was asked to speak to a group of about 500 people to train on what I had learned in my business. I will never forget how scared I was. I literally thought I was going to throw up and just felt like crying. But I took a deep breath and did it anyway. What really amazed me was the fact that I felt the fear tremendously before the event (for months). I felt the fear tremendously when I got on stage - but after about only 2 minutes on stage I started to relax and it wasn't nearly as bad as I had built up in my mind. That is when I learned for the first time that fear is simply False Expectation Appearing Real.

After this experience, I learned that I could face fear and get through it, and was determined to learn how to get better at pushing through fears. So in this particular area - speaking - I started reading books, going to seminars, learning techniques and teaching myself how to get more comfortable at speaking. Here I am almost 25 years later and I spend a lot of time speaking and doing trainings. There are still times when those little butterfly's go through my stomach, but I know that they disappear very quickly, and that it is just my imagination that is causing them, and I know that I feel SO much better when I push myself. Who wants to stay a shy wallflower and be uncomfortable their whole life? I could have done that, very easily because that was my personality 25 yrs ago. But looking back I am so grateful that I took that first step outside of my comfort zone. It was the starting point to allowing me to spend the last 25 years in a state of adventure, personal growth, success, fun, happiness, self fulfillment, and confidence. I have learned that these steps I have taken, are not just for me - when we learn something new, or get better at anything, then we get the benefit of that, but so do other people in our lives. Our children, our partners, our family/friends, and people that we come into contact with through our life in business and socially. It is a ripple effect and sometimes we are not even aware how something we do, that we strive for, opens the door for so many other people.

Here's a little exercise I learned many years ago about the comfort zone. Draw a circle. That is your current comfort zone. Now, put an X outside of the circle. Draw a new circle around the 1st circle making sure the X is within that new circle. The X represents the step you take outside of your comfort zone. The beautiful thing is, that when you take that step, you have just made your circle bigger, ie - your comfort zone has expanded. You can't go back, you can only go forward. Think of it like this - if you speak English only and you learn a new language - you can't go back to only knowing English - you now know two languages. You have learned. You have grown. You have expanded. You know how to speak a new language and can also teach someone else how to say words in that language. It is not just for you. You may have done it initially for your own benefit, but once you get there, you can now share that with other people.

When you understand the concept of the comfort zone, you also understand that it applies to every area of our lives. This is where the excitement in life is - outside of our comfort zone! We can't learn a concept, and not have it affect every area of our lives. That is what personal growth is all about.

In your Service

Debbie Ruston
1-800-576-2917 or
1-519-342-4050