The Unconventional Entrepreneur

What is character? We will be working off the following definition: "strong character is to have a moral imperative underwrite your actions."

In this short lecture I will ask you the same question that was asked to a class of business ethics students. If we really want to impact our place of business, than character has to become a part of our conversations.

Instead of me providing a case study for you, I wanted to take the opportunity to hear from you! Use the link in the resource section to submit this assignment.

After viewing the lecture take a few minutes to read the IBJ article that is attached. Afterward, you can move forward with reading and completing the attached worksheet.

In this lecture I offer my personal strategy for improving my character over time. I encourage you to experiment and see what works for you.

Making a conscious effort to improve yourself is not easy, but it is worth it. Take the challenge and see how your character can help you both in business and in life.

People want to know who they are doing business with. This short introduction will set the pace for why transparency as an entrepreneur matters.

Shay is one of the best success stories for how transparency can truly set you apart in your domain. I have also attached a link to his YouTube page if you would like to learn more about him afterwards.

Pat Flynn is an icon of the internet-entrepreneur world and he has had a tremendous amount of influence on my story as well.

1. Keep in mind you are there for them.
2. Transparency is never 100%.
3. Play the long game.

In this lecture we briefly go over the different mediums an entrepreneur can use to deliver their story. Use the attached worksheet to carve your unique story into a great resource you can use to connect with your customers.

The heart of transparency is showing others that you are human too. Congratulations on finishing another section!

Entrepreneurs have a unique opportunity this age to really see their impact on a global scale. This section covers how to use that power for good and for unusual ways of growing one's reach.

Sevenly is one of my favorite companies. It has a truly inspiring mission and a strategy that many other companies have begun to use as well.

1. Tax deductible gifts.
2. Increase employee morale.
3. Earn goodwill within the community.
4. Receive positive attention.
5. Make a difference.

This lecture will go over a few tips to help you pick a great partner, one that aligns with both your personal and professional goals. The attached pdf contains a detailed overview of the points covered.

Being able to give back is one of the most rewarding aspects of becoming an entrepreneur. I hope you'll take these lessons to heart.

This last section is the most critical because none of the other strategies will work if you are not dedicated to persistence.

Grant's story does an excellent job of capturing the heart of what it means to persist. You can follow along with the story I read below.

For nearly a year with next to no luck, General Ulysses S. Grant tried to crack the defenses of Vicksburg, a city perched high on the cliffs of the Mississippi critical to the Confederacy’s stranglehold on the most important river in the United States. He tried attacking head-on. He tried to go around. He spent months digging a new canal that would change the course of the river. He blew the levees upstream and literally tried to float boats down into the city over flooded land.

None of this worked. All the while, the newspapers chattered. Months had gone by without progress. President Abraham Lincoln had sent a replacement, and the man was waiting in the wings. But Grant refused to be rattled, refused to rush or cease working on this strategy. He knew there was a weak spot somewhere. He would find it or he would make one.

Grant’s next move ran contrary to most conventional military theory. He decided to run his boats past the gun batteries guarding the river -- a considerable risk, because once down, they could not easily reverse direction. Despite an unprecedented nighttime firefight, nearly all the boats made the run unharmed. A few days later, Grant crossed the river about 30 miles downstream at the appropriately named Hard Times, La.

His plan was bold: Leaving most supplies behind, his troops lived off the land and made their way through the state, taking town after town, including Jackson, the capital, along the way. By the time Grant laid siege to Vicksburg, the message to his men and his enemies was clear: He would never give up. The defenses eventually cracked. Grant became unstoppable. His victory wasn’t pretty, but it was almost inexorable.

It's a simple concept to learn but takes an enormous amount of work and dedication to apply.

1. Develop your creativity.
2. Find a passionate reason to continue.
3. Become deaf to doubt.
4. Find your unity of purpose.

Persistence is a rare quality, but one that I believe is necessary for success. These strategies will help you apply it to your own life and business.
And by making it this far you have already proven that you take persistence seriously!

Congratulations on your successful completion of this course!