My
entrepreneurial journey began in 2007. It didn’t take long for me to recognize
that my success or not would be dependent on my mind-set and perspective on
life in general. It became clear to me that in order to get ahead I would have
to be resolute in my mind that there is no limit; not even the sky. If I saw
the sky as a limit, then my natural lazy mind would kick in and believe that
once I reached a certain level, then I would have reached my summit. I wasn’t
going to do that to myself. I knew there was no limit and that kept me going on
and on and on.
I
have come to terms with the fact that as a young person I am not the future of
this world; I am part of the now, the present; the one to make a difference. I
am, in fact, the change that I seek.
A
positive approach to life despite not having the colour of connection, a rich
spouse or influential friends made a world of difference in building the Patwa
brand and later 10 Fyah Side. It wasn’t
always easy to think positive though. Negative thoughts seemed to appear
without any effort. I had to train my mind to replace negative thoughts with ones
that are aligned to success.
When I made the decision to quit working
for other people a few years ago, writing was primary amongst the list of
reasons. I wanted to share my experiences with others. If I can help at least
one person as I live my life’s purpose of “transformation
through inspiration,” then part of my mission would have been accomplished.
The message I want to drive home by the
time you reach the end of this book, is that we all have God-given talents and
abilities; all are placed on this earth for a reason. So then, let us take the
steps that are necessary on a daily basis to be one step closer to our dreams.
In
the same way I know that greatness lies within me and that I am unstoppable, I
know it is true for everyone who believes.
This is why I am more than proud to be part of the Governor General’s I
Believe Initiative (IBI). At his inauguration as Governor-General in February
2009, His Excellency the Most Honourable Sir Patrick Allen declared: “there is
nothing wrong with Jamaica that cannot be fixed by what is right with Jamaica”,
giving birth to the IBI. This message is
in no way limited to this beautiful land of wood and water, but certainly
extends to the entire globe.
There
is so much positivity, potential and purpose in all of us; if only we would induce
labour and give birth to them. I believe, therefore I promise. Do you?
Along
my entrepreneurial journey I have identified several keys to my success over a
relatively short space of time. Talking with other successful people has
revealed that these attributes are in no way limited to me. Whosoever will may
come and be part of the movement. I will share fifteen (15) of these along with
some personal anecdotes to illustrate these pointers.
‘Section
One’ explores:
1.
Finding Your Purpose
2.
Defining Success
3.
Evicting Fear
4.
Preparation, Preparation, Preparation
5.
Perspective
6.
Perseverance
7.
Getting & Staying Motivated
8.
Being a River not a Reservoir
9.
Reliability
‘Section Two’ examines more conventional
business subject matters as follow:
10. Customer
Service
11. Marketing
12. Financials
13. Intellectual
Property
14. Negotiation
15. Planning
Being
an entrepreneur has as much to do with attitude as it does supply and demand.
In order to be successful at this challenging yet rewarding endeavour, we must
make every effort to work at becoming our best selves. While this may sound
easy to do, it does take continuous effort. We have to work constantly at being
better men and women of this wonderful world.
The
things we do are merely the tip of the iceberg. They are driven by what we
cannot see. Our desire for love, security, significance, growth and connection
are the main drivers. Different individuals are driven by different needs or a
different set of needs in varying degrees. What we believe is impacted by the
values and morals we embrace. Our interpretation of what is happening at the moment
creates a platform for these values. You see, we can only achieve what we
believe and what we believe has much to do with our experiences and encounters,
events, education and our environments. These factors play significant roles in
defining our thought processes and by extension, our accomplishments in our
field of choice. Let’s examine some of these internal aspects and their
connection to our growth.
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