Last month we had the pleasure of hosting Dr Sam Hazledine at a special Rotorua X event. Sam is a leading entrepreneur in NZ and is considered one of the brightest young minds in the country. He frankly shared his journey and learnings and was truly inspirational.
Anyone who has organised an event of this size can appreciate the effort it takes for it to go smoothly. Rotorua X trustees dedicated the time to make this event happen as we are incredibly passionate about inspiring business in Rotorua.
We want to foster a culture of entrepreneurship and have more people take the scary, exhilarating ride of owning a business.
We need role models to look up to and the opportunity to ask questions and learn from those who are successfully forging a future for their own business.
More than 100 business owners and professionals heard the secret of Sam’s success. And fundamentally, as Sam emphasised many times during the evening, it’s not rocket science.
In his word’s “get hungry”. You can’t just be interested in your business idea. The results are worlds apart for those business owners who are merely curious and dip their toes in the water, to those who fully commit and jump in feet first.
The key to becoming hungry is truly understand what is important to you. Stop setting goals and ask the question “What excites me”. When you fully appreciate and understand why it’s critical to you, you will be more committed and set yourself up for success.
Sam had many points that resonated with the audience, it’s hard to sum it up in this column. Another key takeout was the entrepreneurial path is not easy.
Accept that it’s going to be hard, and don’t fight it. When it gets hard, roll your sleeves up and do it hard. Don’t waste your energy fighting against the hard, just do it. Eventually, it will get easier.
Sam likened the experience to climbing a mountain and the many “false peaks” you will encounter along the way. You just have to keep going until you get to the summit.
Make sure you appreciate where you are now and what you have achieved while still being hungry for more. Burnout is a real risk for entrepreneurs and Sam stressed that it is critical to success to take time out and do things you enjoy.
Author: Darren McGarvie is the Chairman of the Rotorua X Charitable Trust and Director of the Firestation, Rotorua’s only business growth centre.