You may remember that a few weeks ago, we asked members to contribute to our “Success Starts Here” campaign by letting us know about their own business’s journey to success. One of the things I’ve most enjoyed about the responses is learning more about our members, understanding their motivations and seeing what makes them tick. I’ve enjoyed picking out the many things that bind them, such as their ambition, vision, clarity of thinking and their willingness to take a risk, as well as their huge diversity in terms of what they actually do, how and where they operate and whom they service.
One theme I’ve definitely identified from all the members’ stories I’ve read is that to succeed in running your own business, you really need to love what you do. This is something I’ve also learned myself to be true in my years of running companies. You’ll only succeed if you actually enjoy it.
If you get a real kick out of coming into the office, from opening up your shop, by switching on that laptop, or whenever you pick up that tool to craft your product, whatever it is you do for a living - then you’ll do far better than the next person who dreads their journey into work and watches the clock until it’s time to go home.
Al Lopez, one of the great Major League baseball players and managers, said: “Do what you love to do and give it your very best. Whether it's business or baseball, or the theater, or any field. If you don't love what you're doing and you can't give it your best, get out of it. Life is too short. You'll be an old man before you know it.”
Today’s success story is living proof of this. Matt Collins, one of our members, decided to follow his passion and set up The Samurai Fitness Group to teach martial arts to children. He’s developed a set of core values for the company which are non-negotiable and by following those whilst doing what he loves, the business has thrived. It’s a great lesson and a great story to learn from. Read about Matt’s business in more detail in today’s Bottom Line here.
Of course there are days we are less motivated and less driven, or days when the challenges seem really tough. That’s part of life and it’s inevitable sometimes; how you react to those situations is more important than the situation itself. Having a motivation and a passion for your business though overrides these difficult moments in the grand scheme of things; doing something you love to do, in which you take a pride, is absolutely paramount to building a successful business.
After almost thirty years here at Peninsula, I still look forward to coming to the office every day; I love what Peninsula does, I feel we’ve got great people, a great product that’s always being improved and a dynamic and positive atmosphere to work in. More than anything, I enjoy seeing how we help our members when they’re in difficult situations.
If you’ve got a success story like that of The Samurai Fitness Group, then do drop me an email on peterdone@peninsula-uk.com – we are constantly learning about our members through these stories and experiences and the responses we’re getting show that other members really enjoy these case studies too so please keep them coming.
