The title of this blog is similar to something from the beginning of quite a laid-back lecture on the second day of the Web Summit, the largest business conference in the world. As for the content … well, let me start at the beginning. I came to the lecture with certain expectations, but during the lecture there was a moment when I thought I might have been mistaken, but in the end, I found out that that the top sports woman, UFC Champion Paige VanZent, ​​provided some incredible insights that can benefit every entrepreneur.

Članek je na voljo tudi v slovenščini TUKAJ.

An entrepreneur is like an athlete, competing against others. They have to be well aware of their competition if they want to be better, and they have to be ready to fight and — win.

Athletes have a strategy and an action plan, but entrepreneurs …

“When I go to battle, I do not think, I just punch. My movement of my muscles has been memorized through countless repetitions, so I can react instinctively. How I overcome my opponent is the result of study and strategic planning,” says Paige VanZent.

How can we use all of this in business? Simple. The opponent, in fact the competition, needs to be analyzed well; a strategy needs to be made in order to defeat it, and then this strategy needs to be repeated again and again — so as to implement a plan of action. In this way, nothing can surprise us, not even in the most stressful of situations. The things which will be like a natural reaction are those that have been well practiced. Therefore, a successful entrepreneur must also have a strategy and a plan of action.

When you’re on the ground …

“You pick yourself up and keep on fighting. You keep trying and trying … and in the end you will succeed. “You cannot quit. If you know that that’s it, look for solutions to get to the finish line. Even when you find the right solution, it does not necessarily mean that it is the only one, but use it, and at the same time keep your eyes open. There will be more about this in entrepreneurial blog number 4.

So, when Paige is pushed to the ground in a fight, she picks herself up, just as the entrepreneur needs to pick himself up when he falls, so he can become stronger and keep moving forward.

I study my opponents …

… says Paige and adds that, when she studies them, she adapts to their movements and looks for ways to be better than them, and ways on how to overcome them. It’s the same with entrepreneurs and competition. We need to know the competition well and when we get to know them well, we have to find their weak points and the way to be better than them — the best in their business. Would you rather be number 1, or number 2?

Processes, rituals, schedule

“A timetable is very important in my life, I have processes, rituals. Every day of the week may be different, and every day there is a lot going on, so it’s important that I know which exercises I will be doing and when I’ll be doing them,” says the champion.

It’s also true for entrepreneurs — champions have well-established processes and schedules that enable them to be focused on their work and at the same time make them more successful in it. Imagine a day in the life of an entrepreneur who has a huge number of meetings but doesn’t use any kind of scheduling. Some people would go crazy in such a situation — and probably not just the entrepreneur, but his clients also.

Social networks are important for building a brand

“Social networks are very important. If you want to build a brand, it’s not enough to be just good at what you do. You have to build a community within your own success, which has brought me more financial reward than just the fighting,” says Paige VanZent. In reality, she has higher revenues with her engagements on social networks than she gets from the fights themselves. Why? A trademark is created among people and today, people are on social networks. Of course, we need to set some rules, including processes in the field of social networking. Paige, for example, decided that this would be her “other service”, and that she would control her profiles and publish and promote only what she really likes. Even in partnership with brands that want to promote something through her, she promotes only what she honestly supports. “Social networks for me are no longer just fun, I have created a community that appreciates who I am and this is reflected through their messages.”

If someone does not like us …

You are never going to be liked by everyone, not personally and not your products or services. It is the same with top athletes, and especially so in fights, when people decide to support one, and resort to, for example, insulting the other. “It’s sometimes horrible when I get hate messages, but in that moment, I have to remember why I’m doing it. I started using social networks to inspire people, to brighten their days, to give them something more, and that motivates me.” She also acknowledges that it is difficult to read such negative comments, and not be sad, but those who send messages of support, outweigh the bad. “Everyone who tries to undermine you is already beneath you. No successful man will humiliate you,” adds Paige VanZent.

Who can co-decide?

Those who care about you and your business! Every time Paige she gets an offer for a new fight, she asks her father, former wrestling champion, and her husband, who also deals in martial arts, for their opinion. Why them? If I have a chance to win, I ask the two of them, because they care about me and I know I can trust them with my life. If they say I have a chance, I go for it. And, it’s like that in business — don’t ask just anyone; ask the person who knows what he is talking about, who cares about your business, and who honestly wants to help you.

Entrepreneurship is a life-choice, it’s not just a job you go to or 8 hours a day, it’s a way of living and that’s why we can draw parallels in values and everyday details.

Mateja Kegel Kozlevčar, 3Gloco COO

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