The Sunshine Suites’ Vermont Cabin provided an amazing experience on a long weekend. Our weekend warrior leader Cheni Yerushalmi, Managing Partner and Co-founder of Sunshine Suites, arranged a relaxing and exciting itinerary. The trip was fantastic but it was the experience of mountain biking that gave me a priceless gift, a parallelism for life–especially of the life and times of an entrepreneur if you will.
As this analogous journey took me through and on the bike trails of Killington Mountain I learned the following entrepreneurial life lessons and similarities.
The right vehicle said Henry Ford
Before the actual biking began, the company I was with decided to take a look at the prices and selection of bikes at a local store. We realized that the bikes for rent were twice as expensive (retail) and better technology than the ones for rent at the mountain but for the same rental price. Making the right choice in bikes was the crucial first step to a successful ride.
In the entrepreneurial world it’s important to have a business that is in the right market. The right “vehicle” and industry you choose should have at LEAST a 5 year outlook, if not 10. Longevity is an element of success because products and services change. To be truly successful, it becomes imperative, to pick an industry where the wind is blowing in your direction and where you can take advantage of the natural industry momentum.
You don’t know what to expect even if you think you do
As Cheni, Dan Allen and Mario Bernardini and I decided to take on mountain biking, the challenge , in retrospect became clear that I had no idea what I was getting myself into. I had surely ridden a bike before thanks to the necessity, and part of my active childhood in Queens. Keep in mind though that the streets of Astoria and Sunnyside are nothing like Killington as I soon found out.
Not having a clear understanding of what the road ahead is reminds me of the E-myth revisited, Allan T. Young and one of my earlier posts on being an entrepreneur. The E-myth Revisited by Michael Gerber explains the simple yet PROFOUND idea that most businesses fail because the founders are “ technicians ” that were inspired to start a business without knowledge of how successful businesses run. Most people start their own business because they are good at a specific thing. I was the exact same way in thinking I can succeed down a mountain with slippery rocks thinking that it was the same as riding up Steinway Street.
Get some tips. Even if you’re not a waitress
Once at the top of the mountain, I was given some extremely quick tips and told to just take it slow and then we were off. Within 30 seconds I found myself in completely uncharted territory, accelerating at an unforgivable speed down a small hill with a bump at the bottom. Everyone knew what was going to happen except for me because I was too busy losing control of the bike. I leaned forward on the bike and FORWARD I went! Into gravel and dirt. As I laid there in utter shock and confusion, I looked up to Dan Allen who later told me that my facial expression reminded him of what children look like after their dad first lets go of them when learning to ride a bike and fall face first into the ground. In mountain biking one of the most important things is balance and maintaining control. Once you are riding down a mountain the best way to do this is to stand up, lean back and hold your arms straight. I found out this from my riding buddies only after I had taken the dive of my life. [Thank you gentlemen!]
As an entrepreneur is it best to enter any act of business by getting some tips to prevent heartache, pain and wasted time. Look for people whose business you admire. Get together with them and buy them a cup of coffee. People love to feel needed, respected and valued and when you do this, they will gladly help you, someone who has been where they once were. It provides them with a boost of self-confidence and makes them feel great to assist in saving future business owners time and money.
Fall so that you can get back up
After the initial shock of my crash, I was determined to succeed; impressing everyone and proving to myself that I can accomplish the daunting task at hand.
You will inevitably make mistakes, we all do so you don’t have to make a conscious effort to fail just to motivate yourself. The world will take care of that for you. The key is that when you do fall, you learn from the mistake and use it as a motivation to succeed the next time. You never fail until you stop trying. Use your new found experience as a springboard to your success.
Go, Now!
My first time down the mountain was one of the most terrifying things I’ve ever experienced. I’d never gone this fast on a bike, let alone down a hill where it seems you have no control of what is potentially about to happen. My initial reaction was to slow down and press on the breaks when in actuality going much slower and pressing on breaks is what causes accidents and wipe outs.
As an entrepreneur consistency should always be your close friend. Going slow in business in hopes of surveilling the scene can sometimes be counter-intuitive. Just as in riding, in business it is important to keeping going, to fight through any possible fears you have of falling, or failing. Time is of the essence. There will always be someone aggressively looking to take your spot and your client list. Do not wait. Go, Now!
Clyde Drexler says follow him
When I was mountain biking the bikers who have come before me have blazed a trail that I decided to follow. Doing so allowed me to keep away from rocks and enjoy a slightly smoother ride. This also allowed me keep my head up to assure I knew what was ahead.
In business many have already done what you are just beginning to think of doing. An insatiable appetite will keep you out in front. Be an avid reader of business books with case studies, read Fast Company and Inc. and The deal.
Blaze yourself
As I was riding, I watched Cheni, our “weekend warrior” taking note that he didn’t always follow the easily identifiable and well used path. There were times when he would make his own trail, and by so doing, I realized that just as in life, in business you need to be willing to take chances.
In business …
There is a thin line between genius and insanity. I have erased this line. - Oscar Levant
Just like those in the video, Cheni, has been a great example, both on and off the bike, he has lived his life by blazing a trial and taking chances. He started sunshine suite along with his best friend and business partner Joseph Raby. They now have a flourishing business that is extremely helpful and needed for the further progression of entrepreneurship in New York and beyond.
“And, as we let our own light shine, we consciously give
other people permission to do the same.
As we are liberated from our fear,
our presence automatically liberates others. ”- Marianne Williamson
Because they had the guts to do something extraordinary it has provided me and other entrepreneurs in New York the opportunity to do something remarkable as well.
“ Coach… I’m listening ”
Mario of Avenue A Staffing gave me some pointers and provided moral support during the first and most difficult 30 minutes. With a task as monumental as getting down this mountain in one piece I had to be completely open to advice–without it, I would’ve been without a doubt at a loss as to how to do this properly. I would’ve been COMPLETELY lost. Again, just as in life, in business there is a time when the “coaching” is shared. Cheni had his turn to coach me by riding along side of me, coaching me up some difficult trails. It was when I was faced with a difficult turn or spot and when I doubted my own abilities of succeeding that his screaming words of encouragement and tips helped me surmount the hurdles, ultimately reaching my destination.
No matter how much you think you can’t do it just keep going and you will surely accomplish your goal.
“ Humbling, HUH? ”
Cheni wanted to push us to the next level. He decided that we should do a “ single diamond ” mountain trail. As we proceeded through this “ single diamond ” trail I fought with more persistence and determination than I did that whole day. In the beginning of the trail I actually made it far enough to pat myself on the back and be proud. THEN the rocks came. As Cheni and I made our way down he screamed from a few feet back
“ This is a very humbling experience, isn’t it? ”
It was indeed. We ended up having to walk the majority of the way down the mountain. At the end of the mountain we realized that we actually went down A “ double black diamond ” trail 23. 23 is the hardest trail on Killington.
Sometimes in business you will end up on your own trail 23. Yet you won’t even know it until it is all done. Fight. Keeping going.
Below is one of my own favorite quotes.
“ Humble yourself, or the world will do it for you.” - Guilherme Cunha
“ That’s it, I’m done ”
By the end of third trail it was decided to do one more run. I was still shaking from a previous nasty spill. At this point I spoke out,
“ Oh no, I’m done.” I know my limits and I’ve reached it.”
Recently I wrote about Brian Tracy and Zero Based Thinking that is similar to this situation.
In particular, I think the following quote is appropriate, “ The inability to stop doing things that are no longer working and to discontinue people that are no longer performing is the primary reason for failure in business. On the other hand, your ability to be fast and flexible in face of this dynamic market environment is the key to your success and to the success of your business. ”
Click here for the whole post. I think it can be very helpful.
Ben’s had it… He’s Done.
Oh, so you mean …?
As soon as I was down the mountain I had the opportunity to share with my good friend Louie Torrellas my experience on the mountain bike and the parallel between my life as an entrepreneur and his life as an entertainer.
He immediately said:
Oh, so you mean mountain biking is exactly like your life because at any given point you can die simply by slipping down the side of the mountain and lose everything you’ve ever worked for at a moments notice?
I said
wow, Louie, I was looking at the more positive aspects of my ride but I suppose that is entirely true.
The entrepreneurial life is also just like No Limit Texas Hold ‘em in this instance. At any given point in time your opponent [life] can go all in and force you to make a decision for all your chips. Many entrepreneurs bet it all on one specific business and sometimes you fall short. Success lies in picking yourself up and continuing on.
There’s no other game in which fortunes can change so much from hand to hand. A brilliant player can get a strong hand cracked, go on tilt… and lose his mind along with every single chip in front of him. This is why the World Series of Poker is decided over a No-Limit Hold ‘Em table. Some people, pros even, won’t play No-Limit. They can’t handle the swings.
Rounders
- Matt Damon’s Character
What experiences or activities can you compare to the life of an entrepreneur?
Cooking? Golf? Please comment and lets compare stories.
J.R. Thank you for your help and for RSS feed subscription.
