Giving Credit Where Credit is Due
Volume 12, Number 41,
Issue 588
Today, I sent a birthday card to someone that I have known for twenty-six years. Now a computer professional in Richmond that co-owns, with her husband, her own company, she’s the one that originally had more of an influence on me—more than anyone else except my Dad—about wanting to become a successful entrepreneur. The motivation that she gave me to desire to own my own company, set my own hours and become both rich in money and in relationships was contained in a defining series of months back in 1979-1983. She was the first person that I ever dreamed out loud with.
Though she declines to take the credit, she was the original person back at Henrico’s Douglas Freeman High School that motivated me to have exceptionally high professional and personal goals. She was the one that I made all the promises to about what I wanted to do in life and how I wanted to do them and over the last twenty-five years, I’ve done them. No matter what happened to me or who I ultimately did them for or with, I have kept the promises that I made. I have gone out and done those high-school dreams.
Having more years professionally behind me instead of in front of me continues to be a sobering experience as well as a great motivating factor to do better and better in these years that are left before I officially pass-off to the next generation.
At the same time I was writing the birthday card, I was responding to some e-mail questions from Lauren, a James Madison University student who periodically e-mails me with mentoring questions. Lauren doesn’t know me that well yet—especially the fact that my Great-Grandfather designed JMU’s campus—but I think she’s understanding more and more each week that entrepreneurs are a sensitive bunch that chart their own destiny. Her questions are always thought-provoking because they are both naďve and intuitive at the same time. Lauren makes me think about things in a historical setting and then apply them to what she is studying in her Business Communications class.
Recently, I’ve been thinking a lot about a line from a movie that I saw where a character stated that a particular professional triumph was “the defining moment of my (the character’s) career.” So, I began to ask myself again, what will be (or was) the defining moment of my own career? While I am still undecided as to a specific answer, I have concluded that this is a question that all entrepreneurs should be asking themselves over and over and over.
For starters, I know that I have accomplished the vast majority (and more) of what I wanted to do when I first found someone who I wanted to make promises to. Even though they weren’t the one who actually saw the promise come true or who assisted in the ultimate refinement and/or culmination of the goal, she was the one who first got the ball rolling. Who was the person who got the ball rolling in your life? All successful entrepreneurs have on original person who they first dreamed unreachable goals with.
From the hundreds of entrepreneurs that I interviewed from all walks of life from all over the country (and a few, internationally) during the run of my radio show, The Entrepreneurs’ Hour, I always found that there was a parent or high school sweetheart or other mentor who played a key role in the entrepreneur’s development. I would often ask my guests privately if they have gone back and honored that person and told them how appreciated they are. I often shared my own story of how I went back and found my special person. Have you gone back and told your original person or mentor how much you owe them? If you haven’t, you should. Let them know how much you owe them.
As for the defining moment of a career, I often ask entrepreneurs “Have you done it yet? Have you done the most important thing that you will ever do?” The winningest of the entrepreneurs that I know answer that they haven’t—even if they are well past the normal retirement age for most folks. Winning entrepreneurs keep setting higher and higher goals to trump what they thought was a great accomplishment before. The best entrepreneurs don’t rest on their laurels (great accomplishments) very long—they keep pushing themselves to do better and better things for themselves, their target markets and society.
Successful entrepreneurs know exactly where they came from and it’s usually the first person that they ever dreamed out loud with.
Successful entrepreneurs also know that the best is yet to come because defining moments are just that—moments.
Successful entrepreneurs give daily credit where credit is due to the parent, sweetheart, spouse, mentor or business ally that gave them their start down the road of entrepreneurialism.
David B. Robinson, CPA
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