Stop Living Life Like You’re in a Boardroom 24/7/365

Have you ever heard another entrepreneur say something along the lines of: “This person can’t help me in any way and I can’t help him, so it would be a waste of my time to speak to him”?

I can’t tell you how many times that I have heard fellow entrepreneurs say that. And to be perfectly honest, I actually used to believe the same thing. However, over the years I’ve seen how destructive that way of thinking can be. Thinking that way is poison for the entrepreneur.

I truly begin to question the entrepreneurs who call themselves risk-takers and go-getters but aren’t willing to take risks when meeting other people; entrepreneurs who aren’t willing to give people who’ve they never met before an opportunity.

Why are you willing to risk so much time and energy with your business and so little time when meeting new people and trying to establish new relationships? Just doesn’t make sense to me.

Sure…sure…sure… time is money and money is time. Some entrepreneurs will try to convince themselves that if they spend time getting to know people, then they’d be losing time with their own businesses. Well, that logic is flawed my friends.

If that made sense, then how would anyone get to know anyone in life? Aren’t we all strangers to someone before we meet them? I guess it’s an ego thing for many young entrepreneurs who think that they are master and commanders of the universe and nobody is worth their time.

Blah…Blah…Blah…

The bottom line is that no matter how much we think a person isn’t worth talking to, we can’t really know if that’s the case until we give them a chance. A young entrepreneur who isn’t going out there and meeting people is an entrepreneur who is destined to fail. I can almost guarantee you that.

Over the past few weeks I have heard some truly disgusting statements from entrepreneurs such as:

• “I’m into marketing, so why would I want to talk to those techy people? They’re too techy for me!”
• “These people can’t help me. They are a waste of my time. I don’t like people who can’t help me.”
• “Why would I want to talk to people who aren’t as brilliant as me?”

These entrepreneurs may think that they are smart be not associating with people who “can’t help them,” but the fact that they are making those claims even before they have reached out to them makes me question their motives as an entrepreneur. It really does.

The point of entrepreneurship isn’t to only network with people who “can help me,” but to reach out to many people on many levels. Who knows, maybe you can “help them.” Or many that person can become a trusted friend.

Why is it that so many entrepreneurs are caught up in this fantasy land of thinking that they are in a board meeting 24/7/365? Wake up dudes! Life isn’t a constant business meeting.

Stop placing everyone that you meet in life under the context of “business” and “entrepreneurship.” People aren’t tools that you only use when it’s in your best interest. Stop thinking about yourself and start thinking about building real relationships without always thinking of what they can do for your business. Pah. Get real.

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