As I write this post I am still on holiday, sitting at my Dad’s farm in Waiuku (that’s about an hour south of Auckland in New Zealand).
My whole being has slowed down since I’ve been here. Being on a farm out in the country feels like one long, deep exhale.
Dad just gave me a tour of the small but flourishing vegetable and fruit gardens that provide for us at each meal. He is now out shifting the cows… after giving my daughter a tractor-driving lesson (my kids have also felt the change of pace, evidenced by their sleeping in every morning).
My Dad is an original entrepreneur, freelancer and consultant.
Although he is officially retired now, Dad has been involved in farming his whole life.
Watching him now, with a new set of post-childhood eyes, I can clearly see the parallels between the challenges he has faced and those we face as entrepreneurs and small business owners.
Just like us, my Dad’s effectiveness and results are determined by a fusion of his passion, focus and skills.
His livelihood has been entirely self-determined since I was a small child (the original definition of an entrepreneur methinks). In addition to taking care of his own farm, he has also offered his skills for hire to others (that makes him a freelancer). And he has often been sought out by other farmers and property owners who want to tap into his skills and experience (so that makes him a consultant). He has even needed to take on a second job when times were tough and the market was slow (that may sound familiar too?).
Dad tried various marketing methods – advertising in local papers, signage on his vehicles and on his letterbox but has found referrals and word of mouth to be his best business generators. That and an emphasis on quality service – under-promising and over-delivering (though he may not describe it in quite those words)
Steady work over 50 years with nary a website, Facebook update or email newsletter in sight!
The secret of success has not changed even if the technology has
Dad IS the product. He is a service provider. He blended his head, heart and hands in his personal zone of genius, as he quietly and consistently created the results that he desired.
He knew what he was good at and he combined that with what he loves and what comes naturally to him and took it to market, where he saw there was a need.
He didn’t get tied up in knots wondering if what he has, what he does and who he is was enough.
I never found him looking at other farmers and feeling that he falls short, that they are bigger, better, brighter… and then spiralling into negative thoughts, limiting beliefs, procrastination and self-doubt.
“Don’t worry about what the other buggers are doing” he would say to me “just watch your own bloody game”.
Simple shining worlds of wisdom really aren’t they?
Don’t worry about the other buggers
Just watch your own game
If we just adopt that one piece of advice and insight I believe we would make more headway, reach more of our goals, take care of more clients and enjoy a far higher level of success than ever before in our businesses in 2015.
If there is one area that Dad looks back on with a tinge of regret it’s that he did not value his own skills and services highly enough. They came so naturally to him that they didn’t feel particularly valuable. And as a result, he can see that he seldom charged the rates that matched the value of the outcomes he provided.
I’ve found that to be a fairly common challenge for many of the entrepreneurs I work with. When you create a Wholehearted Business, one that is built around your personal experiences, passions and skills that flow right through you with ease, it can be difficult to put a value on your services that honour you and your clients.
Allow me to just plant the seed for now that, whatever you are currently charging, if there is any tinge of resentment you are feeling around delivering your service at that price point, if you are not delightfully inspired to provide your very best service, then you are most likely not charging enough for the value you are providing.
Trust my Dad and me on that one!
The last piece of insight I have to share is the need for patience.
I feel a little hypocritical sharing this thought as I’m a huge action taker and can often find it very difficult to muster patience!
Spending time on a farm where there is so much that you can do, but also so much that you then need to wait for to see the results reinforces the wisdom of patience.
You are likely to have inspiring and lofty goals, big dreams and plans. And you can absolutely, wholeheartedly bring them to life. Just give them time. Give yourself time. Hold your expectations very lightly… and refrain completely from comparing your results with others in your field. Comparing your insides with other people’s outsides is seldom a source of motivation (I know this for sure from my own experiences and now my intention is very much to stop “worrying about the other buggers!”).
And so there we are… lessons from a Kiwi Farmer >> let go of comparisons, keep focused on your own game, value yourself and the results you provide and nurture the virtue of patience as you create and expand your business. Wisdom that has served my Dad well for over 70 years…
Best wishes from Waiuku.
