I had the distinct pleasure of not only attending, but presenting at the recent Focus On Entrpreneurs Conference, held in downtown St. Petersburg last week on April 27th and 28th. I learned a ton of useful information, met a lot of really great people, and came away inspired and energized to take my business to the next level.
After enjoying a 300% growth in my gross revenue in 2016, it may seem counter intuitive to seek more growth. Why not just kick back and enjoy this new plateau? Listening to Kevin Harringon, founder of As Seen On TV and an original shark on ABC’s Shark Tank, on the mainstage at the conference answered that question for me.
It’s simply not in me to accept a new normal. Or in any entrepreneur for that matter. Why? According to Harrington, because entrepreneurs have one thing that makes them always strive for more. That secret sauce lies in our curiosity. Entrepreneurs don’t settle for the status quo because of an intense need to know more about what they do, who they serve, and why they do it. Our insatiable quest for information translates into our abilities to run businesses, direct teams, cooperate with competitors, and continue to aim high.
In my world, creativity reigns king. But I had never attributed my creativity to my curiosity. As Harringon pointed out, the two are forever entwined. And then it all made sense…why writing a headline is often preceeded by hours of research. Why crafting a blog post for a client might take days of careful consideration, beginning with the questions “why” and more importantly, “who cares?”
Then to bring that pair full circle, Harrington introduced the love child of creativity and curiosity, which is opportunity. And it all made perfect sense.
So in your day-to-day, be curious. Question everything. Study deeply on topics that interest you or are important to your clients. Put two and two together, and lay it out on a golden platter for your content consumers. This will lead to opportunities you’ve only just begun to dream of.