Out of the box: breakthrough advice from a Miami executive

What advice would an executive that has helped take his business to over $15 million in sales give to aspiring entrepreneurs? 

A beginner's mindset is good even for veteran leaders.  Comment at the end of the post with your greatest takeaway. 

What follows is an interview with one such executive, Juan Roque, VP of Vista Color.  Some of his answers might surprise you. How would you have answered? 

What's the first piece of advice you would give to the next generation of entrepreneur?

Longevity has it’s place, as Martin Luther King said.  The first thing I would do is find a business that has repetition to it. That when you are able to set it up, at some point it doesn’t depend on you all the time in order to make money. For example, if you’re a lawyer or a doctor, if you’re not seeing clients or patients, you’re not making money… unless you structure your business differently where you have people working for you, you’ll be a slave to your profession always.  Of course, you have to be willing to roll up your sleeves and get your fingernails dirty. It isn’t easy to get significant contracts like that.  

You also want to build a strong team where you can delegate a lot of the small things.  Anything that I can, I delegate to others who can do things better than me so I can stay where I’m good.

  

What was it like at the beginning? How did you break through?

"The first box is the most important.”  Vista Color makes hundreds of different types of custom boxes today.  But before we had a wall full of samples to show our customers all the different projects we have completed over the years, there was the very first one.  

You have to hold your cards close to your chest.  It’s a fine line.  If you use deceit and they see you as dishonest (which it’s rightly so), then you won’t get the business.  If you reveal too many weaknesses on the front end, the customer won’t trust you with their business. 

When you only have one box to show, you don’t have a track record.  Lack of experience in the market is perceived as a weakness. Nobody wants to be the first to take a risk with their money, no matter how qualified you are to take on the project.  But if you play your cards right, if they’re holding your box in their hand, they’re holding the proof.  You’re a box expert.  Now let’s talk about what kind of kind of box fits the customer’s need.

Once you collect a few customers and have good testimonials, you’re good.  Collect the stories. Use them and run with it.  But the first box is the key.  You can’t drum up business without a product to show.

What is the greatest quality of an entrepreneur, executive, and leader?

A lot of people have a lot of talent, but they lack consistency.  Consistency is one of the greatest things.  Most people fail because they quit. Og Mandino said, “Make habits your slave.”  Few people do.  Consistency is a habit.  A hard one to develop, but a habit.

In your opinion, why do so many people fail at business?

A lot of people are afraid of following up.  They think they have sealed the deal but they really haven’t.  It comes from a  fundamental lack of faith –– and a fundamental fear in their gut  that maybe they really didn’t get the business. The fear becomes reality and they lose the business.

People don’t stop eating or doing exercise when they’re committed to staying healthy… so you shouldn’t stop sharpening your skills and abilities.  Too many people get stagnant… they quit trying to grow and so they don’t see the results that they want to see in their life.  And then they wonder why. 

You’re going to mess up.  Just don’t stop trying.  Don’t stop learning. Keep developing yourself.  Maybe you can’t prevent all the screw ups, but you can learn the lessons from the mistakes.

What is the hardest lesson you’ve had to learn?

The greatest resource that we can sharpen and develop, are our human resources.  It is a worthy endeavor to develop people. 

Sometimes it does come back to bite you.  I’ve developed people that have become better than me… and then stabbed me in the back.  I built a Frankenstein. I taught them all the tricks.  And now they’re equipped to be better than me.  He’s still out there, too.  It’s still happening.  I picked a star… a winner… and now he’s my competition.  What sucks is when you pick right and now you’re fighting an opponent who’s better than you.   It’s not very common… but it is strong.  

What is your favorite lesson you’ve learned?

Being right is over rated.  Do you want to be “right”  or do you want to be happy? Do you want to be right, or do you want to be fed? It happens a lot in relationships, and often times it happens in business as well. You’ve heard that saying, "happy wife, happy life?”  Well you want to keep your customer happy too. Happy customer, happy business. Do you want to be right or do you want your customer’s business?  And sometimes it’s worth retreating to fight another day.  Chew on that…

Do you have any closing remarks/ advice?

I recommend that you go ALL out and be the best that you can be.  Because where you are meant to go will not be revealed until you are the best that you can be.  You will be blind to your destiny, up until the point where you are ready to see it.  And it may be a long time before it is revealed but don’t quit and it will be. 

Juan Roque is the Vice President of Vista Color.  Vista Color is a leading independent packaging company serving customers in the Caribbean, Latin American and the United States in a variety of industries primarily in pharmaceuticals & nutraceuticals, health & beauty, private label, food & confectionary along with beverages & spirits. We specialize in folding cartons along with blister cards, clamshell inserts, windows and foil, all produced in-house at our Miami, Florida facility. Clients in all industries have also used our creative & structural design services to create packaging that stands out and retains long-term, top of mind customer awareness. We are a certified Minority Business Enterprise as defined by the 

National Minority Supplier Development Council (NMSDC). 

Vista Color, featured in Local 10 News

http://www.local10.com/news/is-the-recession-over-in-florida/20349098

Who's life are you NOT saving?

Recently on my drive to an early-morning appointment, I plugged in my favorite song from Mumsford & Sons,  Little Lion Man.  It's amazing what a well versed lyric and uplifting melody does to the psyche. Better than a double-shot of espresso!  

Then an awful thought occurred to me, followed by intense emotion.

What if all the songs that inspire and uplift me had never been written?  

There are so many  small things that make such a great big difference in our lives. A song  that energizes us, a word that uplifts us, a story from that book that tugged our heartstrings ––what if the collection of these small things makes the difference between joy and depression–– the degree of difference that gives special meaning to our lives?

That thought led to another idea... what if the people that wrote the songs, told the stories, or shared the words of encouragement had never done so?  What if each one of them surrendered to the critical voices that are all too common,  

"You're just not good enough.  You'll never be good enough.  Just quit."

Too many people give in to the fear and criticism inside them.  I've been there myself...  I still remember times when I've been so hard on myself that I refused to follow my passions and dreams, believing that the world was better off without me even trying... but those thoughts are lies.  Have courage.  Have Faith.

You make a difference.
The stories that you tell others about overcoming adversity, inspire others to overcome their own weaknesses...

Even if it's just sharing about someone else’s victory, stories of overcoming can directly or indirectly have a profound impact on hundreds or even thousands of lives around you!

Many of the moments that have impacted my life greatly are a result of such stories.  My friend, and business owner, Frances is a great example.  Her story of how she became a millionaire–– before she had even more than $100 dollars to her name–– is an inspiration to me. 

"I became a millionaire the day when my father-in-law said to me that I would never amount to anything but a coffee-shop girl.  No one had ever treated me like that.  I was so angry, I got in his face and told him that from that day on, I didn't serve coffee... people would serve coffee to me.  That month I started knocking on people's doors to sell their houses for $1,000 dollars.  I sold ten houses and nobody could tell me I was the coffee-shop girl anymore."

What about the stories that you don’t tell?  

What about the excellence that you resist pursuing because of your self image and fear?  What if your story is that one degree of difference that someone down the line was waiting for to make a change for the better?

You have a responsibility to your fellow man. A responsibility to overcome your obstacles to become an inspiration to others.

Don't underestimate yourself. Be bold.

Realize, that you have the potential to impact people's lives in a profound ripple effect with every positive actions and every act of courage, love, or compassion that you have ever shared in your life. 

You may have become the story or memory in someone's mind that makes them one degree better.

That one degree better is compounded over time into millions of positive interactions… but then… 

...so have the negative thoughts that you have had about yourself or shared with others.  

Those vibrations have also been broadcast into our world.

This is why self pity is a waste, and destructive. When you hold yourself back from overcoming, when you hold yourself back from creating–– and inspiring others to create!

When you hold yourself back from doing the thing that you were designed to do, (your calling, your destiny)  you are stealing from the world the gift that is your life. In your selfish self pity, you are denying the world the one degree of better that makes a difference.  

Who’s life could you be saving, simply by pursuing excellence in all your dealings… in overcoming your adversity… and in becoming the you that you were destined to be?  

I know it’s hard…  but who said it was supposed to be easy?  Do the right thing anyway.    Push yourself to be the best version of you. Then inspire others with your story.

How do I raise my influence?

CLICK ON ME FOR THE AUDIO TEACHING!

Leadership is influence... nothing more... nothing less...   

Everything Rises & Falls with Leadership...

Where There is No Vision...

Vision

There is a several thousand-year-old saying.

"Where there is no vision, the people perish."  You'll find it in Proverbs.

I want to challenge you today.  Do you have a clear vision for you life, your business, your relationships, your team?  Is it clearly stated so that the relevant parties are aware of that vision?  Have you written it down?  Is it in a visible place where you must see it often?

Visionary Leadership

Visionary leaders can see things the way they are in reality–– And they see things the way they are potentiality.  Both are a prerequisite to bring ideas into being.

Seeing things first as they are allows the visionary leader to assess the situation effectively and to begin to engineer change.  The ability to see the way things could be potentially enables the visionary leader to cast the vision and relate it to others.

Once the vision is clearly cast, written down, and communicated to all relevant parties, the next step is to bring the picture of the way things could be into the world of being.   

Warning! 

You will meet resistance as you pursue a vision that those around you cannot see.    To be a leader, by definition, means to go first where others have not gone. As you cast the vision of change that you want to bring about, you will find resistance.  Especially if your vision of change means others must step outside their comfort zones.

Often times, this resistance comes from your own leadership (such as superiors) and from your peers (your friends and co-workers).   

Visions often die between the "what" and the "how". 

The number one question that presents a danger to your vision is "how are you going to do that?"

This is where your grit and your mettle will be measured as a leader.  Often times, visionaries have the idea––  they have a picture of what they want to achieve–– and no idea how to achieve it.  And so they let the great idea die.  

Great ideas are a dime-a-dozen.  It’s the execution and bringing of ideas into reality that we recognize as extraordinary.

To avoid getting holes shot into your vision, make sure that you have your vision firmly planted in your mind.  Make sure that your vision is so clearly detailed in your mind that you could see, smell, taste, and touch your vision.  Make it such that if a genie granted you a wish and your vision suddenly became reality, you could walk through the new landscape as if it had always been so.  Make your vision familiar.  Make your vision the new normal.

Avoid sharing your vision with those that would discourage the vision for lack of all the steps necessary to make your vision a reality.  Some of your peers and leadership will require you to have a clearly cut plan.  Wait until some of the details are clear before sharing with these people.

The clearer the vision is in your mind, the more ideas will begin to mature from your vision as to “how” to make it a reality.  Once a few of the steps are clear, you may want to bring it to your mastermind inner circle.  These are the people that are fellow idea generators.  The individuals that can help take your idea to reality.  These are the people you trust will just take it as a given that your vision will be a reality.  These are the individuals that instantly jump into thinking of ways to manifest your new reality.

Next, take the next available steps!    

Often, only a few steps in your plan are visible to attain the vision in your mind.  Embrace the unknown!  A great leader takes the information at hand and makes decisions.  A poor leader waits for all the minute details to become clear and often misses the window of opportunity.  

As you move forward to attain the vision, resources will continue to make themselves available.  People will become attracted to your vision.  Because you behave as your vision is the already-certain future, and because your inner circle takes action toward that already-certain future, then others will begin to take it for granted that your vision is the certain-future. 

Some will remain against you until the very end.  Some will join you.   Be ready to meet resistance, but be ready to recruit help from those that are inspired by your vision.

Vision without execution is just hallucination -  Henry Ford

Pour Water on the Seeds

Thank you to my anonymous reader who asked me to list ways we can develop the seeds of greatness within!

The following are a few suggestions:

• Keep a gratitude journal

Gratitude is one of the most powerful forces that works in our psyche.  As counterintuitive as it may sound, writing down what you're thankful for sends a message to your subconscious that says, "I am worthy,"  "My life is valuable."   Writing down the your victories over obstacles reminds your subconscious that if you could win in the small things, you can win in the big things.   

I routinely write in my journal a list of the things I am thankful for and the victories I have collected.  The activity makes me feel empowered, and can be a powerful force in the order of developing a strong, positive self image.

• Create a Mission Statement for your Life

Stephen Covey, in his book 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, writes about the value of creating a life mission statement. He encourages you to involve every member of your family.  What your life mission statement does is it focuses your mind on determining your values.  Remember, values are your roots.  

You need values, principles, and strong character to live a fulfilled life.  A well-thought mission statement crystalizes your code of life.  It allows you to measure your weekly, monthly, yearly actions against your code.  Are your daily actions coinciding with where your values are?  Or are you fooling yourself and creating inner stress by living out of harmony with your deepest values?

• Read to grow yourself

It's one thing to read for fun, another thing to read to grow.  Loads of people spend their lives reading pulp fiction and never pick up a book that challenges them to be better people.  Therefore, their growth is stunted.  

Reading is a pre-requisite for excellence in performance and leadership.  Make sure you are reading hungrily and intentionally.  Decide WHY you are reading what you are reading in order to be more effective with your time.

Ask yourself  "How does this book enable me to work better in my field? How does this book enable me to grow closer to the best possible version of myself?

• Seek out and value mentorship, and relationships that stretch you

It's hard to keep yourself motivated and progressing through life without a strong support group and a growth environment.  The reason organizations like Alcoholics Anonymous, book reading clubs, and Parent Teacher Organizations (ha ha ha... can you tell I'm a new parent?) are so popular is because of the power of a community.   No matter the level of your current achievement, you can be associating with others that challenge and stretch you.  Continually challenge yourself!

There's a saying in Spanish:   "Dime con quien andas, y te dire quien eres."   It means:  "Tell me who your friends are and I'll tell you who you are."   And yet another way of putting it is as follows:

"You will be the average of the 5 people you spend the most time with."

-Jim Rohn

Are there seeds of greatness within you?

The tree:

Imagine a full grown, healthy apple tree.  

(For those with poor imagination, use the picture ;))

Each branch of the tree represents a role in a person's life, such as:   business owner, manager, teacher, father, brother, sister, son, daughter, friend, church-member, club-member, etc.   You get the idea.    

The leaves represent the memories of your success and failures–– the  experiences of your life that come and go.  Much like the leaves of a tree soak up light of the sun, your memories soak up the light in your life and nurture you in the different branches or roles in your life.

The fruits represent the results your life have produced.  They are what you have to show for your efforts. When you share the fruits with others, and they are good fruits, then the fruits of your life will nurture others in turn.

Finally, and most importantly, beneath the tree, holding it all together and anchored into solid ground, are your roots.

A tall tree catches much wind ~ Chinese Proverb

A tall tree with shallow roots doesn't last too long in a 
hurricane ~  Miami Common Sense

Roots are the most important part of a tree, aren't they?  They are what keeps the tree anchored to the soil.  They absorb the nutrients that feed the rest of the tree.

So what do you think the roots represent?  What purpose would roots have if we were running the metaphor into your life?  

The roots are those things that feed and nurture your psyche.  

The roots are your values, your principles, your paradigms, 

your thoughts and beliefs that hold you up.  

Top level performers in every industry are well grounded with a solid roots system.  They don't second guess their ability to succeed–– and you might thing, "of course they believe in themselves, they're already successful!"  And you are absolutely right:  success multiplies success.  However, top performers that stay top performers never forget where they came from.  They believed in themselves and the results they sought to create long before the results ever showed.

Your roots system begins in your thoughts.  Thoughts crystalize into actions.  Actions crystalize into habits.  Habits crystalize into character.  Character determines your destiny!  - From As a Man Thinketh  by James Allen

What do YOU feed your roots?

       

I remember the first time I heard the words:  "the seeds of greatness are within you."  I thought that was the most ignorant motivational hokey feel good nonsense that people liked to say.  But it wasn't true, of course.   At least, not for me.

Just look at my life, I thought.  

What have I done that's worth anything?

I never realized how terrible self talk can destroy you  until I hit rock bottom with depression.  I never realized how paralyzing the words I told myself were!  These were the thoughts and opinions I carried with me from my youth and upbringing.


Feed your roots positive nutrients with good uplifting books, motivational messages, and an environment conducive to growth.  Practice saying out loud all the things you are grateful for.  Look in the mirror and tell yourself you are beautiful.  You ARE beautiful.   The value and potential you add to the world is unique to you.  No one else in the whole planet has what you have.  There is something about you that will be able to connect with a whole network of people out there that I will never touch.  That John Maxwell will never touch.  And all you have to do is fulfill your calling!

No matter how successful you are, there is always room for growth.  Evaluate your values.  Evaluate your foundations.  And as long as you're intentionally (and regularly) drinking in positive nutrients, then you'll be able to feed the branches of your life–– which in turn will create great, lasting memories and good fruit!

The 3 names you will carry

In your lifetime you receive three names.

The first is the name you are given at birth.  Your parents thought about it for months before you were born (sometimes changing it at the last minute).  Your name may even have carried special significance.   

You do not have control over your given name.  

The second name is the name you give yourself.   It is your self image.  Your identity that you have formed about yourself.  It is the picture of you that you hold steadfast.  "This is who I am."  And you reinforce it with your words:

You have power over your self-image.  

Do you look at your life and say, "I'm so lazy", or "I'm a very productive person" ?  Do you say, "I'm not that smart,"  or do you say "Whatever the challenge, I am creative.  I'll figure it out"  ?   Do you say, "I am unworthy,"  or "I am beloved" ?   These are the words that carry the I am.   What words you pair with 'I am' create your identity.  These words are a reflection of how you see yourself.  

When you talk to yourself, do you criticize and de-value yourself?  Do you believe that you will never amount to something, or that you will change the world and make it a better place?

Finally, the third name you carry is the name of your legacy.  Your final name is the name you will be remembered by.   He was kind.  He was gentle.  He was courageous.  

How you live determines your remembered name.



People will sum your whole life in one sentence.  So choose your life sentence now and start living toward it  ~ John Maxwell

Law of Intentionality

No one ever grew by accident.   We may get older by hanging around, but we don't get better.  There's a big difference between getting older and getting better.  

Not everyone thinks this way. 

In my family, the message I got from my elders was that age, experience, and wisdom all come standard with wrinkles and cellulite.  As a curious young person, if I disagreed or questioned my elders, their standard answer was.  I'm older. I'm wiser.  I know better than you.


There are plenty of cases where age and experience provides insight.  But it isn't an automatic process.  Becoming aware of this reality is the first step in becoming a person who makes growth a habit.  All those who begin the intentional journey of personal growth never regret it.

Few people have any idea how to grow.  Few people have a plan for personal growth.  There are people that have worked in the same role, capacity, or job for years and have been stuck at the same level of performance without improvement.

We all know people that are anxious to get over their problems; they may even want to be better–– but they seldom are willing to do what it takes.  Average people want to change their circumstances, but won't change themselves.

Self check:    Are you average, or are you pursuing excellence and growth with enough awareness and intentionality in order to improve your craft?  Do your results reflect consistent personal growth?  Or have you reached a plateau?  How long have you been there?

To meet your potential, you need to overcome your present circumstances and grow.  You need to have a plan for personal growth.  Experiment with the following for a day or two... or even for a week or a month.  Ask around to see who has a "plan for personal growth."   I guarantee that you'll be surprised by how many people have no clue what you mean.

When I first heard John Maxwell talk about a personal growth plan, I started asking myself who I knew that might be on a plan of personal growth.  Many people I knew were readers.  Many read fiction. Some read books in their industry.  But only one of my closest friends and mentors had an intentional and disciplined growth plan.

How many times have you known what you were supposed to do to get through an obstacle, but you procrastinated taking action.  You figured, maybe that situation would resolve itself.   Maybe the answer would come to you.  Or you may have asked people you trusted what they thought you should do, and while the answer they gave made sense to you, you still didn't take action...

Most people accept their lives.  They don't lead their lives.

In order to grow, you need to grow on purpose.

The best way to develop a personal growth plan is to learn first how to grow.   The 15 invaluable Laws of Growth  is a great book.  A system for learning exactly what "growth" is all about, and what factors influence our growth most.  

For example:  

The law of Intentionality:     You won't grow by accident.  So you need a plan.  You need intentionality.  You need to be living on purpose.

The law of the mirror:     You need to see value in yourself in order to add value to yourself.

The law of awareness:  You need to know what areas you are strongest in and which areas you are weakest in, so that you can grow accordingly.  Imagine you had weaknesses that you were unaware of...  how could those hamper your development?  How can you overcome an obstacle you don't know is there?  You can't.

The law of design:  To maximize your performance, develop a plan.  What's your plan?  How do you develop a plan to improve yourself?  

Contact me if you want to develop a plan for your personal growth, or the growth of your team;  a coach is a great resource to help us raise our awareness.  As they say,  it's difficult to see the picture when you're standing in the frame.

The First Rule of Connection

Get Over Yourself  &  See Others First:  The Power of Connection

We've all been there, excited about a recent development in our life.  So excited, in fact, that we can't wait to throw up all over everybody we meet and tell them all about how special and blessed we are. 

"That deal finally came through and we're making X number of dollars this month and aren't you so happy for me?"

 

But what if the message people are getting is:   "My life is so amazing. Don't you wish you were me?"

Humor me for a second and see if the following calls to mind a person in your life.  Have you ever been with someone that was just a great conversationalist?  A person that, when you're with them you just feel like things flow from one topic to the next effortlessly-- so much so that you feel drawn to them  like a magnet?  You can't get enough of their company and you would go the mile for them.  If they called, you'd answer.  If they asked, you'd give.

Did someone pop into your mind?  Is there someone like that for you? 

Think back to this person and ask yourself how often in conversations with this person are you talking and how often they're talking.  How many questions do you ask, versus how many do they ask?  And how thought provoking or poignant are their questions? How do their questions make you feel?  Have you ever made a decision because of what this person said or asked?  Have you ever gone to this person for advice?

Chances are, that the person you're thinking of is a great connector.  Connectors are great leaders.   They  ask great questions.  They have great relationships.  Ultimately they create influence and can leverage relationships to accomplish great tasks.  Great connectors have great power! 

There's value in studying others that make us feel good.  People that influence us.  The better we understand how others influence us, the better we can apply what we learn from them to build rapport, relationships, trust, and ultimately influence.  We are most influenced by the people we trust and respect, who connect and add value.

So lets go back to throwing up all over people. 

Put people first

We spend most of the day thinking about ourselves.  And when we think of others, we typically think of others in direct proportion to how it relates with our own self interest. 

That doesn't mean you're evil or some kind of egotistical tyrant.  I'm just saying you're human.  It's our nature to think of ourselves.  It's normal for us to literally not consider the other point of view in our interactions.   (Though some people have a nasty habit of over evaluating what others think due to poor self image-- we'll deal with that in later posts).

Many people have poor self image. ( If you're reading this and you're hurt by my comment, then you probably still have room for growth in the self image department.  )  When you talk to self conscious people about how successful you are, chances are they're intimidated.  On a subconscious level, the message people get is one of self questioning.  They measure themselves against your success and if they feel they fall short, then the connection is broken.  You're no longer creating influence with this person, nor are you adding value to them.

Even when the person you're sharing with has tremendous self image, what do you gain from boasting your successes?  Or what do you gain from talking about yourself all the time?  

There's no better way to improve your self image than to take your eyes off yourself and ask about the other person you're with.  They're more likely to benefit from your company and enjoy it as well.  They'll talk about themselves and reveal intimate details about what their loves are. What their pains are.  And in the end, you're relationship grows.  Ask great questions.  

Let them ask you first.  When you're genuinely interested in the other person and engaged in their life, they'll in turn become engaged in your life and want to learn more about you.  We're not promoting manipulation. You're not asking about them in order to get them  to ask about you.  We want you to want to get to know others more intimately by asking questions and getting to know others' loves, ambitions, goals, and desires.  

We can enrich our lives by going against our initial tendencies.  Ask questions.  Get out and over yourself and  become more interested in the other person than you are in yourself and just watch.  Beautiful relationships will begin to manifest.   You'll learn great things about others.  You're more likely to identify need in the market place.  You'll close more business and have better relationships with friends and family members. 

It all starts with being intentional about it.   

Remember,

People don't care how much you know.  Until they know how much you care.