5. Boldly embrace your authentic brand.

[pullquote align=”right”]“And no one will listen to us until we listen to ourselves.” ― Marianne Williamson[/pullquote]Consider this: great brands are highly self-aware and authentic. They aren’t selling a watered down “me-too” product and they won’t try to assuage the peanut gallery.

Powerful, ingenious brands know who they are, what they do and why they do it. In order to build a relevant brand you’ll need to do the same. In practical application this means: If Sally Sue doesn’t like your widget — guess what?! Sally Sue isn’t likely your target audience. Your end goal is not to be a copycat, pack-mentality all star. Instead, you will need to be a breakout, misfit, one-of-a-kind brandmaker.

6. Never chase money, chase your vision.

[pullquote align=”right”]”Chase the vision, not the money, and the money will end up following you.” — Tony Hsieh, CEO of Zappos.com[/pullquote]When you first start a business, more than likely you are thinking “show me the money!” This seems like a logical approach, and yes you want to get profitable as soon as possible, but in the long-term if money is your only aim you’ll quickly get bored, burn out, easily cave in and potentially quit.

A quest for money will only take you so far because entrepreneurship is a marathon, not a sprint. So, when you don’t break-even as quickly as projected and if you don’t find the right revenue model right away you’ll give up when business gets tough. However, if you truly believe in what you’re doing and relentlessly pursue your vision with diligence, money will find you.

7. Do what you think you cannot do.

What limiting thoughts and beliefs are guiding you as a person? It’s important to discover these things early on because they can have an indelible impact on your business.

[pullquote align=”right”]”The man who thinks he can and the man who thinks he can’t are both right.” — Henry Ford[/pullquote]Be cognizant of the daily story you tell yourself about who you are and what type of person you will be. Self-talk or your ‘inner voice’ (i.e. intrapersonal communication) is one of the predominate factors that impacts how you see the world and your role within it.

You will have to challenge your self-talk and consider your current thoughts may not be adequate for your future success.

8. Bonus: Don’t pay attention to the cheap seats in the back.

In earlier days, the peanut gallery was comprised of the cheapest (and rowdiest) seats in a theater … all the way in the back. Today they are notably known as critics — those who enjoy playing a ‘spectator’ sport.

However, these are not the people you should listen to or converse with to ‘win them over’. Instead, focus your energy on serving your core audience. Deliver value and craft your products and services to serve their specific needs. Never let the noise of naysayers impact your business. You are not moving out of their thoughts, you are succeeding out of your own. So in lieu of whining about business critics, kindly tell them to pull up a seat and enjoy the show.

“To avoid criticism say nothing, do nothing, be nothing.” ― Aristotle

Class dismissed.

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