Each day in August I’m saying “thank you” to one person/place/thing that’s helped define who I am and where I am today. I’m encouraging each of you to participate on your own blog. and if you’re the hashtag type, we’re using #31ty on Twitter.
Dear People Who Are Smarter Than Me,
I’ve been doing this whole ‘running my own business thing‘ for coming on two years now, and needless to say, I’ve learned plenty of valuable lessons (on an almost daily basis) on the rights and wrongs, ups and downs that come with being an entrepreneur.
But today isn’t about me. It’s about you, or well, all of you who are smarter than me. “Smarter” can mean a lot of things, but ultimately, today’s thank you letter is dedicated to those who have helped guide me, teach me, enlighten me, and/or generally help me through these past couple years.
But more importantly, you, o’ wise one’s have taught me the most valuable lesson of all: Knowing what I am good at and what I SHOULD be focusing on, but all the more important, what I should be staying away from and what’s better left to be handled by, well, you.
You’ve taught me that the only way to grow and build a business, the only way to see real success, is to let others in and embrace that you can’t, nor should you be trying to do it all.
I’ve been down the “jack of all trades” path and, let’s just say, I was “this close” to packing it up and telling myself that being an entrepreneur just wasn’t for me.
But the minute I started believing in others. The minute I started letting go of control. The minute I told myself that I didn’t have to have my hand in everything. The minute I started trusting others as much as I believe in myself, that’s when it all came together.
No one gets very far when they’re going at it alone – and I have you, all of you to thank for being great at what YOU do so I can focus on being great at what I do.
Signed,
Your humble, but still pretty smart, just maybe not as smart as you friend and partner, Matt