Am I my Brother’s Keeper?

One of the things that inevitably come up as a person builds up experience and leverage in their professional lives and industries. Whether it be working in corporate America or owning your own business. Is the written/unwritten rule of responsibility.

You rise high enough up where you are set in your business/role.  We are supposed to reach back and ensure someone else gets their shot. Ensuring that you’re not the only one in the room. In doing so you increase your chances of longevity by not being alone. Providing the opportunity for the next builds allegiances and increases your chance of success. Alliances with someone that shares your values is a winning formula.

There are a plethora of ways to accomplish putting someone on without running the risk of damaging your reputation or enabling someone to take your spot. It’s only a competition if you’re competing against each other.

The expectations are old school but the foundation that it has laid is immeasurable. The responsibility of ensuring the next can stand on your shoulders or stand on their own two feet. Keeping the door open for the next after them. A mindset and process that is a bit different in this day and age.

It’s a lot harder to hold people to a standard based on a struggle that they haven’t experienced themselves. Leaving it debatable to what extent “we are our brother’s keeper”. Responsibility is a word that may not be as well received. It is a nicety and less responsibility or necessity.

Standing on shoulders & establishing a strong foundation

The journey to success can be a lonely one. You can have friends, family, and people you came up with fade away while you’re establishing yourself. This doesn’t mean that you should get out of the habit of networking.

Find people who are smarter than you and further along in the process to learn from. Those that have struggled before you are surprisingly open to sharing pitfalls to avoid.

They’re also willing to lend a helping hand when they know that you’re serious about yourself and your business. This help can go beyond pearls of wisdom. These veterans in the field have established their credibility. When you’re ready you can stand on their shoulders and establish a strong foundation.

This can be accomplished in a variety of ways. Referrals and introductions to potential leads and clients. Helping you get established in your market and industry. Partnering with you on projects and lending their name to help you build up your name in the process.

Guest links on their website or articles helping to promote and get your name out in the industry. Up and coming articles like who to watch and look out for are common on Linkedin and other social channels. It could be a podcast or a mention in an interview. The main goal is to be ready for the opportunity when it comes. It’s is not just your name and business on the line when they extend a helping hand.

Generational Knowledge & Experience

The generations prior have years of experience turning nothing into something and should you fall and not have that foundation. It’s important to know how to start from scratch. Experience is priceless. Unfortunately, some are starting with the sense of entitlement that scratch is something other than what it is. That awakening can be rude and cruel.

The further you get into owning and running your own business. The more that you learn that there is no straight path to success. In the first 3 to 5 years of a business most fold and go under. This is something that is known but not necessarily discussed in enough detail to young entrepreneurs. It is what leads to people feeling failure and scared to try.

Old wisdom and experience will tell you that failure is learning how to do something the right way. You get it wrong until you get it right. Unless you’re fortunate enough to have someone mentor you on what steps to take and not take. Sage wisdom like start your business while you’re still working your day job. This way you’re not spending out of your savings. Worrying about how you’ll pay for things can lead to missed opportunities. That’s not to say that you should take risks. But calculated risks are acceptable.

You can learn a lot from those that came before you. Be humble enough to ask and then listen and apply the knowledge. What you can get is generational knowledge and experience. From people that had less and did more with it. A winning recipe for taking it further than they could with less struggle and heartache.

There comes a point where it’s not about being the first across the finish line. That’s a youthful goal. With experience comes strategy and being the fastest isn’t always going to garner the best results. Experience and age teach the difference between long money and short. Using the opportunities to cement your legacy and legitimacy is equally as important. Leaving things better than you found them is the goal of any legitimate legacy.

I now have 25+ years of marketing and advertising experience. As much as things have changed there are things that will stand the test of time. That’s where best practices come into play. Knowing what to expect and how to make the necessary adjustments to find a current situation. Without the need to change plans completely.

I’ve transitioned over to the legacy portion of my role in helping businesses establish themselves and build longevity. The part that I get to play with Majority Media is a gift. Helping people go from their ideas to a business strategy and growing their business. One that I enjoy and don’t take lightly. The reward is more than monetary aiding in creating something that can make a difference beyond what your eyes can see. That is a pretty good “why” to build and grow a business on.

This is why I created a resource library with eBooks and helpful tips for entrepreneurs. You can find it here. I”ll continue to add to it and build on the resources available.