startup motivation

21 inspiring quotes from animated movies for budding entrepreneurs, startups and everyone

Here is a list of 21 inspiring quotes from animated movies for budding entrepreneurs and startups, which are in fact applicable to anyone.

What do you see when you watch films? Nothing but your own hopes, dreams, and fears played out on the big screen. We humans reflect on our world through symbolic stories of our life. Simply put, stories are metaphors for our lives.

Here is a list of 21 inspiring quotes from animated movies for budding entrepreneurs and startups, which are in fact applicable to anyone. Anything you imagine can be conceived in animated movies. They’re vivid, rich, and filled with lively characters offering us profound wisdom in the most subtle ways. They’re not just for children, but for adults too. And if we pay close attention to them, we may just find the answers to life that we’ve been searching for.

1. Nobody is entitled to anything. Anyone can become an artist; you just have to make a choice.

Not everyone can become a great artist, but a great artist can come from anywhere. – Anton Ego, Ratatouille

2. Change is within. If thought is the cause, effect is the outcome.

Look inside yourself Simba. You are more than what you have become. – Mufasa, The Lion King

3. Invest in identity capital and build it. It adds value to who you are.

Your identity is your most valuable possession. Protect it. – Elastigirl, The Incredibles

4. Success is subjective – don’t get carried away. Have your own definition of it.

There is whole lot more to racing than just winning. – Tex, Cars

5. Our true reality lies in identifying with other people.

As long as we are together; it doesn’t matter to me. – Marty, Madagascar

6. Abandoning your ego is a gift. Strive for it.

To laugh at yourself, is to love yourself. – Mickey Mouse

7. Storms pass. Just wait until you reach the shore and never stop dreaming.

All at once everything looks different, now that I see you. – Rapunzel, Tangled

8. Believe your gut instinct and just plunge in. All you need is a little faith.

All it takes is little faith and trust. – Peter Pan

9. Don’t be deceived by appearances. Search for the soul – it actually counts.

Do not be fooled by commonplace appearance. Like so many things, it is not what outside, but what is inside that counts. – Aladdin

10. Your mind is everything. Wield it carefully or it will command you.

Your mind is like water. When it is agitated it becomes difficult to see, but when you let it settle; the answer becomes clear. – Oogway, Kung Fu Panda

11. Timing matters. Do not try to prove anything just for the sake of proving it.

I’m only brave enough when I have to be. Being brave doesn’t mean you go looking for trouble. – Mufasa, The Lion King

12. We create our own destiny through the choices we consciously make.

There are those who say fate is something beyond our command, that destiny is not our own. But I know better. Our fate lives within us. You only have to be brave enough to see it. – Merida, Brave

13. Never give up – you’ll find it. Trust me.

If you work on something long enough you will find it, even if you are lost for a while you will find it. – Professor Bomba, Epic

14. Everything bothers you if you let it. Remember you have a choice.

Cold never bothered me anyway. – Elsa, Frozen

15. We always search for answers without realizing the fact that answers lie within.

There is no secret ingredient. It’s just you. – Po, Kung Fu Panda

16. Never ever accept your limitations. Human spirit is eternal.

I’m flying… I’m flying! I’m not an ostrich…I’m not an ostrich! – Blu, Rio

17. When you are going through hell, just keep going.

Just keep swimming. – Dori, Finding Nemo

18. Whatever you imagine, you can conceive. The universe is waiting.

To infinity, and beyond! – Buzz Lightyear, Toy Story

19. You can’t see the future with tears of the past in your eyes.

You should, Shen. You gotta let go of that stuff from the past, because it just doesn’t matter! The only thing that matters is what you choose to be now. – Po, Kung Fu Panda 2

20. You will become, what you choose to be.

Your story may not have such a happy beginning but that does not make you who you are, it is the rest of it- who you choose to be. ― Soothsayer, Kung Fu Panda 2

21. Today is a gift.

Yesterday is history, tomorrow is a mystery, and today is a gift… that’s why they call it present. ― Master Oogway, Kung Fu Panda

How Deep Kalra Started – Founder of MakeMyTrip.com

The pioneer of online travels in India; Deep Kalra is the proud founder of Gurgaon based – MakeMyTrip.com.

The Million-dollar MakeMyTrip in a nut shell, is an Indian online travel company which provides online travel services like flight tickets, domestic and international holiday packages, hotel reservations, rail and bus tickets, etc.

Speaking of his qualification; Deep holds a Bachelor’s degree in Economics from the St. Stephen’s College, Delhi, after which he went on to pursue his Masters in Business Administration degree from the Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad (IIM-A).

Presently, he lives with his wife Amrita, his 11-year-old daughter Manya, and his 9-year-old son Armaan. Some of his favourite past times include adventure sports, yoga, swimming, quizzing and travelling to places off the beaten path.

How did his journey begin?

Deep’s career started soon after he completed his Masters with IIM-A & went on to work for companies like GE Capital, ABN AMRO Bank, etc!

Now back in 1995, Deep Kalra took a huge risk by quitting his stable & good-paying but boring job at ABN Bank to join AMF Bowling – an American company that was hoping to enter the Indian market to setup bowling alleys and billiard halls.

He put in all that he had and managed to open more than 200 lanes, most of them in small centres. What was even worse was that, the venture wasn’t really his own thing, and he had a remote boss back in America who threw him in the market without giving him the appropriate mentorship or guidance.

Evidently, for obvious reasons, this did not appeal to him and he also realized that they were all not worth his talent. He needed something more to showcase the same!

At the same time, he noticed that the Internet industry was growing at the speed of fire and held a lot that could be capitalized on! Having said that, he quit his job & began the old-age brainstorming session! He saw that, with all the brokers, the agents & middlemen in place, the online travel booking industry was messier than a man’s bedroom!

Hence, with a backing of USD 2-Million from eVentures and along with co-founders like – Keyur Joshi, Rajesh Magow and Sachin Bhatia, deep began his new found journey with MakeMyTrip.com (earlier known as India Ahoy) in 2000.

Untold story of MakeMyTrip.com!

Phase I – Rough Start

Now it is somehow a fantasy of almost every living creature to travel and explore new destinations. But unlike Birds we have to sort out a lot of things before we start our trip and unfortunately we have to pay heavily for them as well.

But now that we have so many websites available to help us sort our trips, it has gotten a lot easier. And entering new in this race of websites we had – MakeMyTrip!

Now initially, he had also seen that the Indian market was yet to evolve & mature, when it came to the internet industry and playing it safe seemed far more viable than otherwise! Hence, he started off by catering to the overseas Indian community for their US-to-India travel needs.

Anyways just within two years from their launch, their business got jinxed and the dot com market crashed, taking down everything they had begun to make!

This was a very hard time for them and literally everyone who belonged to the internet market. VC’s weren’t ready to touch the internet industry. Their VC, who once ready to offer any hefty capital they demanded, now wasn’t even ready to give USD 1-million.

The situation was so bad that in-order to save the company, Deep had to take some very harsh decisions. They had to reduce their employee strength by a literal half, and what was even worse was that, he also had to let go of their & few other top-management employee’s salaries for the next 18-months.

Phase II – Steady Rise

Taking some thoughtful, stern yet intelligent decisions, MakeMyTrip turned out to be one of those few who managed to survive the tsunami. And as time passed, the situation got better and their decision turned out to be fruitful as well.

Their business now had begun to pick up & was reaching a decent customer base. That is when IRCTC (Indian Railways Catering and Tourism Corporation) launched their first online business model which enabled the Indian traveller to purchase railway tickets on the Internet.

This model of IRCTC was well accepted but the Indian masses and turned out to be a huge hit. Additionally, Low-Cost Carriers had also recently entered the Indian Aviation space. These chains of events opened a whole new level of opportunities for the travel market in India.

It was now time to broaden their portfolio and although this venture for the Indian market was too ahead of time for various reasons like using their credit cards online, trust issues for non-established brands, etc. they risked it anyway.

And in September 2005, they officially launched their services for the Indian market as well.

As a first; apart from flight ticketing MakeMyTrip began by offering holiday packages and hotel bookings which was followed by their tie-up with IRCTC’s online business model.

This move not only increased their presence in railway ticket booking but also gave the much desired boost the Indian market was looking for!

And in a matter of no time, the company started making awesome revenues. The demand was so much that 1-out-of-every-12 domestic flights in India were booked through MakeMyTrip.

Within a year, the company had acquired 200,000 happy customers. As a matter of fact, when the world was in recession in 2008, the company was crossing their Rs1000-Cr mark.

The same year the company also recorded profits worth $5-million with gross revenues being approx $500-million.

From here onwards, the company brought about a lot of additions to its existing profile; be it launching a multi-city flight booking service “Alootechie.com,” adding chauffeur-driven online cab rental services or creating several travel-related Apps for all types of mobile devices, they made sure to leave no table unturned.

But the biggest news that came to light was their listing on NASDAQ, in August 2010!

This was like the ultimate blow for all its potential competitors. As satisfying and happy the moment was for them, it was equally a proud moment for India too, because MakeMyTrip was one of the very few Indian Dotcom companies to be listed on the US stock exchange.

This also bridged the gap between the foreign investors & Indian businesses; thus opening doors for a pool of foreign investments in India in the IT sector. Additionally, this also boosted the confidence of the young entrepreneurs which gave rise to a lot of start-ups in the future.

Since then, MakeMyTrip has majorly focused on expansion and up-ping the revenue which has been done through various mediums such as unique marketing strategies, product development, etc!

Phase III – Wide Expansion

During this phase of expansion; even though the company faced their share of problems, but at the same time they also managed to rise out of it bravely and used these hurdles to expand their reach far beyond their imaginations! These comebacks have also time-&-again been proved through their numbers.

One such problem they faced was in December 2013; the wealth of MakeMyTrip which was over $50-mil had been cut by halve & their net revenues declined 5.5% as well. MakeMyTrip was also seen to be booking losses worth $2.6-million.

Times were hard for them but as they had faced problems earlier, they were more prepared and experienced to tackle issues this time, and hence in the next quarter, MakeMyTrip successfully came back with a bang & proved themselves by reporting a 27.7% rise in revenues.

If that wasn’t enough then in march 2014, MakeMyTrip announced a $15 million innovation fund for new entrepreneurs in the travel circuit. And when we looked at the recent stats of the NASDAQ listed company; with a current market cap of $934-Million they seem to be growing drastically too.

And lastly; apart from initial investment of 2-million, MakeMyTrip has raised USD 10-million in 2005, USD 13-million in 2006 & USD 15-million in 2007 from investors such as SAIF (Softbank Asia Infrastructure Fund) Partners, Helion Venture Partners, Sierra Ventures & Tiger Global, till date!

Phase IV – Mergers, Acquisitions & Investments

Over the period of time, MakeMyTrip has also done some notable mergers, acquisitions & Investments, some of these include:

1. MyGola: A start-up travel guide firm was acquired by MakeMyTrip for an undisclosed amount in April 2015.

2. com: A Gurgaon based online health store received investment worth $6 million from Deep Kalra along with other investors such as Sequoia Capital, Omidyar Network, Intel Capital and Kae capital April 2015.

3. TrulyMadly: Deep Kalra also made angel investments in the matchmaking website in March 2015.

4. com (ETB): An online hotel operator based in Amsterdam was recently acquired by MakeMyTrip in February 2014.

5. Hotel Travel Group (HT Group): Again a Travel firm with operations in Thailand, Singapore and Malaysia was acquired in November 2012.

Related Post: Ratan Tata’s 10 rules for success

6. ITC Group: A Tour operating company based in Thailand was acquired in November 2012.

7. My Guest House Accommodation: A Budget Lodging / Hotel Operator based in Delhi was acquired in November 2011.

8. Le Travenues Technology Private Limited: The Parent company of Ixigo.com based in Gurgaon, which performs ‘online travel meta search engine’ was acquired by MakeMyTrip in August 2011.

9. Luxury Tours and Travel Private Limited: A Singapore based Travel Agency was acquired by MakeMyTrip in May 2011.

Achievements

• Chairperson of the NASSCOM Internet Working Group

• Member of the Executive Council of NASSCOM

• Member of CII’s Tourism sub-committee

• Awarded as the “Best Travel Portal India” by World Travel Awards (2014, 2013)

• Awarded as the “E-tailer of the Year” by ET Retail Awards (2014, 2013)

• Awarded as the “Best Online Travel Service Firm” by Times Travel Honours (2011)

• Listed as “Ten Best Companies to Work For in India” by Great Place to Work Institute (2013, 2012, 2011, 2010)

How V. G. Siddhartha Started – Founder and Owner of Cafe Coffee Day

V. G. Siddhartha – a man less famous by his name but whose work screams volumes, is the proud Founder & Owner of Cafe Coffee Day.

V. G. Siddhartha – a man less famous by his name but whose work screams volumes, is the proud Founder & Owner of Cafe Coffee Day. He was born into a family of coffee plantation owners from the Chikmangaluru district of Karnataka, who today, have been in the industry for more than 140 years.

He is a Master’s in economics from the Mangalore University of Karnataka and has two children from his wife Malavika Krishna – the daughter of S. M. Krishna, former Chief Minister of Karnataka, Indian Minister for External Affairs and Governor of Maharashtra.

Siddhartha always had the quality similar to that of a naturally born entrepreneur and to top that, he also had a mysterious ability to sniff out a good deal from every situation, too! Professionally, a restless and an extremely quick decision maker that he is, is a diehard workaholic and prefers to stay put for nothing less than 12-14 hours a day and 7 days a week.

And a collective combination of all of that; is a sum up of his business empire that bestrides retail (Café Coffee Day), financial services (Way2Wealth Securities), venture capital, hospitality, furniture, logistics (SICAL), and land development. Additionally, today Siddhartha holds a net worth of $1.09 Billion.

How it all began?

Siddhartha’s career started soon after he completed his studies!

Now, he could have easily survived off the 350 acres of coffee estate his family owned, but instead – the ambitious him, decided to start something that appealed to him, something created by him, something on his own! Agreeing to that; his father gave him Rs.5 lakhs and also told him that in case if he failed, he is always welcome to come back to the family business.

So with that money, he first bought a piece of land for about Rs. 3 lakhs and kept the rest in a bank.

Later, he landed in Bombay – the city where dreams came true, in and firstly, walked into a Dhaba Hotel and rented a room with a shared toilet for Rs. 120/day at fort. And he was doing all this when he was just 21!

The next day; Siddhartha – who had never seen elevators in his life, climbed up the six floors, just randomly walked into Mahendra Kampani of JM Financial’s office and that too without any appointment.

After a short wait and a healthy discussion, he got the lifetime opportunity to join Mr. Naveen Bhai Kampani J M Financial Services (now J M Morgan Stanley) in Mumbai as a management trainee/intern for trading in the Indian Stock Market.

During this whole phase, he learnt all about the world of investing and also gained the trust of Kampani. And in no time, Siddhartha was handling the accounts of some really big business houses.

Kampani personally trained him to understand the importance of those tiny pieces of gold on the surface and to grab them first, before diving head first in the stream. It was because of these wise words of Kampani, Siddhartha began buying his own coffee estates, by trading out the little pieces of gold he grabbed from the then upward trending stock market (if you know what we mean).

Now even though the job didn’t require him to do much, but being directly under the mind of the company, gained him the knowledge that was simply priceless and in fact, even today he considers himself lucky to get such kind of opportunity and for the valuable advices that he received.

After working with JM for almost two years, Siddhartha felt that he was ready to come back to start something of his own. He expressed his gratitude to Kampani and that he owes a lot to him and soon came back to achieve what he desired the most – business!

After two years Siddhartha moved back to Bangalore and with the remaining Rs. 2 lakhs decided to start his own financial firm. During that time, the stock market had crashed & he was looking around for a new investment opportunity that would gain him good returns and thus began Sivan Securities. At first, he bought a stock market card for Rs. 30,000, and then along with that, he also took over a company called Sivan Securities which later went on to be known as Way2wealth Securities Ltd in 2000.

And Siddhartha successfully transformed the venture into a highly successful investment banking and stock broking company.

The how’s & what’s of Cafe Coffee Day!

Later, after a period of 10 years; Siddhartha happened come across a German business owner, who was interested in buying coffee beans from him for his “leading coffee brand in Germany – Tchibo”.

During that brief discussion with the owner of Tchibo, he happened to spell out his story of how his brand had actually started in a small 10 ft. shop in Hamburg, Germany with a bare minimal investment, and how within a span of nearly 40 years, it had turned into a globally renowned Multi-Million Dollar business & the second largest coffee roaster in Europe.

This inspiring tale of the Tchibo, gave Siddhartha an outlook of a different world altogether & opened his eyes. It also gave him a wonderful idea, with the help of which, cup by cup he built his Billion-Dollar empire.

At first; cutting the middleman trend, he quickly started with exporting coffee in 1993, and named it “Amalgamated Bean Coffee” trading company and at the same time also bought a near-to-dying coffee curing unit in Hassan and turned it around.

Gradually, his company grew and within a span of just two years ‘ABC’ was India’s largest Coffee exporter.

Challenges

Having done that; this success also began to scare him, simply because if he could do it then any international player would also be able to do it very easily, and the barrier to entry was absolutely nothing.

The visionary that he was; for a fact knew that, whenever the investment climate in India would improve, these big-fat European and US trade houses that he dealt with, would come running and would quickly put up big factories next to theirs, giving a big threat to him.

This forced him to look for a long-term survival and dominance in the industry! He thought that building up a brand which had Ground outlets would actually create an undisolvable business model and would make his idea less prone to external threats.

Now at the same time back in the 20th century, South Indians were more driven towards filtered coffee than the rest, and coffee was mainly popular amongst the classes than the masses of Bangalore.

To add to that; the Government policies & the soaring high import and export duties made it even more difficult for Indian Coffee Planters, to keep low prices or to venture out into the International coffee cartel.

Hence, he picked up the task with an aim to change the present scenario!
Siddhartha headed to New Delhi, to convince the union government to end their monopoly over coffee, and returned with nothing but success. And in a snap, the highly-inflated taxes on coffee trade were drastically cut down.

Soon after that; he asked a girl who worked at his office to do some deep market research on the possibilities and opportunities were available to set up stores to sell branded coffee powder.

She studied the market and came back with results after a week. And clearly her result indicated that, she didn’t want him to waste his time and money, because the idea had no potential!

Having an internal target of 500 tonnes, this feedback was indeed scary for him, and also because everything of his was at stake, but nevertheless he decided to take the leap and go ahead with it!

In 1994, they setup 20-25 stores across Bangalore and 20 stores across Chennai which only sold coffee powder.
But soon after the start itself, he realised that margins were very limited in this business and that he would need a better option to survive. That is when luck played its part and in 1995, the café culture globally, picked up and he decided to transform!

It was just the perfect opportunity for him! It was a lifestyle business and a great way to build a brand.

He called in his management team and told them that he wanted to put up cafés across India. Within a budget of Rs.1.5 Cr; he told them to build a nice concept store and to attract audiences to his cafe and pay Rs.25 for a cup (at a time when people paid Rs.5), he decided to make it a Cyber Cafe with Coffee and Internet together.

This idea was even more bankable because, those days the Internet was still a luxury product limited only to the riches, posh places and cafes.

And with that, in 1996 he set up Cafe Coffee Day!

Business Expansion

The word about an Internet cum Coffee Cafe went viral and soon his place was the first choice for a hangout, amongst the youth. Witnessing this short success, Siddhartha also went on to open several outlets all over the globe.

And today, “Amalgamated Bean Coffee” trading company (ABC) grows its own coffee in its own estates of 12,000 acres. It is also the largest producer of Arabica beans in Asia and also exports the same to various countries like USA, Europe and Japan.

As of 2015; CCD makes revenues worth $450 Million approx., employees 5000+ people, and has 1530 outlets across India, Austria, Czech Republic, Dubai & Karachi.

Additionally, Cafe Coffee Day also holds multiple divisions which include:

• Coffee Day Fresh ‘n’ Ground
• Coffee Day Square
• Coffee Day Xpress
• Coffee Day Beverages
• Coffee Day Exports
• Coffee Day Perfect
• Coffee Day B2C Plant

Once a man who feared of achieving a target of 500 tonnes, today sells 6,500-7,000 tonnes of branded coffee, exports about 28,000 tonnes of coffee and sells another 2,000 tonnes locally each year, and has a curing capacity of 75,000 tonnes (largest in the country). Additionally; his cafes attract at least 40,000 to 50,000 visitors per week.

Other ventures that he is a part of

Global Technology Ventures Ltd. – GTV is the venture capital division of Siddhartha’s Sivan & owns 80% of the stake of it. It is a firm that targets, invests and mentors Indian companies which are engaged in cutting edge technologies.

Dark Forest Furniture Company (Daffco) – It is a furniture company which aims to venture into furniture market by building a 600,000 sq. ft. factory in his hometown. The company is also in the process of setting up one of India’s largest “Integrated Wood Processing” technologically advanced Plant.

SICAL Logistics – The firm is a specialist in transportation and logistics, which includes cargo management, warehousing, ship agency services, and clearing. Recently, they also acquired coal mines in New Jersey.

Other than that; he has also planted banana trees spread across 3,000 acres and plans to export bananas and make almost INR 200 crores out of it.

Lastly, he also part of the board in GTV, Mindtree, Liqwid Krystal, Way2Wealth and Ittiam.

Achievements

• Ranked as India’s 2nd most trusted brand in the Food Services segment
• Awarded as the ‘NextGen Entrepreneur’ by Forbes (2011)
• Won the Brand Equity survey by The Economic Times (2008)
• Awarded as the “Best Coffee Bar” by Times Food Guide (2007 – Delhi)
• Awarded as the “Best Coffee Shop” by Times Food Guide (2007 – Mumbai)
• Received the “Awaaz Consumer Awards” (2006)
• Awarded as the “Entrepreneur of the year” by The Economic Times (2003)

13 inspiring things successful people do to be extra productive

Check out these ingenious things millionaires do to be more productive – but don’t just read them. Apply them in your own routines and thought processes and see what happens

If only there were some magic formula to help us be our most productive, successful selves.

Of course, no such elixir exists, but we can learn plenty from the example set by millionaires. How do they manage their time so efficiently, learning to focus in just the right areas for critical impact? How do they know where to invest time for the greatest rewards?

Check out these ingenious things millionaires do to be more productive – but don’t just read them. Apply them in your own routines and thought processes and see what happens:

1. “Start with good people, lay out the rules, communicate with your employees, motivate them, and reward them. If you do all those things effectively, you can’t miss.” -Lee Iacocca, American automobile exec and developer of the Ford Mustang

2. “Your work is going to fill a large part of your life, and the only way to be truly satisfied is to do what you believe is great work. And the only way to do great work is to love what you do.” -Steve Jobs, founder of Apple

3. “Formula for success: Rise early, work hard, strike oil.” -J. Paul Getty, American industrialist and oil magnate

4. “Hard work certainly goes a long way. These days a lot of people work hard, so you have to make sure you work even harder and really dedicate yourself to what you are doing and setting out to achieve.” -Lakshmi Mittal, CEO of ArcelorMittal, the world’s largest steel-making company

5. “It’s not knowing what to do, it’s doing what you know.” -Tony Robbins, entrepreneur and bestselling author

6. “Productivity is never an accident. It is always the result of a commitment to excellence, intelligent planning, and focused effort.” -Paul J. Meyer, top-selling author of personal development materials in the world

7. “No hours, nor amount of labor, nor amount of money would deter me from giving the best that there was in me.” -Colonel Harland Sanders, founder of KFC restaurant chain

8. “Each time you make a good decision or do something nice or take care of yourself; each time you show up to work and work hard and do your best at everything you can do, you’re planting seeds for a life that you can only hope will grow beyond your wildest dreams. Take care of the little things – even the little things that you hate – and treat them as promises to your own future. Soon you’ll see that fortune favors the bold who get shit done.” -Sophia Amoruso, CEO of Nasty Gal

9. “Don’t spend time beating on a wall, hoping to transform it into a door.” -Coco Chanel, millionaire fashion mogul

10. “People don’t understand that when I grew up, I was never the most talented. I was never the biggest. I was never the fastest. I certainly was never the strongest. The only thing I had was my work ethic, and that’s been what has gotten me this far.” -Tiger Woods, golfer and spokesman

11. “The two most important requirements for major success are: first, being in the right place at the right time, and second, doing something about it.” -Ray Kroc, millionaire entrepreneur

12. “Hard work keeps the wrinkles out of the mind and spirit.” -Helena Rubinstein, millionaire cosmetics entrepreneur

13. “Efficiency is doing things right; effectiveness is doing the right things.” -Peter Drucker, management consultant and author

This article was originally published in I Am Wire

Image credit: www.asianefficiency.com

The top 10 quotes every entrepreneur should live by

Here are the top 10 quotes every entrepreneur should live by. Learn from Steve Jobs, Oprah Winfrey, Tony Robbins, Ted Turner, Anita Roddick, Chris Gardner, Donald Trump, Isadore Sharp, and Trip Hawkins.

1. Steve Jobs, Apple

“Believe that things will work out somehow… follow your intuition and curiosity… trust your heart even when it leads you off the well-worn path… You have to trust that the dots will somehow connect in your future… The only way to do great work is to love what you do. If you haven’t found it yet, keep looking. Don’t settle. As with all matters of the heart, you’ll know when you find it… Have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary.”

2. Oprah Winfrey, Harpo

“What I know for sure is that if you want to have success, you can’t make success your goal. The key is not to worry about being successful, but to instead work toward being significant – and the success will naturally follow… If you do work that you love, and work that fulfills you, the rest will come. And, I truly believe, that the reason I’ve been able to be so financially successful is because my focus has never, ever for one minute been money. Would you do your job and not be paid for it? I would do this job, and take on a second job just to make ends meet if nobody paid me. That’s how you know you are doing the right thing.”

3. Tony Robbins, Anthony Robbins Co.

“A real decision is measured by the fact that you’ve taken a new action. If there’s no action, you haven’t truly decided… The most important thing you can do to achieve your goals is to make sure that as soon as you set them, you immediately begin to create momentum. The most important rules that I ever adopted to help me in achieving my goals were those I learned from a very successful man who taught me to first write down the goal, and then to never leave the site of setting a goal without first taking some form of positive action toward its attainment.”

4. Ted Turner, Turner Broadcasting

“All my life people have said that I wasn’t going to make it… You can never quit. Winners never quit, and quitters never win.”

5. Anita Roddick, The Body Shop

“Whatever you do, be different – that was the advice my mother gave me, and I can’t think of better advice for an entrepreneur. If you’re different, you will stand out.”

6. Tony Robbins, Anthony Robbins Co.

“For changes to be of any true value, they’ve got to be lasting and consistent. Any time you sincerely want to make a change, the first thing you must do is to raise your standards… If you don’t set a baseline standard for what you’ll accept in life, you’ll find it’s easy to slip into behaviors and attitudes or a quality of life that’s far below what you deserve… Whatever happens, take responsibility… The only thing that’s keeping you from getting what you want is the story you keep telling yourself.”

7. Chris Gardner, Gardner Rich & Co.

“Find something that you love. Something that gets you so excited you can’t wait to get out of bed in the morning. Forget about money. Be happy.”

8. Donald Trump, The Trump Organization

“I was relentless, even in the face of total lack of encouragement, because much more often than you’d think, sheer persistence is the difference between success and failure.”

9. Isadore Sharp, Four Seasons

“Whatever you do, don’t ever use a crutch, and don’t ever think of having an excuse for not having said, ‘Yeah, I did my best.'”

10. Trip Hawkins, Electronic Arts

“One quality of entrepreneurship is just persistence, not giving up because you have road blocks and also not giving in because other people tell you that you’re nuts. You are nuts and you should be proud of it. Stick with what you believe in.”

7 Ways entrepreneurs stay motivated

Motivation comes in countless different forms, and in the entrepreneurial world, staying motivated is required to succeed.

Motivation comes in countless different forms, and in the entrepreneurial world, staying motivated is required to succeed. Below are seven tips for staying motivated in the entrepreneurial world.

1. Realize The Progress

That Has Been Made Entrepreneurs never look back with regret; instead, they see every mistake as a lesson. That doesn’t mean they don’t reflect upon their progress, though. If lacking motivation, take some time to realize how much progress has been made. It’s a great way to appreciate the personal progress that has been made and it can be pleasantly surprising, too.

“You can become exhausted by decision making and the day-to-day activities,” says Mary Ferguson, President of Concenter Services. “You need to always take breaks to stop and look back at the progress you have made on a continual basis to stay motivated.”

2. Meditate Each Day

Find some time every morning or evening (or both) to meditate. It doesn’t really matter what it takes to clear the mind, but finding a calming process to wipe the mental slate clean is a great tool for staying motivated. It invigorates and refreshes, allowing entrepreneurs to see each day as a new opportunity.

“It is important to stay laser focused on your strategy. Do not get caught up in the small details,” explains Stephen Hall, a Glendale EA and tax planning strategist. “I have seen small business owners get caught up in the small stuff and forget the top line revenue and the vision to motivate its employees and vendors for the overall big picture. It is imperative for small business owners to write their overall goals down on paper and look at the goals daily and ask themselves- is this activity achieving the goals written down?”

3. Exercise

For being so physically demanding, exercise is an incredible way to release stress and find motivation. By nature, exercise is similar to entrepreneurship – both involve hard work, excuses are not welcome in either, and they’re all about personal development. The dedication and motivation that comes from exercise carries over to entrepreneurship so don’t skip that workout.

4. Limit Decision Making In Other Aspects of Life

Entrepreneurs have to make a lot of tough choices each day and it can take a toll. Throughout the rest of the day, though, they tend to limit decision-making to keep things simple. It’s a great tool for motivating entrepreneurs because it keeps them sharp when their abilities are needed elsewhere.

5. Visualize The Future

Every great entrepreneur had a vision of what they wanted to achieve, and for good reason – it’s unbelievably motivating. Entrepreneurs owe it to themselves to know exactly what they strive to achieve because without a clear goal in mind, the drive to achieve greatness is limited.

“I personally prefer to turn those entrepreneurship pressures around and use them to push me and my business harder, faster, farther.” Aaron Schmitz, CEO and President of Equity Technology Partners explains that, “I’ve seen how a lack of motivation in entrepreneurs especially during the hard times can affect their mental and physical health and the health of their relationships both personal and professional and while it’s an easy trap to fall into it’s also avoidable.”

6. Take Time For Yourself And Your Loved Ones

Sometimes, a break is all that’s required to motivate an entrepreneur. They are human, after all, and they get tired. Spending some time with friends or family, or perhaps embracing a hobby, provides the refreshing mental break that allows for a proper return to form the next day.

7. Experience The World

Motivation comes from many places, and not just mental ones. With the unbelievable range of cultures, values, and regions across the world, inspiration and new ideas are virtually limitless. Entrepreneurs should explore the world and take advantage of all it has to offer. There are endless ways to find motivation in the world, so don’t hesitate to expand those horizons.

This article was originally published in Inc.com

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10 Ways to become a millionaire in 20s

Here are some steps to follow in order to start your journey towards becoming a millionaire.

Imagine if you could become a millionaire. How great would it be to have the money you need to live the lifestyle you have always wanted? Now imagine if you could do this in your 20s?

Even if you think it sounds like a stretch, it is possible to become a millionaire at a young age. It didn’t require years of school or training, just hard work and the right approach. Also please note that these rules can be followed at any age. When followed properly, they can help you become a millionaire sooner than you ever imagined. Here are some steps to follow in order to start your journey towards becoming a millionaire.

1. Focus on profiting from boring niches

So many people today think that if they want to become a millionaire, then they need to do so by following boring, widely accepted niches. It will take ages for you to become a millionaire through traditional occupations like becoming a lawyer, doctor or banker (in fact, these occupations usually have earnings limits that are very difficult to break through). Push past these pre-conceived notions of what it takes in order to become a millionaire. You don’t need to spend years in school to be a millionaire.

2. College and graduate school are irrelevant

If your number one goal is to become a millionaire, not to hold a specific type of job, then college and graduate school are pretty much irrelevant. They cost money, they can put you in debt and if you want to be a millionaire, you can learn everything you need to know online about most things without the big tuition costs.

3. Sacrifice your social life to study

It can be really hard to want to sacrifice your social life, especially when you are in your early twenties. However, if you want to truly become a millionaire, you need to be willing to sacrifice your social life in order to focus on your career. Spend this time studying, perfecting your talent or working on your skills, product or developing your company. The more you can focus on working on your talents instead of being out socializing, the better your time will be spent on becoming a millionaire.

4. Accept defeats and mistakes along the way

No matter where you are looking to go with your career, chances are you are going to face a number of defeats and setbacks. These mistakes are completely normal. What is important is how you handle them. My first millionaire student Tim Grittani actually lost a lot trading stocks for the first few months until he got the hang of it. Mistakes are normal. How you handle them is what sets you apart.

5. Aim higher than one million

Money shouldn’t be your endgame. Rather, you should focus on making the best product or service possible, and the money will come as a result from that. Your goals should always be growing and you should never feel like you are done working towards your goals. If you want to make $1 million, the second you reach that goal, you should be looking to your next one.

Also read: Why Following Your Own Dreams Is Not Selfishness

6. Don’t scam people

The key to making millions is patience and honesty. You need to be forthright when it comes to working with others, or you will never make as much money as you want to. Criminal or unethical money never lasts and it will never give you the type of professional reputation that you can use to create millions.

7. Take advantage of hot sectors

When certain sectors are really hot, you need to get in early to make your money. Take advantage of these hot sectors to start making your millions. Right now one of these hot sectors is social media, specifically Instagram, Snapchat and Periscope. These hot sectors can lead you to the millions you want to make.

8. You don’t need to focus on next generation technology

Many aspiring millionaires — especially young aspiring millionaires — think that they need to focus on next-generation technology in order to make their fortunes — this isn’t the case. Even merging something old and boring with a fresh take is what led to the creation of eBay.

9. It doesn’t matter where you live

One of the great things about the Internet is that it allows for sales, commerce and profits to come from anywhere. You can run your business anywhere that you have an Internet connection; you don’t need to physically live in a big market to make money. This is a great opportunity to live somewhere you actually want to live while still making a great deal of money.

10. Your business doesn’t need to profit for you to succeed

So many people are only focused on creating a business that has profits. Businesses don’t need to have profits — they just need growth, users and some edge. Many businesses are acquired just for their attributes other than profit margins (just look at how many Internet startups get sold). Focus on user growth rather than raw profits. No one pays for a good idea that’s lacking in users.

Also read: 12 Ways To Avoid Startup Mistakes

This article was originally published in Entrepreneur.com

Image credit: pfmag.com

10 Motivation strategies for entrepreneurs

We asked around 75 entrepreneurs how they get their motivation back. Here are some of the most popular techniques.

Motivation is elusive. Some days we’re pounding the keyboard, brainstorming ideas, and jabbering on the phone well past dinner; others, we look at the clock only to discover that lunch is still two hours and four minutes away. Especially during the holiday season, it’s hard to stay motivated.

We asked around 75 entrepreneurs how they get their motivation back. Here are some of the most popular techniques.

1. Take a Break

Taking a break is an obvious fix, but effective. It clears your mind and can even increase your creativity: exposing yourself to new ideas can help you be more creative in your own field. And, of course, some people claim to have their best ideas in the shower, or when they’re not actively thinking about work.

In fact, the Pomodoro technique for productivity and time management revolves around breaks, which punctuate 25-minute intervals of focused work. The idea is that your thinking is elevated by short rests. Working nonstop, however, can bog down the brain:

“When I’m not feeling motivated I just stop working. Personally I can’t get anything done well if I’m feeling ‘out of it,’ says Well.io founder and CEO Arin Sarkissian. “I’ll go hang out with friends, play a game, meet up with other founders, etc. Anything but work – sometimes you just need a break.”

One common way to spend that break is exercising. “I go for a run, but everybody has their own tricks. I have a friend that used to do underground fight clubs. He is one of the most talented designers I know, and a complete wacko,” says BJ Fleming, a content specialist at Grubwithus.

You can also take a walk, watch a movie, or plan a mini-vacation. BestBuzz founder and CEO Carrie Layne rents a pontoon boat and reads a book in the middle of a lake, or heads to the casino for some poker. “You most likely work seven days a week, so don’t feel guilty about running off on a Tuesday afternoon,” she says.

And Fundable founder Wil Schroter turns to good old video games:

“I come home, tell my wife how I’m feeling, sit down at my computer, and play video games for three to four days straight without a break. My wife just puts food next to my left hand and leaves me alone until I reset. Is that weird? Yes. But boy it works every time.”

2. Think about Your Customers

One big difference between online businesses and brick-and-mortar stores is the customer interaction, and it affects motivation. While small business owners might see smiles and happy faces all day, entrepreneurs are (more often than not) staring at their computer screens.

But customers and users are so critical to a startup – they are the ones who benefit from what you create, and they keep you in business. So, many entrepreneurs turn their thoughts to their customers to get back their motivation. “When I lack motivation, I go straight to my store locator on my website! I remind myself of how many great companies believe in us and it fuels me to move forward and continue to grow the business!” says Christy Cook, the founder of TeachMy.

If you want something more tangible, take a look at customer reviews and feedback – or create a short survey to gather some. Anita Malik, CEO of BrideRush, even keeps a “kudos board” on the wall that includes reviews from brides and vendors. “It energizes our small team on slow or frustrating days,” she says.

3. Think about Your Team

If you forget why you’re doing this, your co-founders and employees might help remind you. Like your customers, they’re also benefitting from your work: they get exciting jobs and the chance to create something new.

As Julia Hartz, president and cofounder of Eventbrite, says, seeing the enthusiasm of your team can give you a boost. “It’s hard to lose motivation when I go into the office every day and see 200 Britelings. I spend a lot of time focused on supporting our Eventbrite culture, and that serves as a constant source of motivation for me.”

Remember, these are people who have chosen to follow you and your dreams – and if you don’t stay motivated and give it your all, you will be letting them down.

Also read: 65 of the best Time-Management tips that will work for you

“As a leader, motivation is essential because having it or lacking it is infectious,” says Christian Gurney, the CEO of Torsion Mobile. “I think of the team and how I am responsible to them to make each day worthwhile and rewarding.”

4. Get Social

Talking to other entrepreneurs can be reassuring when you’re feeling down. In particular, it helps you realize that the ups and downs of startup life are perfectly normal. “I typically grab a meal or cup of coffee with other entrepreneurs,” says Jacqueline Jensen, cofounder and COO of Ticket Cake. “It’s refreshing to hear I’m not alone in the mountain-and-valley terrain entrepreneurs tackle each day. After some time with the community, I usually discover I’m ready to dive back in.”

For Brent Coker of Webreep, this is one good reason to mentor young entrepreneurs – their bright attitude is infectious and untempered by the harsh realities of failure. “Intense passion is contagious – unfortunately it gets diminished as you get older,” he says.

5. Get organized

If motivation is the drive to accomplish something, obviously we can’t feel motivated to do things we think are impossible. So when work starts to feel impossible, you can lose your motivation. To get it back, get organized and convince yourself that you can do it.

“I make a list. Sounds simplistic, but it works every time,” says Malik of BrideRush. “I usually get unmotivated when I feel overwhelmed, which is nearly daily when running a startup! The simple ritual of making a list in order of priority gets my brain moving again. I feel like I’m on top of it all rather than drowning in the details.”

6. Do something new

A lack of motivation can also come from a feeling of boredom, and shaking up your routine may be just the ticket.

“Entrepreneurism is a drug,” says Craig Negoescu, CEO of NAKA Media. “When things get routine, or safe, or tedious, you begin to slip. So you need to challenge yourself, get out of your comfort zone, and do something new with your business. To paraphrase a most interesting man, ‘Stay risky, my friends.’ The adrenaline of a new challenge will wake you up, energize you, give you a victory or a failure to learn from. And it’s cheaper than coffee!”

Also read: 20 Must watch movies for all Aspiring Entrepreneurs

7. Take responsibility

Many people are drawn to entrepreneurship because of the independence. When motivation wanes, remembering that everything is on your shoulders – your actions will determine the success or failure of your startup – can be a motivator. Deadlines and penalities can motivate, after all, even though they are negative incentives.

“The greatest thing that keeps me motivated and focused as an entrepreneur is that no one is paying the bills for me. Being the one in my company that is responsible for sales, it’s up to me to keep the company growing,” says Brian Bosscher of Condo Control Central.

To light the fire even quicker, take a look at a few of your metrics. “The typical motivation is looking at your fixed cost compared to revenue coming in. That’s the quickest slap in the face for motivation,” says Joel Gross, founder and CEO of Coalition Technologies.

Adds Rohan Hall, founder and CEO of Cool Mojito, “I look at my bank account.”

8. Count your blessings

“On my desk, I keep a picture of the old, drab cubicle I used to report to every day at my corporate job. Whenever I’m feeling unmotivated, I look at that picture and then look around me and see the vibrant and fun workspace I’ve created. It brings a smile to my face every time!” says Dale Burgham, owner of Revo Exotic Wood Guitar Straps.

According to Gallup, only 30 percent of Americans were engaged by their work during the first half of 2012. That means 70 percent of people spent their days bored, unchallenged, uninspired, watching the clock until 5 pm strikes. If you’re an entrepreneur, you’re probably not in that category – so consider yourself lucky.

“When I start to feel unmotivated I think back to my last ‘normal’ job and how much I hated it,” says Tech Cocktail contributor Danny Boice, cofounder and CTO of Speek. “It was a 9-5 corporate hell working for a large bureaucracy where posturing and politics mattered more than actual results. It was absolutely brutal and I really don’t think I could ever go back to a role like that. That’s not living.

“I make it a point to feel gratitude about the fact that I can do what I absolutely love with my life and there are very few people that can say that. It sounds trite but I really do force myself to stop and smell the roses. I know when I look back on this very point in my life it will be right up there with the birth of my kids in terms of happiness.”

9. Rediscover your inspiration

This is really the root. To get motivated, you need to remember why you were ever motivated in the first place: why you’re doing what you’re doing. Maybe you want to change the world, maybe add a little fun, maybe make people happy for 5 minutes per day – whatever.

“I try to go back to the beginning of my project. There was a reason why I started: passion, motivation, determination. I go back to the starting days of my business and rekindle my motivation in my company,” says 19-year-old Jeet Banerjee.

But inspiration can come from other places, too: quotes, the life stories of Steve Jobs or Thomas Jefferson, the Eminem song “Lose Yourself” (as one entrepreneur said), or a movie like Jiro Dreams of Sushi. Or, of course, your family:

“When I feel unmotivated, I close my eyes and think about (a) how hard my immigrant family worked to enable me to pursue my dreams,” says Sparkology founder Alex Furmansky.

10. Suck it up

If all else fails, a few entrepreneurs said, just suck it up. That basically means: tell yourself that being unmotivated isn’t an option. You chose this career, you choose this startup, and you’re the only one who can keep it going.

“Get tough. It’s important to remember that every minute of every day counts and you own your attitude and effort. There is always a solution to the problem. Staying motivated requires tremendous perseverance and creativity, but that’s what separates those who make it and those who don’t,” says David Rush, co-founder and CEO of Evzdrop.

You may also like: Why Following Your Own Dreams Is Not Selfishness

This article was originally published in Tech Co

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How to stay motivated after a startup failure

Here are four things to keep in mind to keep your spirit and motivation up after flop of your startup.

Achieving your goals and dreams is not always easy. This is especially true when it comes to building a business. Building a business is one of the hardest things anyone can do. It takes years of absolute dedication and effort to truly make a business thrive. The whole process of starting a business is physically, emotionally, and financially draining. And oftentimes we invest all that energy just to see the business we built fail. And that happens quite a bit. According to the Wall St. Journal, 3 out of 4 ventured-backed startups fail. And that’s just venture-backed startups. Bootstrapped startups, with no starting capital, have a higher failure rate. It’s a difficult thing to face for startup founders; seeing something you’ve put your blood, sweat, and tears into crumble. So the question for founders of failed startups is—how do you stay motivated keep going after the failure of your startup? Well here are four things to keep in mind to keep your spirit and motivation up after flop of your startup.

Take Comfort in the Fact that Most Startups Fail

Those who start businesses are extremely smart and talented (for the most part). But even with the talent and intelligence, you cannot get away from the nature of startup heartache. As a founder, you should take comfort in the fact that most startups do not succeed. The reasons for a business failing is plenty and many of today’s top entrepreneurs have emerged from previous startup flops. Andrew Mason, the founder of Groupon, actually founded The Point prior to his successful multi-billion dollar coupon site. Never heard of The Point? That’s because it never took off. Bill Gates, prior to founding Microsoft, was also the founder of the now-defunct Traf-O-Data. Sir Philip Green, the billionaire British businessman, went through at least three startup failures before making his first million in his thirties. So as you can see, startup failure is not an exception, it is almost a rule. Failure with your initial startup is almost a rite of passage for startup success. So take comfort in that fact. Take comfort knowing that even the brightest and richest have failed. Knowing that will give you the motivation to move on and try again. Because, as the famous Albert Einstein would say, “you never fail until you stop trying.”

Also read: 10 Reasons why Entrepreneurship is awesome

Have your End Goal in Mind

I’m sure one of your biggest goals was to make your startup a smashing success. But I want you to think bigger. Reach down deep to think about your ultimate goal. What is the purpose of starting your business? Why did you want to build a successful startup? Was it to provide a valuable product to society? Was it to support your dream lifestyle? Was it to give your family and loved ones the life they have always wanted? The startup isn’t the goal itself; it is a means to getting to the goal. So if one startup doesn’t work out, there are plenty of other opportunities for you to succeed and achieve your goals. Looking at the big picture and having the end goal in mind is an important element to keeping your motivation after startup failure. Without seeing the big picture and the end goal, you will be knocked down by every little mishap.

Also read: 8 Things Entrepreneurial People Do Differently

Giving Up is for the Weak

Being a business owner is a whirlwind adventure. You will feel the ultimate highs and the ultimate lows. It takes emotional resilience and grit to be able to be a successful business owner. And if you are planning on giving up after failing a few times, then you are not meant to be a business owner. So if you want to build a successful business, you have to be willing shrug off the lows. You have to be resilient and keep going. Otherwise, startup life is not for you. Essentially, giving up just means you don’t want it bad enough. And when you don’t want it bad enough, you will not survive in the competitive culture of business. You have to want to succeed enough to want to pick yourself up after momentous failure and embarrassment. Just like the hip hop preacher Eric Thomas said, “When you want to be successful as much as you want to breathe, then you’ll be successful.” So do you want success as bad as you want to breathe?

Experience is the Best Teacher

Your startup’s demise is temporal and momentary. It does not define your whole life and it does not mean you are a failure. Rather you should take the experience learned from the failure of your startup to do better the next time around. You can read as many books as you want or go to a thousand seminars; nothing can teach you as much about business and life as experience itself. Learning from the school of hard knocks and low blows is the ultimate vehicle of learning. So let the failure of your startup be your teacher and learn from the mistakes made during your failed startup to do better the next time around. And remember, many entrepreneurs failed at multiple businesses before finding a successful and thriving business. So take that experience and make something useful out of it. Let that experience motivate you to do better the next time. And trust me, you will.

Putting Everything in Perspective

It hurts to see something you invested so much time, money, and energy into just crumble. It hurts a lot. Because you have so much invested, it can hurt much more than losing a job or even losing a house. But in the end, you need to put everything in perspective and take a look at the bigger picture. Looking at the bigger picture and putting everything in perspective means that the chance of you succeeding with your first couple of startups is small. And just because your first startup flopped does not mean that you have failed. If you are smart enough, tenacious enough, and gritty enough, you will eventually build a successful business. You just need to keep motivated and keep going. You only fail if you stop trying.

Conclusion

Instead of being disappointed that your startup has failed, and start writing a new resume so you can get a job, think twice and learn from failure. Starting a business is not always easy, and it requires patience and a lot of experience.

Also read: The 15 Characteristics of Effective Entrepreneurs

This article was originally published in under30ceo.com

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