The staff opened the doors to my gym in Los Angeles particularly early one day. At 5:00 am, there was only one other person with me in the facility. As I stepped on the treadmill, I noticed out of the corner of my eye that the other early bird in the gym was a large athletic fellow on a stationary bike. It was early in the morning, and I was in robotic mode; I wasn’t thinking much, I wasn’t noticing much. I was simply focused on the run and the tunes in my iPod.
He was pumping hard on the bike and finally I heard grunting noises through my sound isolating earbuds. This was very loud grunting from someone who clearly didn’t care who heard him. I glanced over and did a double take, noticing the mans’ distinctive facial tattoos: Mike Tyson working out in my gym. Mike reminded me of a great analogy: Why athletes are like great entrepreneurs.
Years of experience as an entrepreneur and an athlete have taught me that entrepreneurs are similar in at least six ways:
1. Training and Muscle Memory: Just as an athlete repeats the same motion in order to perform action without thought and develop instinctive reactions, an entrepreneur must find that repeatable sales process in order to grow a business. What benefits does a client receive from the product or service that they can’t do without? Need sells products and services, not just wants. An entrepreneur’s training comes from talking to potential customers and bootstrapping.
2. Laser-Like Focus: You have to practice hard to play hard, and practice often. Entrepreneurs run alpha tests, and then beta tests over and over until they get it right. Such practice will make them ready for the ring. Focus on that one big problem that needs to be solved. Everything else is gravy. Pete Carroll, now coach of the Seattle Seahawks tells his athletes not to play the game of their lives, but rather to play the game the way they have been training to play.
3. Disciplined Behavior: Athletes get up early to workout, eat right, and sacrifice time elsewhere. This active discipline is comparable to spending countless hours editing the website, making the time to listen to customers, or giving up weekends. Successful entrepreneurs just can’t turn it off.
4. Vision and Focus: Vision is long term and focus is in the moment. Your vision is to win the championship; your focus is on one punch at a time. Entrepreneurs need to have long-term vision and day-to-day focus. How will you build the company over time? How will you meet this week’s payroll?
5. Finding Your Voice: Focus + Vision= Your Voice. Whether you want your voice to be like Iron Mike or Steve Jobs, it takes the same focus, just a different vision.
6. Teambuilding: It takes a team to be successful in all sports. Even solo sports like boxing or tennis have a team of trainers and promoters to guide the athlete toward the winning pathway. Entrepreneurship is a team sport. It is very difficult to go it alone.
As an entrepreneur, how are you going to train, focus, and be disciplined? How will you build that great team?
The answer? Just like Mike.
