The media is lying to you.
They tell you that you need a four-year degree and a corporate job to be successful. That if you drop out of high school or college, you might as well as kiss your future goodbye.
That’s bullshit. Entrepreneurs learn best through hard-earned experience.
My good friend Randall Pich, CEO of international fitness apparel powerhouse, Live Fit, knows this better than anyone—the man dropped out of college and taught himself graphic design after all!
Here’s what you can learn from Randall’s story.
Listen to Your Audience
In college, Randall was a personal trainer at Bally’s. He started doing so well that he left and started his own personal training business.
That’s when he began designing apparel exclusively for his clients. It wasn’t long before videos of those clothes went viral on Facebook, and soon his clients’ friends all wanted in.
His audience was telling him something: “Hey, we like your personal training, but we LOVE the gear you make even more.”
Sometimes you run a business, but better opportunities come by. Great entrepreneurs know which opportunities to take and when to take them.
You’ll Fail Before You Succeed
Randall has founded more than one brand. In fact, he’s had several.
So why haven’t you heard of any of the others? They never took off.
Truth is, Randall wouldn’t be where he’s at today without those failures, or what I like to call “entrepreneurial scars”.
Again, nothing is more valuable to an entrepreneur than real world experience. It’s time under tension. You take imperfect action, you learn, you course correct, and you try some more.
Be Resourceful
Randall wasn’t just an overnight success. He’s been an entrepreneur since he was 14 and deep in the skate scene.
H grew up poor, so when he needed money he’d sell his old skateboard parts off.
And when he only had $300 to his name, he used it to print t-shirts that he resold for profit. He’d then reinvest the profits back into his business…
It brings up an important lesson: when you don’t have the resources, get resourceful.
No excuses. Hustle and make it happen.
Hone Your Social Skills
As a personal trainer, Randall had to sell personal training to people from different backgrounds, which meant he had to learn how to connect with different types of people.
Those social skills took him a long way, and they can take you a long way too.
If you want to become an entrepreneur, get a job in sales or service. When you work in sales, you learn how to overcome objections.
It also helps to be likable. As Randall puts it, you want to be someone that everyone wants to do business with.
Think Bigger
How would I sum up Randall? He’s authentic and he thinks big.
You need to think big as an entrepreneur. Even if other people think you’re stupid.
Listen, both Randall and I share our dreams with people that won’t shut us down. People we can trust.
There will be crabs in your life that don’t want to see you succeed. It’s your job to edit those relationships, work in silence, and protect your dreams at all costs.
Want to hear more wisdom from Randall Pich? Click here to watch my exclusive interview with him on my show, the Empire Podcast!