I have never been one to listen to podcasts, but over the past few months, that has changed. As a new business owner, I am determined to grow my knowledge and surround myself with wise people. My favorite new podcast is Grit Happens by Glenn and Mindy Stearns.
Why this podcast? Well, my husband and I recently binge-watched season one of Undercover Billionaire and are currently watching season two. We loved it! This show was basically the brain child of Glenn Stearns. It demonstrates the amount of hard work and determination that is required to succeed in business. The story is intertwined with little nuggets of excellent business advice for those who are trying to launch or expand their own businesses.
If you don’t know Glenn Stearns’ story, you should do yourself a favor and find out. Rising above his childhood circumstances required a lot of grit and resolve. It is a very inspiring story. However, this blog post is not a history lesson about Glenn. You can find that elsewhere.
Today I am focusing on how we can apply Glenn and Mindy’s advice from their Grit Happens episode entitled “Adapt, Adjust, Achieve.“ As a disclaimer, there are a few select words that I don’t quite endorse. The overall message is so good though.
Has this past year seemed like one giant curveball? When it was thrown at you, how did you respond? Did you take the opportunity to look for ways to overcome the challenges and lead your company out of the crisis?
How we respond to these curveballs says a lot about our character and determination to rise above our circumstances! In this podcast, Glenn teaches us how to adapt when faced with curveballs, how to adjust our course if needed, and how to still achieve success even when faced with what may seem like insurmountable challenges.
So, how do we adapt, adjust, and achieve in our own businesses?
Change Perspective
Even if it seems like our businesses have spun out of control over the past year, we can’t let that be the final word. We are stronger than our circumstances. Ultimately, it comes down to our mindset or perspective. Instead of letting ourselves be consumed by worry and darkness, we need to make the decision today that we will rise above the darkness. Glenn Stearns had to make this same decision back in 2007.
Glenn shared a story about how he was lying in bed unable to sleep in the midst of the financial crisis in 2007. Feeling like dark clouds were engulfing him, Glenn was being crushed under their continual blackness. Yet, as he lay in bed, this Bible verse came to his mind, “Be still, and know that I am God” (Psalm 46:10). Glenn says that at this moment, he knew that everything was going to be okay.
The next morning when he awoke, Glenn was filled with peace, his steps were lighter, and he knew that he was going to get through this. He realized that he’d put too much pressure on himself. As soon as he let it all go and admitted the crisis was outside his own control, the world changed for him.
In that one moment, Glenn’s perspective had changed. He had a renewed sense of vision for his company and its future, along with his own personal future.
Just as Glenn changed his perspective, so must we! We must decide that our emotions will not control us. We are stronger than that. By changing our mindset, we are able to see the future more clearly.
Address Problems Head-On
In the same way that we must change our perspective, so we must also make a conscious decision to address problems head-on!
If we take a sit-back-and-wait approach, we will never rise above the trying circumstances or experience the full success that is possible for our company.
After Glenn had this life-altering perspective change, he focused on a list of his company’s current problems. These obstacles were standing in the way of Glenn successfully making it through the financial crisis. Committed to meeting each of these obstacles head-on, he made a plan to deal with each one individually. In essence, Glenn made a decision to run into the fire rather than running from it.
Running into the fire meant that even if he needed to take a last minute, red-eye flight across the country to save his company without knowing if the person would even agree to meet with him, Glenn did it! He was dedicated to figuring out how to move past the major problems threatening to dissolve his company.
Just as Glenn says in this podcast, if we don’t face our problems and address them head-on, the answer will always be no! On the flip side, if we face the issue, we are given the chance to overcome it and turn that no into a yes.
Which option would you pick? I know my answer! I am not a wait-and-see type of business owner. Instead, I am intent on meeting every problem head-on and determining how I can rise above it and turn the problem into a success story. How about you? What will you choose?
Go the Extra Mile
When we are truly committed to addressing our problems, it will often require us to go the extra mile or step outside of our comfort zone. If we are floundering in the sea of an unknown future, we must make hard decisions. They might not be comfortable or enjoyable, but they are necessary. In order to make these decisions, we need to be willing to go the extra mile, even if it is inconvenient for us.
Glenn recommends that when you are facing a major hurdle with someone, you need to get in front of them and have a face-to-face conversation. He says that sending an email, leaving a voicemail, or sending a text message is not always enough. The red-eye flight that I mentioned above was because of this viewpoint. Glenn knew that if he wanted any chance of retaining this business relationship and convincing the person to continue working with him, he had to do it in person! And guess what? It worked, and it saved his company.
Are we committed to going the extra mile in our businesses?
We might not be facing a huge hurdle like Glenn was, but we all have areas that could use that extra oomph to help our businesses overcome obstacles and move to the next level.
Here are some practical ways we can walk this out in our own companies:
- Schedule a lunch with a client who is thinking about walking away.
- Find a way to show your employees that you care about them.
- Empty the office trash cans to make it easier on your janitorial staff.
In essence, we must be willing to go the extra mile for our companies regardless of our circumstances.
Eliminate Fear-Based Decisions
Addressing our problems and going the extra mile can be hard. These types of situations can lead to a lot of fear. However, it is what we do in these situations that shows our character. If we are filled with fear, do we take it out on others, spread our fear throughout the company, and let it overflow onto all of our decisions?
In 2008, while the rest of the country was still in the midst of the financial crisis, Glenn found that he was actually succeeding, even thriving! In fact, Stearns Lending became the largest independent mortgage company wholesaler in the entire country.
How did this happen? Glenn committed to not make fear-based decisions. He knew that fear-based decisions are not good decisions. They are based on overreactions to current circumstances. Glenn says that if we run just because everyone else is running, we are running in fear. Instead, we must choose to be the leader that our company needs by adjusting and adapting to the situation and rising above our circumstances.
Admittedly, life can be really hard. However, when we look back on the hard times, will we be able to say that we rose above our circumstances and chose to walk in confidence not in fear?
Let us choose to stand up straight, be confident in our abilities, and make good decisions that will benefit our company.
Are You Ready?
So, are you ready to take Glenn Stearns’ advice? Do you want to adapt, adjust, and achieve in your own business? I assume so, or you wouldn’t be reading articles to further your knowledge and grow as a business leader.
If one of your company’s problems is a lack of powerful copy, address that issue head-on. Hire someone to create outstanding copy that grabs your audience’s attention. The Inspired Copy has a Digital Story Makeover to help you do just this! I can help you go the extra mile with your copy. Send me a message! Let’s make this happen!
