No more Bullshit: The Ramblings of a Jamaican Toilet Paper Tech Entrepreneur

Been reminded again, of just how a good book can be so damn disruptive to your life. I have to admit, when I first heard about the Toilet Paper Entreprenuer, Mike Micalowicz, I listened politely and then immediately forgot about him. Even as I trust the opinion and recommendations of my regular guest blogger David Mullings, CEO of Real Vibez Media. In fact it was David who flew Mike down the first time he came to speak in Jamaica and it was to a bunch of University students at the University of the West Indies. Sorry David. ☺
You see I’ve read A LOT of best selling business books and I’ve gotten something out of most of them. But honestly I’d told myself already…ok enough business books, just get on with the business of welll, running my business. Plus I’d have my share of successes and failures, so what’s the big deal anyway. That changed this week. It started with me prepping for the event, Mike’s second speaking engagement in Jamaica this time brought down by Gale Peart, Ceo of MyEliteGrocer.com to speak at the Technology Innovation Centre at the University of Technology.

I began digging deep into Mike’s blogs and reading whatever interested me, googling him and seeing what people were saying about him. Then it happened, he hit me between the ideas with his 3-sheet business plan idea. That concept stopped me cold and brought me back to basics. You see I think I got caught up in doing business in the business-by-the-book way sometimes, the way they teach in MBA programmes, the success formulae some stodgy business books serve you, books, mostly written by theorists were too busy teaching entrepreneurship to becoming one.

Decisions, Decisions, Decisions…*steups*
I’ve been at one of those decision-making crossroads again with my business Connectimass – a Digital Marketing Agency focused on Internet Marketing Strategy development and execution with special emphasis on Social Media Marketing, Word of Mouth Marketing, Online Advertising and Trend research, in addition to its spin offs products SiliconCaribe.com – the Caribbean Technology Blog and Kingston Beta the networking event for tech entrepreneurs.

You see, I’d just made one or two mistakes in a digital marketing campaign for what many would call a big deal client. And being my harshest critic I quickly raked myself over a mile of coals…for a little anyway. The project had me asking some key questions though…how would I have done it differently, what did I learn and how as I going to move past it quickly. Mike’s three sheets business plan made me quit the mini pity party big time. When I saw the post on his blog, I didn’t let it go until I had finished my three liberating sheets of a business plan.

It was a scarey, good, kick in the ass that made me focus even more sharply, it challenged me to redefine where I really wanted to go and how plus it confirmed a few things I had already begun to do. With SiliconCaribe.com…I’m launching a weekly video blog next week with David Mullings as my main co-host and with Kingston Beta…we’re coming with a wicked idea to amp up the networking event and also the Pitch This segment which has been getting rave reviews. So before Mike even set foot on di Rock, he had gotten into my consciousness.

Mike’s the Tony Robbins of Entrepreneurship

Then Mike Micalowicz came to Kingston, Jamaica again. Gale had seen Mike the first time he came, caught his bug and couldn’t, didn’t want to shake it. She had roped me in too, by inviting me to bring Kingston Beta to be part of the event. I quickly said yes. The full house event went very, very well. Now, having experienced his presentation, which included him copping a squat on an overturned potty, which was a front and centre stage prop, I’ve now dubbed him the Tony Robbins of Entrepreneurship. Why? Well his passionate, animated delivery style; sense of humour; infectious can do, You CAN do it attitude; amazing rapor with the audience and his back to the basics mantra of Belief+Action=Results. I need that and exactly at this moment. As they say, when the student is ready the teacher appears.

I think it resonated with me, because it was like a one on one conversation- from one entrepreneur to another. It moved me too because of where I was at the time…in one of those I’m-doing-it-been-doing-it-but moments. So, I bought a book and yep, the last few days it has had that proverbial, I can’t put the damn thing down kind of a thing. In fact I’ve been loathing anything that interrupts my time with it. I’m on the latter half of it, but it has already disturbed, shaken and spawned the following confessions.

Confessions

1. I’ve always thought that a business plan was a total waste of my time, but I yield to my university education and all the other experts. It is indeed a work of fiction as Mike said. You dream up numbers and projections in a bid to impress whom? Isn’t that what’s screwing parts of Corporate America now. I’ve done 1 in my life because it’s what we were told we should do, if we’re serious about business and want to be taken seriously. I won’t do that shit again, I already have my three sheets.

2. When Mike wrote… “Starting a company is about serving your needs, your beliefs and your values first.” I was like…A wah do dis bredda yah, is he on crack?!! But then again I remembered, I’d started out with this belief somehow at the start of my entrepreneurial journey 10 years ago, even said it out loud a few times, but I thought I was being naïve, foolish, even reckless. In fact it was a reason I left a previous business partnership to do things my way. But that line in the book reminded me that at times, we really do instinctively know what’s best and where to go, but give in to the shoulds from the experts and naysayers instead of trusting ourselves, our own mind and our own way.

3. Who’s Your ideal customer? Mike’s asks in Chapter Four. Hold up! You mean I get to choose who I work with and STILL grow a very profitable company? Hello!!!! Mike wrote it, he believes it and has lived it. This was a belief I’ve entertained in spurts because I had this limiting belief that since I’m based in Jamaica how could I realistically achieve that. Thankfully, I’ve found my way back to that belief, out of sheer frustration than anything else really. I figured, I’ve tried the other ways, so I’m gonna go back to the starting point and really act on it and stick with it this time, do not waiver and see what happens. So having read it there, makes me feel like I wasn’t so damn crazy after all.

Scoreee!!!
Ironically, this week I landed another one of those clients I am really going to enjoy working with- one that reflects my beliefs, values and way of doing things. Ahhh yeah! I have to confess too, that doing business in Jamaica had made me start to hate what I loved to do…how come? By working for a couple of mind-numbing, soul sucking clients who I had to chase down for my money or who demanded you create a miracle and place a band aid over their product or service sore. I just felt like a whore! I tolerated all of that back then, because I felt like part of a club. Wherever I turned ( yeah what you focus on you surely will find) I could find an entrepreneur in my industry who had similar experiences plus I figured hey my company is scoring some of those clients everyone said I SHOULD be happy to have.

Lesson learnt. I may live in Jamaica but without question my skills, expertise, products, companies and blogs are applicable to the Global Caribbean marketplace and ohh yeah the rest of the world. It has always been belief that came and went, but never 100% acted on and daily until now.
Lawks, I’ve rambled this much and I’ve just reached Chapter 6 out of the 10 chapters, but who cares. It’s just what this book will do to you, make you wanna run, hide, cuss, switch, tweak, not sleep, get excited, want to talk, confess, share and get going.

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