Over the past year I became increasingly curious about the characteristics of award winning entrepreneurs and creatives in my hometown, Bulawayo. I watched with tremendous awe as young Movie Directors, Music Producers, Life Coaches, Podcasters and diverse other artistes and emerging business personalities scooped Award upon Award. Naturally, my curiosity was triggered regarding the secret to their success.

This led to an indepth analysis of these high achievers’ habits leading to their glorious moments in the limelight and on the red carpet. These were my findings.

1. Authenticity

Authenticity is defined by Mindtools as the ability to be true to your own personality, values, and spirit, regardless of the pressure that you’re under to act otherwise.

Authenticity speaks of uniqueness, originality and identity. It’s what sets you apart from everyone else. This is a trait that many award winning entrepreneurs have mastered – and their strategy? Owning and telling their personal story far and wide, without fear or apology.

They speak openly about the vast challenges they have endured regarding their physical appearance, educational background, speech impediments, gender disparity or economic status, and how this has shaped who they are and what they do. In turn, boldly sharing their journey makes them both relatable and follow-worthy, which has a magnetic effect on their brand.

However, it’s important to note that sharing of personal anecdotes and other not-so-pleasant details must be done in a manner that aligns with the image that one is trying to project. The most successful personalities have mastered the art of creating the “boy or girl next door ” image while protecting their personal privacy. For example, while they may talk about an embarrassing fail at work which ultimately influenced the way they do business, they are often careful about divulging the sordid details of their marriage or relationships.

2. Passion

Award winners also consistently display an extraordinary level of passion for their craft and the values they represent. They embody the “go big or go home” mantra when it comes to spreading the word about their services and products and actually delivering quality to their clients.

They have come to understand that it’s virtually impossible to promote something unless you strongly love and believe in it. And so they invest a considerable amount of time and energy in spreading enthusiasm for their product or service, be it public speaking, catering, events management or financial advisory services. They practically eat, drink, breathe and live their business.

3. Consistency

Thirdly, consistency is a key ingredient in the ability of an entrepreneur to stand out and be noticed. This type of consistency is two-fold, presenting first of all in the discipline to continuously and reliably deliver a high quality service without excuse, and secondly, the ability to commit to delivering the same product or service without switching to whatever seems to be more fashionable at any given time.

This unfortunately is where many budding entrepreneurs struggle most. Considering that we live in the digital era and are constantly bombarded by hundreds, if not thousands of attractive business ideas on a daily basis, focusing on one thing can be quite the feat. It’s common to see entrepreneurs hopping from one business idea to the next as they are pulled in different directions by emerging trends and the overwhelming desire to keep up, which sadly hinders their ability to build authority, win trust and a develop a reputable brand.

A famous martial artist once said, “I don’t fear the man who spends a thousand hours practising many types of kicks, but I fear the one who spends a thousand hours practising one type of kick.”

The truth is: mastery comes with consistency, and it is this mastery which attracts clients and builds a strong brand. Brilliance without consistency is like a red Ferrari without wheels – it looks good but it won’t get you anywhere. It’s essential to focus on doing one thing repeatedly and with excellence in order to stand out and be counted in the business world.

As Aristotle aptly put it, ” we are what we repeatedly do. Excellence therefore is not an act, but a habit.”

4. Strategic networking

Finally, the ability to interact and form strategic connections with established business personalities is one of the biggest contributors to the success of the most outstanding entrepreneurs.

There are 4 types of high value connections:

i) Successful Corporates, who have the ability to grant you access to the big leagues in the business arena

ii) Government officials and delegates, who have influence in the area of policy making.

iii) The wealthy, who have access to money and are able to fund projects

iv) Community leaders who have influence over and access to people

The benefits of strategic networking can be attained by requesting mentorship from a prominent individual, pitching an idea to a prospective sponsor, or asking for an opportunity to tag along on their next community event .

Either way, the entrepreneurs that get to walk away with the cream are often those that make regular appearances at networking events and ensure visibility of their brand to the public, media and corporate world.

Instead of waiting to be discovered, they actively seek an audience with the most influencial people, from Corporates to government officials. They have mastered their elevator pitch and are able to convincingly market their business in three minutes to society’s most powerful people. Ultimately, it is these connections that usher them to greatness and help them get their foot through the proverbial entrepreneural door. As the saying goes, “your network is your network.”

If you’re wondering what go include in your three minute elevator pitch, I’ve provided a short but fail-proof guideline for your convenience:

• Introduce yourself. Keep it short and sweet. Give them your business card, if you have one.
• Talk about the problem your business solves in one sentence.
• Share how clients and investors will benefit
• Highlight what sets you apart from everyone else
• Ask for what you need – mentorship, advice, a recommendation, review or sponsorship.

Make a habit of connecting with high value individuals, and soon enough, doors of opportunity will open. Extraordinary success is possible for every entrepreneur that diligently harnesses the power of authenticity, passion, consistency and strategic connections.

In closing, we will draw inspiration from Miguel de Cervantes, who states that:

In order to attain the impossible, one must attempt the absurd.

Miguel de Cervantes

Image by kues1 on Freepik