With just over two weeks to go until the Shell LiveWIRE LIVE! event in London, we'd like to share with you these inspirational words of advice from our fantastic guest speaker Will King (King of Shaves):
Entrepreneurialism: King of Careers!
'When I was a youngster at school, career paths seemed pretty much determined and doled out by the Careers Officer. Banker? Lawyer? Blue Collar? White Collar? Doctor? Who knew that within a few short years that the path of "taking charge of one's very own destiny” would become a job title itself? That is where we are now.
With the global economic reset (read collapse) of the past few years, bankers who thought they were safe, weren't – along with many others treading the "wage slave" (i.e. salaried job) route.
For sure, education is important in whatever career you're considering – but after you've completed your stint (or maybe, not – many top entrepreneurs "drop out" prior to graduation) you'll have proved to yourself you can finish something, and getting on with providing a service, making a product or offering advice, insight then is the natural next step to becoming "an entrepreneur".
With convergent globalisation happening at an ever increasing pace (the world is smaller now, digitally connected and there for the taking), whatever it is you are planning on doing, you can do it yourself – noting a few key pointers.
• First, to get big you need to start small. Big is just small scaled up, so if you're wanting to really change things in a big way, don't think you're going to do this by starting a coffee shop. Or, maybe not… Starbucks started off with one shop!
• Second, there is no place to hide for rubbish, or even average, or even good businesses these days. With the Internet, a few astute keystrokes can reveal whether something is good, or not – without ever leaving your screen (or smartphone). So, don't be thinking "that'll do – I'll launch that” will cut it. It most certainly will not.
• Thirdly, look beyond our shores to see what's going on in the world. And suck in knowledge like you're a Dyson – you can never have enough of it, and your brain will know what to keep in (and filter out) as you gain experience.
• Fourthly – embrace the notion (courtesy Adidas and Nike) that "Impossible is Nothing. Just Do It”. Who'd have thought within 18 years, King of Shaves would be the only other system razor brand to challenge Gillette & Wilkinson Sword – through delivery of the King of Shaves (not just "a shave"), and with our knowledge of patents and intellectual property, we are rapidly delivering a reputation for a great shave, and without the cost too! So, on the basis that a journey of 1,000 miles starts with one step, take the first, then the second, and see where you go.
• Finally, embrace a (personal) knowledge and "get going, get done" philosophy that you can reference when you need a bit of help. I developed the acronym S.P.A.C.E to help me get through the weeks/months/years that it will take to become in your (and maybe your parents and peers) eyes, a success. I'll be explaining what S.P.A.C.E. is, how it's helped me, and what it might do for you at the Shell LiveWIRE LIVE! event in London on 9th November.
So, light your blue touch paper, fire up your knowledge banks and look around you to see what YOU can do better, for you – and for others. You never know where you might get to, or what you might achieve, unless you try. I'm glad Steve Jobs did…and that I did too, in my own little way. Make things happen!'
Will King
King of Shaves
10/25/2011
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