Entrepreneurs: Are You Comfortable? You’re Doing It Wrong

Entrepreneurs stop right now and think to yourself: are you comfortable? If you’re not, good job. I believe that if things around you are getting harder to accomplish, then you’re moving up and making progress. This post is all about moving out of your comfort zone to achieve your potential in both life and business. As someone who is self-employed, it’s extremely easy to become unmotivated and content with your business. What’s even easier is not moving out of your comfort zone. This has personally happened to me in the past, and I guarantee it will never happen again.

I’m taking you back to my first business, ZOR. If you haven’t read about ZOR in the past, check out these two links. I mention in those articles that I was invited into the Sydney CBD for a photo shoot and video interview for one of the most popular news websites in Australia, News.com.au. What I didn’t mention was that it almost didn’t happen. If there is one thing I hate it’s talking on the telephone. To gain some insight, they (the reporters) wanted to have an hour long chat on the phone talking about myself and my business – something I did not want to do. It may not seem difficult, but ask around and you’ll see that not many people enjoy talking on the phone; especially to reporters you’ve never met. This is where I needed to come out of my comfort zone and do something as simple as take a business related phone call.

Let me expand upon a phone call. A different issue which was making me contemplate going to this interview was the idea of having a camera put on me and then expected to act natural and talk about my business. Then there’s the photo shoot: random individuals putting make up on you and then being told to pose for the camera. Ugh… I didn’t think this was for me.

If I had declined to do this experience, I know I would have regretted it. In the end, the phone call went great and the interview and networking I did proved to be worthwhile. Getting out of my comfort zone at the time was what made me a better business person and it helped out my business for a brief period of time. After the day was over I was invited to do a Sky Business interview the day after. Sky Business is live television – a major step up from being recorded and having the benefit of starting over again if you mess up. I ended up saying no which I see now was a mistake. I didn’t back myself to not mess up and even now I still regret not doing it, if not to better my career then to further me as a person. We have to remember that from failure we gain the most important lessons in our life. Luckily for me I had a chance to redeem myself earlier this year for live TV.

I had the opportunity to go on an early morning talk show with Freelancer.com CEO Matt Barrie earlier this year. I had committed myself to getting out of what was once my comfort zone and embarking on a lifetime of zero limitations. While I was somewhat nervous as this was live television, it ended up going well and again I had made some great contacts. If my mentality was how it used to be, I would never of experienced this amazing opportunity.

So how do you get yourself out of your comfort zone? I have a few tips and tricks that I’ve used in the past that have helped me. The first is to be prepared and have a plan. Let’s use my past as an example and you’re invited onto television to promote your business. Your plan would include things such as a quick 20-30 second pitch of your product or service that you can memorize off the top of your head. You would also ask in advance for a list of questions that the reporter would be asking – this will give you time to pre-plan your answer.

Another tip is (if possible) partner up. If you’re going to a networking event, take a partner who you can bounce topics and conversation starters off of. You’ll feel better knowing you have a familiar face around and you won’t feel too much out of your comfort zone.