Skip to main content

Book-Worming Your Way to Success - Entrepreneur 2012 2/4

The Entrepreneur 2012 Conference at Excel pushed onto Day 2 and after Day 1 I was starting to go a bit loopy. I hadn't sat and listened to anything so capitalist in years and it was starting to play on my vagrant mind. Burlesque with Bill Clinton was really all I had signed up for so all of this was a random side show I guess. Not to mention a Himalayan injury to my tail bone was starting to give me jip.

Reading Hap Working the World
between speakers
To Kick off Day 2 the Conference MC Raymond Aaron an accomplished author of both the Chicken Soup for the Soul and Dummies Guide To franchises put it very simply by preaching "stop being in a sea of sameness" and that frankly you are no one until you have a book. Just the 2 days before I had received a copy of my University friends first book "Hap Working the World". Just being able to say Hap has written a book elevates peoples opinion of him. As I listened to Raymond talk of the most powerful business card in the world, it made me think that my backpacking friend who has experienced so much in the past years sending him into debt and leaving him in a crisis with the "what next?" question playing like a broken record for him (and for me for that matter! another ah-ha moment) that in fact Hap has secured his ticket to the lift on the J curve of success. He had dumped all his earnings into the past 10 years of adventure and personal growth, are now the tools to succeed far beyond the potential of the people he may have envied for their normality along his path.
Raymond gave me a sense of joy for my friend and helped me recognise we all have a story. And I am delighted you are sharing my journey with me.

Next up was another Australian and despite his books title being the Thrillionare and my initial impressions this guy would be my Entrepreneur of the conference to listen to, I was disappointed.  Nik Halik is another entrepreneur of middle men status and Property fame he has spent his fortunes on testing the boundaries of thrill seeking tourism, moving to Russia to become a civilian Astronaut and base jumping from a plane flying over Mt Everest. He was not a terribly enthralling speaker and raced at a pace that sent me out of the auditorium for a drink of water.

Finally for my day I saw Caprice, a former supermodel, world famous in the UK for some bad relationships as far as I could gather. As a key note speaker she was not part of the Multi Million Dollar billing of paying speakers but an honest business women who is working to make her brand of underwear and swimwear a staple in the M&S loving British retail space. She was honest and likable and completely unabashed about her desire to grow her business by rewarding her team and not being embarrassed for seeking grants for expanding her business or trading on her supermodel name. The later was a real issue with the men in the audience alas they couldn't grasp she has to manage her PR very carefully and that if managed well will be her weapon against her competitors. When asked what her next goal was, in true girly fashion, she replied "to be a mother". That seemed so brave amongst a group of entrepreneurs who seem to feed off the weak and would question how she will find the time for business and family. But that's living the sweet spot right?


This is part of a 4 Part Series on Entrepreneur 2012 

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

ticking boxes has never been so enjoyable

Arriving in Vienna hadn't started well. The door to the train wouldn't open. Finding another open door, I was left with a mother and 1 year old with a Trunkie, no husband, 4 year old, luggage or money. Turns out the family were Hungarian-Australian and on their way to the airport Oz bound so doing my good travellers deed for the day packed Mum, son and Trunkie off to the airport in a shuttle. I really hope they all made it home together. I found my way to the hostel and then given the bright sunshine took to the streets having missed the opportunity to take photos of every other city in sun so far! I made my way to the central Basilica and then wandered the streets finding a Schnitzel house filled to the rafters, a ornate clock, music singing through the streets, pianos being practised on and some of the most beautiful shoes I have ever seen (fit only for Elton John let it be said!). The film festival on that evening started at 9pm and with a rain shower about to hit I opted f...

My My Myanmar

I have been touched, pinched, squeezed and had my back rubbed as I was sick. Myanmar is one phenomenal place which I have so much hope for. Hope for democracy, hope for development and hope for conservation, all in a gradual process without losing its authenticity. I have felt safe, with my large amounts of cash (remember no ATM’s so budgeting became a real past time of all travellers not just the “budget” ones) and in pilgrimaging crowds, in villages and on rickety hill top roads, travelling solo or in a crowd. Not once did I fear for my personal safety or that of my belongings. I had to stop myself on the first day from being so travel weary and closed. I had to trust. I had to open up and Myanmar may well have taught me one of my greatest lessons on my Big Adventure. captive in Myanmar There were moments of democratic desire, like an aged village monk carrying a bamboo log who stopped me to ask “Do you know Aung San?” to which I replied quietly knowing it was a very c...

Footsteps for the fallen

rDear Dad, Today has been the single best use of this day in the past 9 years. And I hope my story makes you proud of your little girl. Today at 12 noon being 1am on the 7th of March in NZ I set off on a half marathon around the Silverstone F1 track in England. I clearly had DAD printed on my left hand, my nails painted red and black and a capital A on my right hand. Who would have thought I'd be in Cantab colours! This was all the inspiration I needed to get around the track. I set off at a strong pace making the first 2 miles in 18.45. I was supposed to be running a 10 minute mile pace but like most long runs I needed the loo and that spurs me on. I stopped for the loo at 2.5 miles and this put me off entirely as the break must have been 4+ minutes. Alas I took the inclines, hairpin turns and celebrity participants in my stride. At 9 miles I felt strong as I ran down a gravel hill towards the last stretch to reach  the final lap on the track. I spotted my good friends Holly...