Steve Richardson – Problem Solver, Motivator. He is the author of Become a Better Leader in 30 days. He helps people that are starting businesses, business plans and things of that nature. Through Cerritos Foundation, an affiliate of the Kauffman Foundation he does training on business growth and entrepreneurship.
Success is nothing more than a series of failures that we learn from.
He really liked a book “Linking on Leadership” by Donald Phillips. It was really helpful and stuck with him for a long time.
Managing Transitions by William Bridges is a very practical book.
What is important to remember that things build on each other!
It takes a combination of passion and the ability to risk but also that same ability to measure things out so that your risk isn’t crazy. You have all these life experiences and that helps you to measure it all out and that helps you to make the next step.
Before writing his book, his roadblock was he doesn’t like writing and he thought he was going to write a big chapter. Gave himself permission to write short chapters. This made writing the book easier.
He took the route of self-publishing. He edited his first draft, asked a friend that was knowledgeable with the topic to review it, and then had a circle of people that volunteered to edit the book. Also have a circle of people to read your book before going to the publisher because what you think you said isn’t always what people hear you said. Do some testing, readers that will give you honest feedback.
You can do Kindle, digital, soft cover. He did his soft cover with a self-publishing division of Thomas Nelson Publishers called WestBow Press.
Try a social media marketing approach to keep expenses down and start a grassroot following; set up a YouTube channel, Twitter, Facebook. It takes time to build.
Doing podcasts can open up a new audience.
Thinking about starting up a Medical Mission Charity:
1. Find out if you have a circle of people that share your passion or support you personally.
2. Check to see if pharmaceuticals companies would be willing to donate materials to do this.
3. Legally form the non-profit and examining cost.
4. Think about donations, circle of supporters, cost to deliver in other countries for a 3-year period. Always do 3-year projections.
Fill a niche and have staying power. You have to have enough funds for a 3-year period and have identified support mechanisms for the 3-year period. Can apply for a grant 501C3. Expand on the people that want to support you in the long term, use word of mouth to multiply the relationships.
Thinking about starting up a Profit business:
If you want a for-profit business and want to still help these foreign companies with medical supplies, set up a business plan.
Test their idea by running a pilot, do market research.
Keep in mind that even if you make profit one time, asks yourself if the profit is repeatable.
Solopreneur profits happen much more quickly.
No matter what you do, nothing happens as quickly as you would imagine it would. If you have a plan, you need to start planning today. Don’t wait! Try to be realistic. Map a plan out what you think would happen and see if that plan looks comfortable for you to work it.
Age doesn’t matter!
Entrepreneurs and solopreneurs are more risk accepting than most people, more willing to have a persistence or tenacity to keep at it.
Since 2000, we live in more volatile work environment. Most people won´t work for an organization for 25 years anymore.
When you are on your own as a solopreneur, all initiative is self-driven.
There is never a better time to take a risk than today if there is something that you really want to do. Never let fear stop you from doing something. There is always a way to find a way.
Steve Contact Information
Email Address: havenlaw@gmail.com
Cerritos Foundation: srichardson@cerritos.edu
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