If there is one consistent character trait that I can honestly say I see in all of my successful friends from big corporate CEO’s to one man show entrepreneurs (in life and business)…it is a simple one.
They are humble.
I see a common occurrence among bloggers. They start up a blog, get a little bit of press, start to grow a following and then all of the sudden…out of the blue…said blogger thinks their shit doesn’t stink! Their writing starts to change. Their interaction with other bloggers turns into “only talking to the elite” and forget that they used to be the small guy on the block (and in some cases…they still are!)
Entrepreneurship Is An Ever Learning Process
When you hit that point in your brain function where you start to think you are better than others, you are forgoing the ability to be teachable. Entrepreneurship is not a race to who knows the most. It is an ever changing, learning process that can flip at the drop of a hat. If you are not teachable, you are going to be left in the dust…and quickly.
Here are a couple of things to remember when dealing in a highly social environment like the blogging world.
- That blogger you put off as small potatoes and not worth your time…might end up passing you one day. How do you want them to remember you?
- If you already know everything, do you have any room to grow? I would hate to think that I am so awesome that I am already at the peak of my game.
- When you were just starting out, how did you feel about those “ego bloggers”? Is that how you want to be remembered?
- To REALLY GROW YOUR BLOG…you will need the help of others.
There Is A Difference Between EGO and Confidence
As a business owner and blogger, you are going to have to be confident in yourself and your abilities. If you spend your entire career doubting your ideas and processes, you are never going to get anything accomplished and you will never go out on a limb and take some risks. However, this confidence can not translate into an inflated ego.
The moment you cross that line from confidence to ego, you are making the willing decision to not grow your blog any farther than it already has.
An over-inflated ego can be spotted a mile away. When it starts to become transparent in your business activities…you will start to see a decline in traffic and earnings because no one likes to hear someone pat themselves on the back all day long. Of course, the ego driven blogger will put it off and think the rest of the world just doesn’t get it, but the profit producing audience will know and leave.
As I continue with my blogs and business practices, I try to keep one moto true throughout the process.
The day I think I know everything will be the dumbest day of my life.
Stay teachable and continue to help out those around you. By staying humble, planted in the real world and forever teachable…you will be able to grow your corner of the web farther than you would have ever dreamed. If you want to be #1 and awesome…be prepared for disappointment.
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