Posted on September 1, 2008 - by Jeffrey

Can You Take Being in the Spotlight?

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Let’s face it… If you are going to do anything in business that ends up being big you’re probably going to get thrown in the spotlight from time to time. Being in the spotlight can take shape in many forms and some will be easier than others. I have been in the spotlight a few times in small business environments and as I am getting older and more successful, these moments are coming more frequently and are bigger.

Everyone wants to be the Guy behind the Guy

In almost every business venture I embark on I always end up being one of the main faces of the company. Why? It’s not because I am smarter per say… It’s just that I am willing to face the heat so to speak. Being the face of a company or project is an important element in business relationships and necessary to satisfy the overall flow. If you can’t take people threatening you with lawsuits and other claims on how they will ruin your life on a regular basis than this may not be for you. Don’t take that last sentence lightly, it will happen more and more depending on how much you play the game.

Business is Dirty

Just like a street fight, business is dangerous and dirty. Before I started really pushing it in business I made sure I knew my sh*t. I am constantly doing research and asking mentors questions on a daily basis to guide me. People come and say they want to give you the world when they are really looking to pick your pocket. This is the one place where it really doesn’t matter who you are or where you are from, if you play be careful and expect to get burned here and there.

It will make you Tough

I touched on a few of the harder parts of being in the spotlight but now I want to shift gears a little and focus on the growth potential and benefits. When you are constantly in the spotlight you will be forced into rough situations where you are going to have to react with strength and leadership. If you can take it, it will make you stronger while at the same time teaching you what it takes to play with the sharks.

In the first few years of floating around in the business world I was so eager to work with people and have meetings. I did a ton of free work that I never got paid for and was cheated out of about 15K on one deal. That hurt…but it made me tough and taught me important lessons. A lot of times you will have to work for free in the beginning of your entrepreneurial career and you will get screwed out of deals because of you are so “green”. It’s sucks, but it’s actually a good thing if you really want to progress. I haven’t met a successful person in business that hasn’t been screwed over.

If you don’t know what it’s like to get screwed over than you’re not going to see it coming either.

Respect

When you are able to handle these spotlight moments you will surely earn the respect of your peers and colleagues. They may criticize you on how you could have done it better or said it differently, but when it comes down to it they are just happy to have you on their team; and if you’re good, they are probably just trying to help you for next time.

Tame the Ego

Ok, so you are the sh*t! Wrong… It’s usually at this point where you lose control. When you start assuming things and paying less attention to parts of your business because you think you are awesome, you tend to get lazy. There will always be someone better or someone who people think are better so you have to keep a level head out there. Some of the best people I know in business listen to everything and assume you know what you are talking about.  Then they go out and do their own “due diligence” and come back with questions. So know your Sh*t, or you will get hung out to dry.