Please note: On a somewhat infrequent basis, Quintessential Careers asks noted
career experts five questions related to their expertise and publishes the interview
in the current issue of QuintZine,
our biweekly newsletter. Here is one such interview.
If you were absolutely forced to choose just one of the 101 lessons in
your book as the one lesson that is the most important and without which
entrepreneurs simply cannot succeed, which one would you choose and why?
A:
Undoubtedly, it would be No. 56 about persistence. [Editor’s note: The exact title of
Lesson 56 from Pollak’s book, Soul Proprietor: 101 Lessons from a Lifestyle Entrepreneur,
is “Until they say, ‘Never call us again!’ don’t give up. Keep calling.”] I heard early on in my business
sales training that it takes six no’s to get to a yes. However, it’s not only asking for the business that
requires persistence.
I’ll never forget exhibiting for the first time at a trade show in Baltimore. The gentleman in the
booth behind me made what I considered mediocre jewelry. His orders, however, were much
higher than mine. I had time to notice, as I wasn’t writing many myself. He made a comment
that was memorable. Several of his buyers remarked that they had seen him at this show
year after year and never bought, but since he was still there, he must have something worth
selling. I know there is something to be said for longevity, showing up and being there.
Think about your own experiences with newspaper advertisements, members of organizations
you belong to or stores in your community. Sometimes, just by the mere fact that they’re still
there causes you to pay attention, to even try out their offerings. Imagine if you continue in
your business, make yourself known on a regular basis and offer quality goods what a
blueprint for achievement that would be.
Q:
We felt that there was a “Lesson 102” implicit in many of the lessons you
presented in your book, Soul Proprietor, so we were a little surprised
not to see it officially as one of your lessons: You make numerous references
in the book to attending workshops, seminars, classes, and conferences for
your own professional development and personal growth. Can we nominate
as Lesson 102: “Get as much education and professional development as
you can. Never stop learning"? How important a role have these workshops,
seminars, classes, and conferences played in your success? About how
much time would you say you invest in these endeavors in a given year?
Are there ever times where you feel the time and/or money invested in
them is oppressive? Do you budget a certain amount for these activities?
Have you attended any that you felt were a total waste of time and/or money?
A:
“You’re either green and growing or ripe and rotting.” Once I heard these
words at a seminar I attended as a neophyte business owner I knew that
there would be only one choice for me -- green and growing. What that
has translated to is being a perpetual student.
Fortunately, I always liked school. Academia offered structure and a
clear track to success. By comparison, entrepreneurship doesn’t provide
such an obvious route. Most successful entrepreneurs understand that
lifelong learning is an ingredient in the recipe for achievement. Those
who haven’t gotten the message are playing perpetual catch-up.
Before I continue, I should mention that each of us has our own distinct
learning style. I’m sure there are legions of successful business owners
who get their post-graduate knowledge through reading. Everything I’ve
picked up in a course or seminar is available in book form as well. In
addition to academic tomes on every subject having to do with business
ownership, there are also abundant volumes explicitly for “dummies”
and “idiots” wanting to learn.
The classroom environment, however, has always appealed to me for these reasons:
I’m a social animal, so the interaction with other entrepreneurs is exciting,
stimulating and rewarding.
I learn as much from the questions that other participants ask I do from the
instructor.
Being taught by an expert demonstrates to me what the possibilities are and
provides me with a human resource for when I get into trouble a week or two after
the course is completed.
Here’s a recent example -- I attended a workshop for professional speakers
on how to add more showmanship to your talks. What I got out of it:
Two exercises I can use with my audiences at future workshops that I conduct.
The importance of praising and applauding a volunteer from the audience.
A relationship with a master presenter.
Continuing education has been vital to my success. I am unable to separate the
learning component from the networking part that goes hand-in-hand with being
in a learning environment. I have made friends, received invaluable contacts and
been inspired by other participants at nearly every event I’ve attended. There will
be someone there who shows me a new direction in which to take my business,
what I need to avoid, or adds a tiny puzzle piece that solves a current issue -- the
name of a vendor, a software program or an Internet site.
I’m grateful for the computer software classes, seminars for fine-tuning my speaking
business, like articulation and use of the voice. At each bend in the road, I become
aware of a whole new arena for learning and growth. Above all, it’s stimulating to be
out there learning and hobnobbing on the cutting edge.
As far as how much time and money to spend: I’ve heard it suggested that you
spend 5 percent of your income on education. I haven’t added up what I spend. I attend
at least one learning function a month, usually more. What do I recommend to others?
If you go to one or two seminars per year, try doubling that for the next year. If you’re
going every other month, add three more to the mix.
Recently I attended a well-publicized convention in New York City hoping to meet the
best and the brightest. I was severely disappointed. Because of the structure of the
panels, no one had enough time to develop any material in depth. There was quantity
but little quality. It may have been useful if I had wanted to meet a particular player in
that field, but I was going more for information. I got little.
I know an experience has been a success for me when I can’t wait to get back to my
office to type up my notes and create an action list for follow-up. I continue to savor
the learning sometimes for months after the event.
Q:
How can the self-employed worker discipline himself or herself to work
outside the organizational structure of a typical workplace?
A:
First, acknowledge that there is a greater discipline inherent in a work
environment than the ease found at home.
Here are some suggestions the business owner can begin implementing over time:
First and foremost, create a dedicated space for your work. It wasn’t fair for
me to set boundaries for family members around talking to me or coming into
my workspace when I claimed the dining room and kitchen as my office. I didn’t
want to restrain their activities just because I chose to work in the space designed
for cooking and eating. Only when I designed and executed a studio/office space
next to our living area could I legitimately request privacy and quiet.
Set up specific hours during which you will not respond to any household
needs (e.g., You will not put in another load of wash between 9 a.m. and noon).
Establish a business phone line and refrain from answering the “house” line
during business hours. If necessary (I have Caller ID and can tell if I want to
speak to the caller on the “house” line) I’ll answer the call “This is Jane Pollak.” That
way, the caller knows that this is business as usual, not time for girl talk. A quick
appointment can be made to have a chat later in the day at a mutually convenient time.
Limit distractions in the workplace -- TV, for example, if you know that it will
take you away from what you should be doing.
Create an hourly map for what you will accomplish. For example,
8:30 - 10 a.m.: write proposal for talk on Martha’s Vineyard
10am - 11:30 a.m.: design order for graduation gift egg
11:30 - 11:45 a.m.: check phone messages, email
12 - 2:30 p.m.: attend Entrepreneurial Woman's Network luncheon
Stick with the plan. Most importantly, follow your own directions for the
day. Map in time for relaxation, phone calls and email because they are realistic
uses of your time.
Q:
What was the biggest “reality check” you faced when you went into
business for yourself?
A:
Actually, what continues to be a reality check for me is that in spite of
all the success I’ve had and how well known I have become, I still have
to continually operate under the assumption that most people have
never heard of me or know what I do. Humbling, to say the least.
What this realization has forced me to do is develop a comfort level
with introducing myself and listing my credentials as though it were
the easiest thing in the world. I am occasionally surprised and
delighted when I make what I consider to be a cold call to hear
the respondent say, “I know who you are.”
I also am continually amazed that other people can’t figure out the
relevance of my talents to their business/life. It’s so clear to me that
they need my services/product and simply don’t know it. I have to
continually clarify what it is that I do and for whom I do it.
Q:
Your book cover describes you as a “lifestyle entrepreneur.” On the back cover
Susan Keane Baker offers a definition of a lifestyle entrepreneur. Do you
agree with her definition, and can you expand on it?
A:
Susan says that “a lifestyle entrepreneur is someone with a successful
business and a meaningful personal life.” I like her definition because I
get to define what I consider a “successful business.” For me, it’s definitely
not the number at the bottom of a spreadsheet. I do say that that number
has to appear in black, but how many figures are in it is my choice.
I consider that I do have a successful business based on continuing
sales of my product, an excellent track record, legions of customers
and a healthy pipeline feeding me opportunities. What also makes the
business successful, in my terms, is that I love what I do. I bound out of
bed in the morning and often eye the clock resentfully as time has passed
by too quickly. I find it difficult to calculate my working hours because
the line is often blurred between what is work and what is fun for me.
As for having a meaningful personal life, again this is up to each individual.
I measure the meaning of my life by several criteria-such as having been
available to my children throughout their lives, being a loving family
member and a friend in a large community and making a contribution
to the growth of other individuals.
I like to describe “lifestyle entrepreneur” another way that encompasses
Susan’s description. You are a lifestyle entrepreneur when your business
is a reflection of who you are.
Named by the Small Business Administration as the 2002 Home-Based Business
Advocate of the Year for Connecticut and New England, Jane Pollak is a living example
of how to turn one’s passion into a thriving business. She is an internationally known
entrepreneur, artist, professional speaker and author of
Soul
Proprietor: 101 Lessons from a Lifestyle Entrepreneur (October 2001, The Crossing Press).
Recently featured on the Today’s Woman segment of the Today Show, Jane’s book is a road
map for turning passions into profits by consulting one’s heart and soul for the right decisions.
"The lessons I've learned -- and share in Soul Proprietor -- show that both a successful
business and a meaningful personal life can be built at the same time,” says Pollak. In her wise
and honest account of her rise from artist to highly successful entrepreneur, Jane Pollak offers, in
101 highly readable lessons, a step-by-step guide to building a business that reflects one’s own
values, priorities, and unique view of the world. Small business experts like
Jane Applegate (www.SBTV.com) and Terri Lonier (http://www.workingsolo.com) have selected
Pollak’s book for their resource guides.
