MeetRivers (.com)

My photo
Canada
Rivers Corbett, MBA is an award winning entrepreneur, speaker, and author of "13 Fears of Entrepreneurs" He has received numerous business honors including Entrepreneur of the Year, Canada's Hottest Start-ups List and Canada's Fastest Growing Companies list through Profit magazine and most recently recognized as one of Canada's 10 Mentor RockStars.. Rivers is presently a member of Startup Canada's National Advisory Council, founding entrepreneur of StartUP Fredericton & the "Entrepreneur in Residence" at the University of New Brunswick. His real joy and expertise is being a StartUP Advisor and "zagging while everyone else zigs"...like his two newest businesses ventures the Relish Gourmet Burgers restaurant chain and TheRockStar StartUP for StartUP entrepreneurs. Oh... he is also the leader of a team of over 25 chefs through his other company The Chef Group. Not bad for a guy who hates to cook. Always looking for a new idea to help businesses' succeed...this is his newest marketing discovery for StartUPs The Lyoness Advantage. "Rivers is a 21st century entrepreneur, he's the one to watch" - Jim Gilbert: Canada's Huggable Car Dealer!

Tuesday, April 20, 2010

Chasing Shiny Lights

I am a self proclaimed "shiny light" chaser. Have you ever seen a cat chase a penlight beam or a flashlight beam...that's me. Except my shiny lights are business opportunities ..I can't stop myself. Look at the shiny light Spike...go chase it.

I have explored so many business opportunities and started so many opportunities just because they looked great on the outside..and even on the inside too. It's addictive chasing shiny lights. As an entrepreneur you will know what I mean.

BUT I firmly believe if I was not a shiny light chaser I would be much further ahead in life. Much further..I heard this saying the other day..Success is achieved by an average person with focus. Chasing shiny lights is not focus ...it's not productive. If you feel scattered in your life...you'll know how unproductive it is.

Well you'll be pleased to know...I am in rehab and I was tested really hard the other day. As many of you know I have been very fortunate to start a new business 4 months ago (hey..I didn't say I was fully cured) ...called Relish Gourmet Burgers (www.Relishme.ca). Things are going well for us and I am very very happy with the momentum being created and the business being generated..plus we are having alot of fun.

Well two weeks ago a shiny light came again...and for awhile I took the bait. I even went so far as to fill out an application for this new biz opportunity..even started making arrangements for the financing. Even went so far as to start chatting with prospective clients and arranging delivery...this was my new shiny light! I was going to go after it.

Then something inside of me said "NO"...NOT THIS TIME YOU GOOF. you have a good thing going..stay focused. The voice went on and said.."Enjoy the ride you are on right now. Be responsible to the people who are on your team at Relish and the vision they have bought into. Save your money for the rainy day when you will need it. Don;t put your team and your family through unnecessary hardship because of your addiction to shiny lights. Stay focused!!!"

And guess what..this time I listened. This time I took my eyes off of the shiny light. This time I made a decision based on my head rather than my heart. I am staying focused. It's the right decision. And I feel good about it...

Besides that..there will always be shiny lights! I promise.

Here's to your success!
Rivers

1 comment:

K-Man said...

good for you Rivers! The same thing happens with my dog at night when we go for a walk and he trips over himself chasing the flashlight beam. We can learn a lot from animals.

best of luck with rehab!

K