It is often said that a smart man learns from his mistakes, while a wise man learns from the mistakes of others. I’d suggest that a truly wise man learns from the success of others. Mistakes only tell us what doesn’t work. Success tells us what does work.
It is inevitable that we will make mistakes. And certainly we should learn from them. We should also the experiences of others as a learning tool. But those experiences are both positive and negative—successful and not so successful. The positive is far more significant and powerful than the failures.
While there are multiple paths to success in a paint contracting company, there are far more roads that lead to failure. Identifying what doesn’t work is only a part of struggle. We are still left with many choices, many of which will not help our cause.
There are many ways to learn from other’s success. Reading biographies of successful businessmen is powerful and inspiring. Networking with successful contractors is another effective means. Perhaps the most effective is to have a mentor—someone who has been successful and will work with you one-on-one to address your specific problems and issues.
Climbing a mountain is hard work. It can be done alone, but the dangers increase. Taking a guide along for the journey helps us identify the dangers. And the chances for success increase tremendously.
True, having a mentor(guide) along for the journey helps us identify the dangers. However, it’s hard to run into a mentor in the same field that doesn’t look upon you as a threat and is willing to share their knowledge.
Even though I’m a 2nd generation painter (aiming to take over my dad’s business) I’m still looking for that mentor, so if you do know of one, let me know! My father’s approach helped us surive and put food on the table but I’m ready to take the company to another level and looking for that postiive mentor is difficult at best. Thank goodness for the internet and its vast resrouces for the time being.
very informative site.
Danny,
You have a couple of options. One is to find a contractor in another trade who is willing to be a mentor. I learned a lot from a roofing contractor. While there are trade specific issues we each must deal with, the business issues are essentially the same.
Another option is to find someone outside of your immediate area. In that regard, I do offer coaching and can develop a program specific for your needs.