Remember when you were a kid, everyone was always cheering you on. In baseball, coach said I was most likely to improve. Although that was him telling me I suck in a nice way, it was still a Cheerful word to an 8-year-old. In school, my teachers confirmed I could be a lawyer. At home, my mom confirmed I would be an amazing sales person.  It seemed like everyone in the family knew.  In a nice way, they would tell me I can sell ice to an Eskimo. As a teenager, I embraced that and sold candy to my friends at school. And it was no coincidence that when I started at Cornell, I was studying to be a lawyer (what my teachers predicted).  I later changed to a business major (what my parents predicted). But where’s the coach now?  Where’s the teacher?  Where are Mom and Dad? Who’s cheering us on? They are on to the next child, they are worried about their own present problems, and too busy to cheer on a grown adult. As an entrepreneur, someone needs to be speaking into your life; a mentor, a business coach, a fellow entrepreneur. For me, God is where I get my love, acceptance, and value.  I love to read God’s promises to me in the bible. Worry weighs us down; a cheerful word picks us up. Your Entrepreneur Compass, Alex Miranda #SharpenLeadership

Choosing to be an entrepreneur means choosing to do one of the most difficult yet rewarding jobs in all possible career fields. When I left the corporate world in 2004 to start my own business, it was exciting. A young 22-year-old, naive and ambitious, Alex took it to the streets to hustle a buck. I would never have imagined all of the STRESS I would have to endure. But something amazing happened along the way. I became ‘born again’ and started going back to church. The implications this had on my business would almost immediately be evident. The biggest, and most glorious change, was that I now had the best business partner in the world, God! God came along for the rollercoaster ride, held my hand, and said to me, “Hold on, it's going to be rough, but I’m here to guide you along the way.” This was a huge turning point in my business because I now had a business partner. I could throw my stresses and worries onto…which is one of His main roles. Psalms 20 says: “May the Lord answer you when you are in distress; may the name of the God of Jacob protect you. May he send you help from the sanctuary and grant you support from Zion. May he remember all your sacrifices and accept your burnt offerings. May he give you the desire of your heart and make all your plans succeed. May we shout for joy over your victory and lift up our banners in the name of our God. May the Lord grant all your requests.” God has saved my business countless times. He answers my prayers as long as I continue to put my trust in Him. When I’m overstressed, that’s indicative of my lack of trust in God…while He's seeking His next move for me. Some put their trust in their bank accounts, but that fluctuates too much, so then your stress does too. If we want to live more stress-free on the rollercoaster, it’s important to trust in God’s role as your business partner. Others will be brought to their knees and fall, but we will rise and stand firm in our partnership with God. #SharpenLeadership #BusinessPartnerships

Vision isn’t just about where you see yourself or your company in 3 days, 3 months, 3 years, or 3 decades. Sure, we’ve all done the ‘vision board’ where we put the picture of our future home and car.  I even had a jet on my vision board (which I still want). But have you checked your vision on the system and processes that run your well-oiled machine?  Does your vision for operating your business look like an Ikea one-sheeter teaching you to build a cabinet, or does it look like the blueprint of a Boing 747? Squeaky clean and complicated systems and processes are what keep the profits coming in. Only profits will allow you to create more profit, more jobs and more time for yourself. Your diets need to be complex. Your workouts need to be complex. Your relationships need to be complex. Your business systems and processes need to be complex. Who will manage these complex systems if you can’t?  Well, that’s why you see a dietitian, hire a workout coach and choose a church to belong to.  This helps establish a complex system for delivering results. As for business, you either hire a business consultant to help you build this system and process, or your craft it yourself. You then find the right person(s) to micro-manage your system. Leadership abilities are in the eye of the beholder. Great leaders to some are poor leaders to others. Building a business around systems and processes that produce profit can’t be argued against. Either you have profits, or you don’t. Focus on your vision of systems and processes for your business. #EnhanceFocus

The Visionary Missionary Blog for The World Race Gabe Sanchez Meet my great friend Gabe Sanchez! I have the privilege to know Gabe as a brother in Christ, a friend, and a supporter of his mission field work. God has given him the spiritual gift of Vision, and his vision is HUGE! ENTREPRENEURS:  God has given you the ability to profit so you can be a blessing to the world.  It’s our duty, obligation and responsibility to have the best businesses possible so that we can continue to support the great commission.  If you need a pump up message on this concept, watch Peter J. Daniels. Gabe, I look forward to God using my tribe of entrepreneurs to support your vision! #SharpenLeadership

Is your vision to do good? When your customer gives a testimonial, will they satisfy your vision’s hunger? My vision is for my clients to discover what they were born to do, bring it to life, and tell the whole world! When they testify that I’ve helped clarify their calling in business, the vision is satisfied and my appetite is full. But if my vision is set on making money, possessing more territory or gaining more clients, we’ll always just want more and we won’t be satisfied. Money and territory goals are great, but they are goals and should not be mixed with the vision. Ask yourself: How can I make this world a better place? What will my product or service do for the GOOD of my clients. Start there when setting your entrepreneurial vision. An appetite for good brings much satisfaction! #BusinessBibleStudy #EnhanceFocus

Today is small business Saturday (the day after black Friday in case you didn’t know). And although there is a great positive message behind this day, I can’t help but think that this time of the year will leave many business owners feeling overwhelmed. For me, I’m thinking about marketing plans, product releases, the new year, systems and processes, and so many things at once. Being an entrepreneur is a gift and a curse. The gift is that the ideas come to us so easily and we we’re so excited to make them happen. The curse is that the ideas can sometimes lead us to be overwhelmed. I’ve got pages of Google Docs and countless Evernotes and elaborate Trello boards just full of great ideas. Where do I start? Which one do I do first? Then what’s next? We, entrepreneurs, often feel overwhelmed. But there’s a solution. In the book of Psalms 61:2, King David provides insight for us. He says “From the end of the earth will I cry unto thee, when my heart is overwhelmed: lead me to the rock that is higher than I.” How often do we cry out for more security (financially) and more strength to deal with the problems of being an entrepreneur. This is when VISION is important. There will be times we will have to be led to a rock higher than ourselves so we can get VISION beyond our present struggles to the future God has in store for us. Sometimes we have to be lifted up to see life from God’s eternal perspective. In this passage, David recognizes the higher “rock” as a place of safety and power and he knows only God can lead him there. Owning a business can sometimes make you feel faint-hearted, but God wants you to use those times to pray to Him for security and strength. James 1:5 says that those who ask will be given wisdom. Wisdom is one way God lifts us visionaries up to the higher rock. Remember, you are never confined to your present situation. Trust God to lift you and your business to a higher place and give you His eternal perspective….your God breathed vision. #EnhanceFocus

One thing I’ve learned in the years of being an entrepreneur: I’m a horrible boss. No, really! I’m a great leader, I can instill Vision and confidence and trust like no other. I’m amazing with brainstorming, problem solving, branding and marketing. But when it comes to managing people, I stink. BUT WAIT…that’s just fine! For years I always thought that being an entrepreneur meant being the boss, and nothing could be further from the truth. Technically, the role of an entrepreneur can be ANYTHING. Here’s what the role of the entrepreneur is, and the same applies to everyone in your organization: everyone should be doing what that are COMPETENT at. If you love to bake, and you start a bakery, you will quickly realize that baking takes a back seat when you have to pay the bills, hire the employees and market your services and products. All of the sudden, the whole reason you started a business (to bake delicious delicacies) is now 4th on the list of priorities, and you find yourself stressed and about to give up. So here’s the solution: 1) make a list of what you love to do, and what you hate to do 2) as fast as possible, partner with or hire someone to do the things you hate doing As a baker, you should be coming up with new recipes, training other bakers, doing quality control, and always be in the kitchen while occasionally coming out to greet the customers only to take a quick survey of how they like the pastries you made. You’re the superstar!! We all need to stop living in levels of incompetence and start living lives of meaning. #SharpenLeadership

People who aren’t entrepreneurs that hear about the suffering that business owners go through and might be confused as to why they would put themselves through the torture. We’ve heard the saying “No pain, no gain.”. This is true for small business owners as well. We need the trials so that we can mature in our business lives…and in our spiritual lives. The bible says in Romans 8:37 “No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.” I used to think that suffering was some kind of punishment. That’s one way to look at it. But I choose to look at it as an opportunity to grow because I have a great teacher to learn from. I have this mentality because I’m no longer running a business alone. I’ve partnered with God in my business. So when the suffering comes – and it will come – I can walk with Christ in assurance that I’ll be taken care of and a great lesson will come about. He will never leave us and never forsake us. We entrepreneurs may still suffer at times, but we have “the power that raised Christ from the dead” to enable us to overcome (Rom. 8:11). #SharpenLeadership #EnhanceFocus

For years I identified myself with the nightlife. I was a South Beach club promoter from 1999 – 2009. That’s the 10 most impressionable years of my life. When I graduated Cornell University in 2003, I continued promoting and surrounding myself in the nightlife. In 2005 I started a business with my buddies called The Creative Complex. Our major focus was serving the nightclub owners with graphics and websites. In 2008 I started going back to church, and by 2009 I had quit promoting because I knew it wasn’t something God wanted me to continue doing. But my business continued serving the nightlife. Although I had a slight conviction of doing business with the nightlife, yet making the website for my church, I couldn’t let go of the nightlife because 1) it was the major source of income to keep all the staff, and 2) I had convinced myself that as long as I wasn’t going to the clubs, then I’m fine. In 2014 I made a major decision that would forever alter my personal and business life: I let go of the nightlife. I let go because, ultimately, God had revealed to me plans far greater than serving the nightlife, but I had to let everything go in order to make it happen. It was one of the riskiest things I’ve ever done. Letting go of 75% of your revenue, along with your top employees is something I hope to never have to go through again. Today, I’m confident that my business is on the right path. Normally we hear Psalms 23 at funerals. But today, in light of the radical changes my business has made, it hit me from a whole new perspective. “The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing. He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters, he refreshes my soul. He guides me along the right paths for his name’s sake.” I know my God is smiling that my business made the decision to UNFOLLOW the nightlife. Many of us entrepreneurs have your own version of a “nightlife” in your business. Its something you know God wants you out of. What is it? Maybe you made a similar decision and now you can also tell a great story. Share your story with me. #FindMyCalling

I have a problem. I have a client that needs a significant amount graphic design work done in his company. I recently changed my business model so that I can focus on launching the service I’m really passionate about (one-on-one strategy sessions with entrepreneurs). I know how to get this clients’ work done with my eyes closed. I’ve done it for years. It’s going to take time, though. It's not easy, but I can make it happen. Here’s my problem: Do I sacrifice spending time on the business I’m passionate about, in exchange for instant gratification of money? I asked my right-hand person and she said that we’re on a mission to focus on ONE THING, and everything else can wait. There’s a danger, as business owners, of grabbing instant business today at the expense of what we’re trying to build for tomorrow. Yes, I can do graphic design. But that will come at the expense of helping another entrepreneur start their business, realize their God potential, and change the world with their gifts and talents. Let’s not sacrifice our GOD’S VISION for instant gratification. #MakingMoreSales #EnhanceFocus

The other day I sat with an entrepreneur that told me “I don’t go to church, but I know I’m doing what I’m supposed to be doing because I feel it in my heart.” What a great feeling…when you know you’re in the business that your heart tells you to be in. Maybe you haven’t been so lucky…and you’re stuck in a job or business that your heart isn’t that into. Jesus came so that we might have “Life to the Full” (John 10:10). In my experience, starting my relationship with God, and truly following Jesus Christ has led me to the center of my heart…His heart. I’m discovering the joys of doing what you love to do! The vision has been revealed to me, and I’m living it to the fullest I can today! #FindMyCalling #WorkLifeBalance

The most frustrating times for me is when I can’t see the vision…when I can’t see the big picture. There’s a haze…something blocking. For years, I was running a business with a veil over my head. I didn’t know it at the time, I just figured that’s how business looks because I hadn’t seen it any other way. When Jesus came, the veil was lifted. (2 Corinthians 13:16). When the entrepreneur begins his relationship with God, and follows Christ, the veil that’s been over his business eyes is lifted, and he begins to see the world clearly. The entrepreneur is now ready to see the vision God has set for his life. #ShareYourTestimony #SharpenLeadership

Why is it that so called ‘successful’ entrepreneurs complain of headaches, ulcers, high blood pressure, alcoholism, drug abuse, obesity, insomnia, and you fill in the blanks with your own complaints? I’ll tell you why: They THINK they are in the business they should be in. They’re making money, they have customers…so this must mean this is where they are supposed to be. They think the business isn’t doing as well as it could BECAUSE of the headaches and insomnia. They think if they get to the doctor to fix this up, the business will get more of their 100% effort and things will improve. This was me. This was my story. And for years, I told myself that I could fix this on my own. This will come to a shock to you: You’re in the wrong business or role. You’re selling the wrong product, providing the wrong service, and in the wrong role within your organization. You’ve reached a level of incompetence, and its causing the health problems….not the other way around. You might be the boss, but you’re horrible at managing people, so they stress you out. Its time that you stop being the boss, hand that over to an operations person, and you go back to making cakes. Your might be the boss of a business your family has done for years, but you hate it and its stressing you out. Its time to move on. Why am I so passionate about entrepreneurs finding what God wants them to do in business? Because when we’re in line with God’s vision for our life, a sense of joy and happiness enters into our heart that is a medicine to our body. Stress is released. Problems will always surround you, but how you react internally changes now that you’re in line with God’s vision. So problems don’t affect you like they used to. Its time to do a sober exam of your business life. Do a health check up. How’s your health? That might be an indication that you’re not living in line with God’s vision for your entrepreneurial ventures. #SharpenLeadership #BecomeDisciplined

Let’s face it, as entrepreneurs it’s our natural instinct to rely on ourselves. We envision, we create, we destroy. It’s what we’re born to do. So when I began to discover that God had an entrepreneurial vision for my life, I didn’t jump out of my chair to follow it. No, I maintained control. After all, I couldn’t just dump everything I was doing to follow. And I don’t think God wanted that either. Instead, through faith and following Christ, God’s power began to work in my business life and circumstances. Today’s bible reading for me was something I needed to share. In 2 Thessalonians 1:11, Paul writes: “With this in mind, we constantly pray for you, that our God may make you worthy of his calling, and that by his power he may bring to fruition your every desire for goodness and your every deed prompted by faith”. The apostle Paul knew that faith is the key to an entrepreneur’s obedient life. Faith lets us persevere in the onslaught of opposition, in the times of turmoil. Faith is connected to the power that will fuel the pursuit of your vision, His purpose for our entrepreneurial lives. Constantly tap into a power that far exceeds our business abilities and human will. Stay faithful, and God’s entrepreneurial vision for your life will come to fruition. To read more articles about faith, click here. #BusinessBibleStudy #GainConfidence #EnhanceFocus

When there are problems in my business, I’ve learned that playing the blame game is the worst thing you can do. We blame the economy, the employees, the clients, the landlord, etc. Here is what I’ve learned: Trials in business expose our entrepreneurial weaknesses and challenge us to grow… spiritually. Could it be that the purpose of problems in our business is to expose OUR OWN shortcomings? When a problem arises, is the first question out of your mind “what could I have done differently?” If not, then you’re missing out on the lessons that will propel you and your company to heights you couldn’t have imagined….visions that God has for your entrepreneurial life. #GainConfidence #IncreaseEnergy