THINK LIKE AN ENTREPRENEUR™

We Train Your Employees to Think Like Entrepreneurs by Applying the Skills and Mindsets We Learn from Entrepreneurs in a Corporate Environment

Unlike large organizations, entrepreneurs lack capital and resources. As a result, they are forced to think differently and approach problems and opportunities with different perspectives. These skills and mindsets, when combined with the balance sheets and cash flow of large organizations, can create breakthroughs big and small.  Our “Think Like an Entrepreneur” Program applies the lessons we learn from entrepreneurs to drive innovation in your organization. 

THE RISK

Entrepreneurism is not a nice to have – it is a critical skill that must be unlocked in every organization. After all, Walmart should have created Amazon. Blockbuster should have created Netflix. Sony should have created Spotify. Kodak should have created digital photos.

THE CHALLENGE

Thinking like an entrepreneur is not natural for a large organization. The structure of a large organization can stifle the innovation that can lead to both day-to-day and strategic wins.

THE OPPORTUNITY

Entrepreneurism is not a concept – it is a set of skills and mindsets that can improve your core business, unlock the potential of innovation, unleash talent and retain key talent.

THE GOAL

Innovation is not a venture capital fund. True innovation is applying entrepreneurial approaches every day. Just like the Toyota Way challenged employees with “kaizen” or continuous improvement, organizations should seek “endless entrepreneurism.” Do we think Dunkin Munchkins were discovered in a Board room?

OUR PROGRAM COMBINES ONLINE LEARNING AND WORKSHOPS TO SHOW HOW TO APPLY ENTREPRENEURIAL SKILLS AND MINDSETS IN A CORPORATE ENVIRONMENT 

LEARNING PLATFORM

To create a lasting approach to entrepreneurism by using an online learning platform that organizes the skills and mindsets that we learn from entrepreneurs, is available at any time and provides a community to guide employees.

Your participants have access to bite-sized lessons that outline the skills and mindsets we learn from entrepreneurs. This learning platform is designed to be an ongoing resource available to your employees throughout the year to reinforce the lessons we learn from entrepreneurs.

We provide individuals with ongoing daily support through the Learning Community. We answer questions, solve problems, provide content, direct them to learning resources and help them get the answers they need.

We provide a series of reports including enrollment, engagement, learning activity and business results. These reports are provided to you as part of a regular monthly, quarterly and annual reporting process for you to monitor progress and integrate our reporting into your formal reporting activities.

The Learning Community combines a series of learning modules with these skills and mindsets that is available at any time,  This avoids the “one and done” seminars and workshops that only benefit those who can attend. The Learning Community also provides an online community that enables us to guide employees and for employees to dialogue with each other to develop and apply the skills and mindsets they need. The Learning Community also provides a variety of reporting so we can monitor who is active in the program.

WORKSHOPS

To demonstrate for employees the specific skills and mindsets that we can learn from entrepreneurs and how those skills and mindsets can be applied to both the day-to-day and the strategic issues that impact your organization.

Workshops are delivered in a two hour or four hour interactive workshop format that reinforces entrepreneurial learning.

Workshops are designed to apply entrepreneurial thinking to specific job functions, areas or organizational challenges.

Workshops apply the skills and mindsets available in the Learning Platform to real world challenges.

Workshops challenge employees to address current business challenges and opportunities in an interactive settting.

WE HAVE IDENTIFIED OVER 100 SKILLS AND MINDSETS WE LEARN FROM ENTREPRENEURS THAT CAN BE APPLIED IN A CORPORATE ENVIRONMENT

Entrepreneurism is not a concept – it is a set of skills and mindsets that can improve your core business, unlock the potential of innovation, unleash talent and retain key talent.

SKILLS

Many leaders do not think of entrepreneurism as a set of skills – but it is. The skills that entrepreneurs develop can help employees of a larger organization tackle both daily challenges and the need for innovation. Examples include:

Entrepreneurs are often faced with competition that has more capital and resources. On top of that, our world is full of clutter. It is not enough for an entrepreneur to have a “unique selling proposition.”  Even if they do, it is unlikely a buyer will notice. In today’s cluttered world, we need to find a playground where no one else is playing.  A playground where we define the criteria for winning. What was the term “Bucket List” called before the movie came out?

Entrepreneurs are faced with competitors with greater capital and resources,  As a result, competing on the normal measures of success in an industry is often a loser for entrepreneurs. Entrepreneurs have to find a criterion where they win – and convince the industry that this is what they should be buying.  In the 2019 Super Bowl, Budweiser claimed that they were the only beer amongst Miller Light and Coors Light that didn’t use corn syrup? And now the three are fighting a war over corn syrup? Before that ad, did we even know that beer had corn syrup? We help you think about setting a criterion where you win.

Entrepreneurs lack the marketing budgets of larger players. When everyone uses the same tactics – such as social media, content and SEO – why does a company with less resources win? Because of the strategy. We show your people the difference between strategy and tactics and why it is so important to think about strategies that win when everyone uses the same tactics?

Every major corporation must worry about being the next blockbuster. Disruption can come from anywhere – and it can come fast. But the one thing that larger companies develop is intelligence – a know-how that is built up over time that cannot just be copied by a new idea, or even a lot of capital.  You can’t copy time.  Large companies need to emphasize this intelligence as part of their brand story so that when disruption comes, it seems like the minor leagues.

Entrepreneurs need ego.  But one of the most important skills of an entrepreneur is to know where they need help. It is not a weakness to need help – it is a sign of maturity, leadership and an understanding of what it takes to get to the next level.

Entrepreneurs are constantly faced with an overwhelming number of things that are “top priorities.” They have to develop skills to manage multiple competing priorities. We show you how to set priorities, optimize your day, avoid distractions and do the other things entrepreneurs have to do to make the most of their precious time.

MINDSETS

An entrepreneurial mindset embodies several characteristics common to virtually all entrepreneurs. These key mindsets help entrepreneurs overcome great challenges and achieve results even when they odds are against them.  Examples include:

When you are an entrepreneur, it is second nature that you “own” everything.  You know it is incumbent on you to take full responsibility for results because you are the one on the line. We try to instill this perspective of true ownership in a corporate environment.

An entrepreneur’s identity is uniquely tied to their company.  In the corporate world, it is natural to be a cog in a larger wheel. But in the end, just like the entrepreneur, when you put your head on the pillow at night, what is important is how you represent yourself. And it is this identity, that you carry with you beyond the current financial quarter and should motivate you to greater heights.

For entrepreneurs, there is rarely a clear path to success. They will always be faced with obstacles and often with a lack of capital and resources. Despite all this, entrepreneurs have the attitude that there is always a way.  While entrepreneurs lack capital and resources, they do not lack the ability to think differently and must bring this creativity to finding a way. We ty to instill this type of thinking in your corporate environment.

When entrepreneurs are under pressure, they often exhibit behaviors that are unacceptable and send the wrong message. These same behaviors should never come to light in a corporate environment. Behaviors like blaming customers, speaking poorly of ex-employees, and negative comments about competitors. These certainly make the entrepreneur feel better, but set a culture that lowers the bar of all team members.

When employees join an entrepreneurial venture, the compensation is rarely the “market rate.” Given that reality, how do you truly engage your people so that they are not only productive, but deliver at a level which far exceeds your expectations?” The answer: Don’t ask yourself, “How do I get the most out of our people?” Instead ask, “How do I get our people what they want most in life?” Find out what your people want. Not what they want in their business lives but in their personal lives. Not in a superficial way, but in a way that touches who they really are. Don’t worry about how it relates to your business. That will come. Once you discover what is important to them, figure out how to get them what they want. Don’t focus on what your people do for the business. It’s about what the business does for your people. The best way to unlock the potential of employees is to help them achieve what they want in life.

The Learning Community combines a series of learning modules with these skills and mindsets that is available at any time,  This avoids the “one and done” seminars and workshops that only benefit those who can attend. The Learning Community also provides an online community that enables us to guide employees and for employees to dialogue with each other to develop and apply the skills and mindsets they need. The Learning Community also provides a variety of reporting so we can monitor who is active in the program.

Our Online Learning Platform addresses the key business and personal issues that employees of larger organizations face. It organizes the opportunity for entrepreneurism around two key areas:

  • Mindsets: what are the mindsets that must be applied in a larger organization?

  • Skills: what are the skills that can be applied to drive key business goals?

The Learning Community combines a series of learning modules with these skills and mindsets that is available at any time,  This avoids the “one and done” seminars and workshops that only benefit those who can attend. The Learning Community also provides an online community that enables us to guide employees and for employees to dialogue with each other to develop and apply the skills and mindsets they need. The Learning Community also provides a variety of reporting so we can monitor who is active in the program.

Our workshops are designed to drive employees to understand how they can apply the mindsets and skills we can learn from entrepreneurs to your business. These workshops are offered in a series and address the two elements of entrepreneurism:

  • Mindsets: what are the mindsets we can learn from an entrepreneur that can be applied in a corporate environment?
  • Skills: what are the mindsets we can learn from an entrepreneur that can be applied in a corporate environment?

CLIENTS