MOTORCYCLE DIARIES: ENTREPRENEURSHIP LESSONS FROM AN EPIC ROAD TRIP

by Riche Atos / October 05, 2021

There are moments in our  life when going on big adventures or even doing other mundane things randomly remind us of simple principles we should’ve always carried with us for much bigger things we do in life. This is exactly what happened when I went on a big adventure recently. Just after I have finished my epic 6000-kilometre road trip on my motorcycle, touring the east coast of Canada, I have realized that doing that also has many lessons that are highly critical and applicable to entrepreneurship. 

Whether you are still planning to start up a business, or are already into the business world, or are even a long-time entrepreneur—this episode is for you. With these principles, you will either gain new learnings or be reminded of these important things that you might have forgotten along the way. 

Tune in to this podcast and hopefully learn how to be a better entrepreneur using these lessons from an epic motorcycle road trip!

Entrepreneurship Lessons I Realized during My Road Trip:

 1. The thought of it sounds exciting. But actually, it’s scary as hell. 

  • The beauty of this is that it’s about pushing your limits and learning that things that have to happen will happen.
  • If you are thinking about launching something—trying something new—my suggestion is: Go for it. 
  • Not doing what you’ve been wanting to do is the biggest regret ever

2. Plan the route and enjoy the process.

  • Plan for the big milestones, like the strategy you’ll be using and your vision. 
  • Make sure that you are enjoying every moment of that experience.
  • Don’t forget to document these things. Write them down so you can look back on these transformational shifts that you went through as you plan something so big.

3. Pack well. 

  • Despite all the planning, there are things you would still not be expecting. The key here is to make sure you have everything on you in case adversity hits.
  • Have all the right tools, and also the right people. 
  • Also learn how to ask for help when you need it, and who to ask what. 
  • In your business, it is important to not just have team members, but also (most importantly) advisors, mentors, and coaches.

4. Lean in and accelerate.

  • Sharp turns, issues, customers that you need to chase – trying to avoid them will only make it harder. 
  • The more you want to look away, the more you need to lean in. Accelerate on the way out rather than trying to get the matter to go away.
  • Keep an eye on the exit of the turn. Sure, you’re going to hit roadblocks and potholes—part of the journey. But if you’ve kept an eye on the operational aspects especially finances: receivables, expenses, bank balances—you should be fine.

5. If they don’t hear you coming, they won’t know that you’re there. 

  • As an entrepreneur, if they don’t know that you’re there, they’re never going to come to you.
  • Good marketing, good public relations— shouting from the rooftops with the right message is so important.

Three Questions You Should Ask Yourself When Planning for Your Business:

  1. Why am I doing this?
  2. What am I expecting?
  3. Where am I headed?

Thank you for listening! I hope you enjoyed this episode and I’d love to hear your feedback. You can email me at hello@elevatedentrepreneur.fm and help me improve or if you have someone in mind that would be a great guest on the show, feel free to recommend them via email.

If you like my episodes on entrepreneurship, retail, ecommerce, omnichannel, and technology, I appreciate you leaving a review on iTunes as it helps other entrepreneurs to find the show. You can also share the episode via Facebook, LinkedIn, and Instagram and tag someone who you feel would benefit from the podcast!

If there’s a question that you’ve been dying to ask me or feedback that you’d like to give me, head on over to elevatedentrepreneur.fm/speak where you will be able to record a voice message that I can listen to and maybe feature here on the podcast together with my answer.

 

Thanks, and lots of love,

Dhiren Bhatia

  • Episode Transcript
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