George, South Africa, 15 October 2018. During the Long Walk Project, the CEO of StreetBiz Foundation, Dr Nico de Klerk, speaks to Johann Coetzee, who represented South Africa at the 2009 Olympics in swimming.

The video deals with the importance of believing in yourself and how this is critical for young entrepreneurs.

 

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Make it personal …

Johann had to overcome tremendous personal challenges to make it to the Olympics.

What are the challenges that you are experiencing in your life today? Write a list of the top five challenges.  Leave at a few llines open after each challenge … you’ll have to write some more detail there.

Then follow Johann’s advice:

Under each challenge, write down WHO could assist you in meeting this challenge. If you have a name, write it down; otherwise just write, for example, “a business leader who sells carrots in bulk” or “a small business owner of a boutique hotel”. Try to be as specific as possible.

Now, also write down, next to each challenge, HOW they could assist you. Do NOT write “money”. Your job as an entrepreneur is CREATE money, not ASK for it. Rather write two important questions that you want to ask this person that would help you overcome your challenge.

Now go through you list – and FIND names of people for each of the challenges. Ask around. Approach people like Johann did, with courage and honesty. Ask simple questions … you’ll be amazed at their willingness to help.

Find out how you can contact them – can you simply phone them, or would it be better to SMS, email or WhatsApp them? Or maybe post a letter?

Now send your questions out and then, when you get the answers, DO what they suggest you do.

What if someone doesn’t respond? Simple – find someone else that could answer that question.

Do NOT give up.

You are an entrepreneur, after all. You are resilient (“tough”), innovative and creative. Make a plan.

And act on their advice.

 

 

Villiersdorp, Western Cape, South Africa. The CEO of StreetBiz Foundation, Dr Nico de Klerk visited Villiersdorp on 16 November 2018 during the Long Walk Project and has the following to say about the town and its people:

“Meetings with the Tourism committee, individuals, groups and the Youth Centre, a youth group session of two hours there and then off to the squatter camp section of this community, gave me first-hand insight, led by hand! The positive energy in this community reflected with a group accompanying me for 12 km out of town the following day towards Franschoek. At our good-bye a video was made with their individual messages including an announcement of a petition to support the StreetBiz online business school. Now could I have asked for more!”

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Make it personal …

When you phone an IT helpline with any problem regarding your computer, one of the first things they ask you, is to reboot your computer.

Very often that’s all that’s needed to fix the problem.

The same is true for our thinking – all too often do we get stuck on an idea, or a challenge or something that we cannot seem to move beyond. It feels like we’re stuck in the same place, spinning our wheels, and not getting anywhere.

Have you ever experienced that?

In the video Dr Nico got feedback from a group of amazing people doing amazing things in their community – meeting challenges daily and bringing hope and direction.

Yet, they also spoke about how they were energised by the thought that they should look at old problems in new ways – and all of this by rebooting their thinking.

Maybe you also have challenges that leave you powerless and stuck in one place. The Villiersdorp community leaders were rebooted by a simple conversation with a man who believes that a changed mindset can literally change your life.

• Find someone that you can talk to – someone with positive energy and innovative ideas. And just talk through your challenges – see what comes up.
• Or set an afternoon aside where you and your team can go sit somewhere beautiful (maybe a park in your town), or at least somewhere else than your usual meeting place (go for coffee in town). And just start buzzing ideas. Do NOT filter, do NOT judge, just write them down and keep going – you’ll be amazed by what comes up.
• Think outside the box – do not say no to any idea, but explore them all.

Once you’ve got that, start planning.

Work with what you’ve got. But don’t be scared of asking someone for resources. The worst that can happen is a no. And then you still have a whole list of possibilities.

And once you’ve planned:  DO.