Visionary Business

As my 27th birthday approaches, I feel like taking stock of my life's accomplishments and values and direction and evaluating whether or not it's too early to engage in mid-life crisis behaviour.  I don't feel like buying a ferrari just yet.

I've decided, to heck with the past. I'm appreciative of what I've learned (sometimes twice) and excited about the desires I've hatched thanks to my past experiences -- so yay for that.  So here I am now, inspired and eager to create more fun stuff.  The feeling of what I want is strong and I'm more clear about what excites me the most in life:  meaningful connections with select people, playing outside in nature, having fun and receiving praise -- I mean, being an uplifting example of one who lives and sometimes swims upstream but knows how to relax to get back on track; doing what I do, and doing it well.

I'm reading a couple of books on business by millionaire-with-ease, Marc Allen.  Here's an interview clip of him promoting his new book (I've read it; the best part of the book is what he imparts in his interview.  I hope he doesn't read this... although he does often remind that he strives to impart the whole of his wisdom in every interaction, soooo... success.): 

And here are some of the notes I've taken as I'm reading Visionary Business:

The company should spend money on things that will make the money grow (i.e. invest in growth of the individuals, to better express the company's mission statement)
Start-ups take twice as long and cost twice as much as you expect
A well-written business plan is far more than a tool for raising money: It is your map, your visualization of the future. The business plan is the guiding course for the ship. Where do we want to be in 1, 2, 5 years.
Every successful venture begins with a vision for it
The Business Plan:
1st: we describe our present circumstances
2nd: we describe where we want to be in 1, 2, 5 years, and present a map for getting there
Next make the company mission statement [to uplift, entertain, teach and learn]. The statement helps the company retain its focus and can be crucial in determining the company's direction and even its level of success.  [I think my mission statement is too vague but he says that's okay....]
Partnerships work only in unique situations. One person has to be completely responsible for the success or failure of the business. [haha I wonder how that works in a relationship...]

From Visionary Business (applicable to any undertaking, involvement, relationship, life situation...):

You have a unique purpose for living, and you have been given unique talents and abilities to accomplish that purpose... True success always involves personal fulfillment of some kind, and you are fulfilled only by working and living in harmony with your purpose in life.

Be sure all of the owners of the company, and ideally, employees as well, write their "ideal scenes" down on paper, and compare notes:

What do you want to be doing five years from now, assuming that your business has grown according to plan -- in fact assume that everything has gone fantastically well, and you have had success beyond your wildest dreams. What would your life look like? What would you be doing? Where would you live? What would a typical day look like? This simple exercise is a powerful visionary tool.