I was bitten by the entrepreneurial bug when I was young. Hated the idea of being a second fiddle under a boss like Michael Scott (pun intended). Besides, my eyes were always filled with the dreams of doing something new, something unique.
Healthcare was the domain that sparked my interest, for I wanted to serve people alongside achieving professional success. Back when I moved to Arizona, the healthcare industry was ripe with opportunities. It still is, only the opportunities have slightly changed as technology is now playing a bigger role than it ever has.
The last ten years were challenging for me. I had to learn, unlearn, and relearn to keep pace with new technologies entering the healthcare and pharmaceutical industry. I will not bore you with all the details here. Rather I will share with you some key lessons that I learned during my time in this industry.
Never stop doubting yourself
I am sure you’ve heard it before. “Never doubt yourself.” Or something along the same lines. Well, when faced with challenges, you are bound to doubt yourself and on your abilities, even if you brag about them other times.
Relax. Take a deep breath. It’s okay to feel lost and confused. In fact, it’s healthy to have doubts. Not doubting yourself means your ego has taken over.
Feel free to doubt yourself, but while you do that, bear in mind that doubting is only the beginning, not the end. Faith begins where doubt ends. Khali Gibran once said, “Doubt is a pain too lonely to know that faith is his twin brother.” I initially perceived this quote to be too highbrow. But my self-esteem went up a notch as I realized its significance. My mantra is, keep doubting yourself and keep faith rescuing you from your doubts.
Faith is what sets successful entrepreneurs apart from unsuccessful ones. An accomplished entrepreneur doesn’t hesitate, doesn’t take a step back, rises above his doubts, and keeps walking ahead. A non-accomplished one? He lets his fears and doubts consume him.
Dig into latest technologies
Healthcare and technology commingled so much over the last decade that a slew of futuristic trends emerged. Assistive healthcare is one of them. To give you some heads up, the market for assistive medical devices is projected to grow over 24 billion US dollars by 2025. Quite promising! Isn’t it?
Well, not if you work as an underpaid nurse because then your job is threatened by automation as you could be replaced by a robot manufactured in China in the next few years. But if you are a wannabe entrepreneur, automation can be the game changer. The bottomline is, assistive healthcare and similar trends bring challenges for manual workers and opportunities for entrepreneurs. Want to understand them fully? Then dip your toe into the tech water.
I have done it. And have been doing it ever since I joined Spear Education, a global leader in the dental space as a partner and board member. I study technology everyday, observe new trends in the industry, and keep track of the inroads automation is making into healthcare, health management, and preventive medicine. I analyze everything from an entrepreneurial perspective. You should do the same if you have plans to invest in this domain, and get a decent ROI on your investment.
Inspire others
We look up to inspirational figures, follow their advice, and remind ourselves of the struggles they faced when we feel like we can’t stay the course. But that’s not enough, at least in my opinion. I believe inspiring and motivating others is as important as feeling inspired.
That’s why I am a member of the Young Presidents Organization (YPO). It’s an international platform for chief executives where they can join together with influential business leaders from around the world and create a positive impact for businesses and also for the wider community.
The platform helps budding entrepreneurs much the same way it helps C-suite executives. They all find valuable ideas to accelerate business growth and overcome the roadblocks plaguing the growth.
And finally…
I love sports, especially golf. I can’t legitimately call myself an avid golfer, but yeah, you might catch me wearing slacks heading towards the golf course in the morning. I also love soccer, and I am currently a partner of Phsoenix Rising FC.
Sports let me unwind all the stress. It’s my personal stress buster, and I’d recommend it to everyone feeling pressured due to their jobs/businesses. And yeah, it’s also one of the ways you can attain success as an entrepreneur.
