Kris Mathis, a serial entrepreneur, investor, author, and business expert, has outlined 5 key ingredients that helped him achieve success in business and life. Mathis has triumphed over a troubled early life in the inner city to become one of the most sought-after keynote speakers and business coaches, guiding entrepreneurs towards success.
Mathis currently owns 8 business brands across various industries, including his Full Circle business coaching program. In his 13 years as a business coach, he has mentored over 1,000 entrepreneurs and has examined more than 3,000 business pitches. These pitches came from entrepreneurs that are looking for an opportunity to get their business ventures off the ground. As a keynote speaker, Mathis helps organizations improve company morale and culture, as well as increase sales and other business targets. He frequently talks about overcoming adversity, as companies are still figuring out how to survive in a radically changed post-pandemic world. His talks also have a community focus, encouraging members of the community to push through the economic setbacks they’ve experienced and inspiring them to push forward.
Drawing on his extensive experience in business and life, Mathis has shared 5 key ingredients that help entrepreneurs achieve their goals and dreams. The ingredients are based on a book he published in 2012, titled From Success to Significance: The 8 Keys to Achieving Any Goal or Dream.
1. The Reality Check
According to Mathis, there are three types of people: the winners, who have made it in life, the losers, who have given up trying, and the contenders, who are looking for their shot to show their genius. A small business owner must give themselves a reality check to determine which of the three they are, and Mathis is there to help contenders take their chances and become winners.
2. Life and Business are Hard
"There's nothing easy about building a business. Life is going to test you and ask the best from you, and it will be emotionally draining. Life will put you into a fearful state of mind so that you don't pursue your goals or dreams anymore. So, it's crucial to the success of the entrepreneur to find a way to push through this storm," Mathis says.
3. You Must Have Faith
"I believe that having faith in a higher power has been a huge part of my success. I believe that it's important that the entrepreneur has something that they can lean on that's greater than themselves. And that's because there will be a time when all the motivation in the world can't help you, and it's only your faith that will carry you through to achieve your goals."
4. Define Your Victory
According to Mathis, an entrepreneur must decide on what "victory" means to them. He believes that winning looks different for everyone, and, while business undoubtedly has a financial component, an entrepreneur can also define success as being able to spend more time with their family, or being able to support a community cause they care about. Entrepreneurs should decide this goal for themselves, and not let anyone else dictate it.
5. Strive for Significance
Mathis says that, in his 26 years in business, he learned that entrepreneurs must always work to give back to the community and to the people who supported them along the journey. "I came to the understanding that it was significance that drove me to win. Now, I find excitement in the idea of mentoring someone and helping them figure out their path. I'm fortunate to have found success early in my career, and I'm at a point where it's now about how many people I can help."
Mathis says his business coaching and keynote speeches are based on his life experiences as a Black male raised by a single mother in the inner city. He grew up in an environment full of poverty and violence, which made it unlikely for him to succeed. But, he triumphed over the odds and is now sharing his knowledge and expertise to entrepreneurs, especially those in disadvantaged sectors such as women, and people of color (BIPOC).
"When I was young, I thought that once I started making a lot of money, all my problems would go away. But I was wrong. Success only brought more problems, but they were different from the ones I was used to. I believe that the easy part is to conduct business and network and have success. For me, the hardest thing I’ve ever done is believing that one day my dream would come true. Make sure that the entrepreneurial direction that you choose is something that you're passionate about, commit to it, find that belief within you, and give it everything you’ve got," Mathis says.
This article can be found at: Business Insider Africa
