I think the best way to describe Jon would be to say that she is 'brutally honest'. She was very no nonsense, and seemed to believe that there was a right way to do everything. A great deal of her life has been spent doing things. This can be somewhat intimidating to a classroom of students who have spent much of their lives hearing and talking about things, but it can also be empowering.
You can do things too, I hear her saying. You can succeed, and you will fail. "You're dead meat on a cold paper plate."(real quote from Jon Goodman) Her words are like gunfire, making you look for a place to take cover. "You're only as good as your word," she says. Jon Goodman is the drill sergeant preparing you for the real world, a cold and bloodthirsty world.
Any entrepreneur who has ever been in the same room with Jon Goodman no doubt has a lawyer, an accountant, and a shrewd board of advisors, and is constantly turning to warily look over their shoulder for threats. Jon Goodman doesn't care if you succeed or fail, but she does care if you are prepared. It's okay to fail because your business just wasn't meant to be. It's not okay to fail because you were stupid and got caught with your pants down. Be prepared, be smart, and be one step ahead of the game. If in doubt, just remember WWJD, that is "What Would Jon Do?"
Wednesday, February 3, 2010
Strengths and Weaknesses
As I walk along this crazy road called life, I find myself drawn to many shiny things and concepts that I pass by. The problem is I find there are only so many things I can carry.
I just don't have enough time to spend too much on any one thing, not when there are so many things I've never seen or done before. My biggest weakness in a business setting would probably be my attention span. I start out very intense and passionate with a lot of things I do. Eventually though, new things I am also intense and passionate about come in and push the older things aside. I have scuba gear in the attic, brewing supplies in my basement, and a shelf of books and video games I've never had a chance to finish or even start.
On the flip side of the coin, I try very hard to keep my word. If something important is given to me to do and people are relying on me, I generally won't let them down if it's within my power. In a business setting this means I would pull my own weight, and stick it through until everything was wrapped up. I like Andrew Fry's concept of starting a company and then turning it over for others to run or buy. That concept is very appealing and I think works well with the way I work.
Another strength, I believe, is my passion and natural leadership. Empowering people with an idea and guiding them along the path with me is something I have embarked on before. One of the biggest problems in most of these failures was not knowing what to do next, and in turn losing faith in my/our ability to succeed.
I just don't have enough time to spend too much on any one thing, not when there are so many things I've never seen or done before. My biggest weakness in a business setting would probably be my attention span. I start out very intense and passionate with a lot of things I do. Eventually though, new things I am also intense and passionate about come in and push the older things aside. I have scuba gear in the attic, brewing supplies in my basement, and a shelf of books and video games I've never had a chance to finish or even start.
On the flip side of the coin, I try very hard to keep my word. If something important is given to me to do and people are relying on me, I generally won't let them down if it's within my power. In a business setting this means I would pull my own weight, and stick it through until everything was wrapped up. I like Andrew Fry's concept of starting a company and then turning it over for others to run or buy. That concept is very appealing and I think works well with the way I work.
Another strength, I believe, is my passion and natural leadership. Empowering people with an idea and guiding them along the path with me is something I have embarked on before. One of the biggest problems in most of these failures was not knowing what to do next, and in turn losing faith in my/our ability to succeed.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)