Grab your goggles and your bear bait. (2024)

Hey there, Erin here! This week’s blog is part two of Creativity Rules by Tina Seelig for our Anti Book Club series this Summer. This week is action-packed. There are polar bears, freezing water, and baby steps.

Grit, persistence, consistency, and determination are all words I’ve heard about entrepreneurship and they are words I would use to describe entrepreneurs. I don’t know about you, but when I think about all I want to accomplish, what future companies I want to build, what new products I want to launch, and what new services to offer I get excited and then really overwhelmed thinking about all the things I need to do. But, it’s about the first step, not the finish line.

Small steps are a huge part of my goal-setting process and strategy for implementation, but I usually do a tornado of anxiety until I remember it’s just a small step to start that’s needed. A quick panic is always part of the process.

In Tina Seelig’s book, Creativity Rules: Get Ideas Out of Your Head and Into the World, in her section on Entrepreneurship, she defines it in The Invention Cycle as Entrepreneurship is applying the innovation, scaling ideas, and thereby inspiring other’s imagination. Once again reminding us that it’s not just about the work or the skill, it’s about your attitude, your actions, and your mindset that matters and that impacts the whole of The Invention Cycle.

Swimming with Polar Bears

In Chapter 7, Persist, Seelig tells the story of a swimmer and how he wanted to swim in endangered bodies of water to bring awareness to environments in need of protection. Sounds crazy, and it was…

He was to swim 1 kilometer (which is .62 miles for us no-meter people) in freezing water that was 4,200 meters (2.6 miles) deep. On top of that, he needed polar bear guards so that he didn’t get attacked. Lewis Pugh succeeded and became the first person to successfully complete a long-distance swim in every ocean in the world.

How did he do it? Persistence through small steps, actions, and his mindset. He and his team decided to plan small flags along his 1km swim that not only reminded him to just continue to the next flag and complete short goals along the way, it also reminded him of those members of his team and the people who were there supporting him. To him, it was about the team and about his purpose.

Ultimately he completed the Innovation Cycle from imagining what was possible, addressing the challenges, and applying creativity to generating a unique solution, applying innovation and inspiring others.

So, here’s the thing, I’m not telling you to swim in frigid arctic waters with polar bears, or honestly, you can if you really want to….but it’s a reminder to set small goals along your entrepreneurial journey.

Do the small thing first. Think back to The Right It (Read the Blog Here), and try pretotyping your habits, systems, and operations within your company before making the big decisions and things. Make a list of objectives and wants before jumping into hiring someone. Communicate your expectations if you’re having trouble with a staff member…before going off… Test your emails, talk to your clients, and above all else, don’t rush the process. Just start from step one.

I get asked all the time, “ Erin, how do I open a business?”

First, I always say, to make sure you’re ready because it’s demanding and really hard. After that, I normally ask some follow-up questions like “What is the business?” That one is kinda important. But after I ask that so many people want to know how to go straight into opening up an entire brick-and-mortar business forgetting about all the little things along the way. Maybe you know this feeling, maybe you can remember back when your business was just an idea, or maybe you’re the person who asked me that question...

Reality Inventory

Let’s take a reality inventory….

If you’re an entrepreneur or have an entrepreneurial mindset, you have an idea. I know it and you know it. Whether you’re pivoting your business (raising my own hand here), wanting to implement a new change, or wanting to launch a new thing - there’s an idea brewing.

What’s the very first step you can take to make that idea happen?

It’s not looking at a business storefront or deciding on a manufacturer. It starts with a simple step like an email, a question to ask, it might just be the courage to tell someone the idea you have.

So, ask yourself again, what’s the very first step you can take to make your idea happen?

*Side note: this concept applies to real life, not just to entrepreneurship life. Maybe you want to live somewhere else, get a new job, gain a new friend, dump a sh*tty boyfriend, stop drinking, or start yoga - this concept can be applied anywhere. It’s about lining up those little flags or those little small steps along the way to achieve the goal you set for yourself.

It’s natural to feel anxious about your ambitions, it’s even okay to panic a little at first. Just remember that it's not about the finish line, but the first step. By focusing on small, actionable steps, you can navigate the journey of entrepreneurship—and life—with confidence and determination. Keep moving forward, one step at a time, and let your passion and persistence lead the way.

You are courageous, capable, and strong.