An entrepreneur can learn from anyone’s experience. And Frances Bridges proves it. She is a writer I would highly recommend that you follow. In her “celebrity substance” blog series for Forbes, she looks at celebrities from a variety of professions, discussing what can be learned from their successes and failures. Here are a few lessons that stuck out:
Taylor Swift knows her audience
“It does help to be a 24 year old girl when you’re writing for a 24 year old demographic (though Swift has transcended that). She is the best friend/sister figure who writes things more vividly than we feel them. Her songs have a television drama full of back-story, when paired with a catchy melody sells millions of records.”
Like Taylor Swift, every entrepreneur needs to know who is buying what they’re selling. Give them what they want.
Beyoncé is meticulous
“In an industry where celebrities often claim they don’t watch their own movies or performances because it’s too ‘weird’ or ‘awkward,’ because ‘it’s hard to watch yourself and listen to yourself,’ Beyoncé unabashedly records and watches everything she does, from her interviews to her concerts, to moments in her personal life that she may not necessarily show anyone.”
Beyoncé does the hard work Everyone starting a business knows hard work is important, but the true mark of a successful entrepreneur is the willingness to do the hard things you would rather someone else handle.
Jon Hamm lives life incrementally
“In an interview with GQ, Hamm was discussing a triathlon he did in Malibu for charity. ‘You dive in the water and you think, S—. It’s cold. It’s too far. I’ll never make it,’ he remembers. ‘But then you take a deep breath. You get a little groove going. You concentrate on the next buoy, then the next one, then the next one. You start to enjoy the swim. And then, all of a sudden, it’s like, sweet. I’m here.’ ”
Jon Hamm understands the value of setting small, obtainable goals. While entrepreneurs want to be focused on the big picture, they also need to see what’s right in front of them.
Mindy Kaling wrote her own part
“After auditioning to be in a couple of plays/musicals in New York, Kaling realized her best bet was writing her own part. Especially in a job market this harsh, whose hands is your destiny better in than your own? She wrote in her book, ‘Write your own part. It’s the only way I’ve gotten anywhere. It is much harder work, but sometimes you have to take destiny in your own hands. It forces you to think about what your strengths really are, and once you find them, you can showcase them, and no one can stop you.'”
What Mindy Kaling suggests makes a lot of sense. When an entrepreneur focuses on his or her strengths, it sets him or her apart from the competition.