In celebration of the recent TEDx talk delivered by our very own Lara Morgan, we’ve shared her ‘Ode to Business Growth’ which was threaded throughout her presentation.
Her talk entitled Growth Acceleration through sweaty knickers confidence shares her personal story of growing Pacific Direct into the worlds leading supplier of hotel amenities from start-up to successful exit and all of the lessons she learnt along the way.
You can watch the full TED talk here.
http://tedxtalks.ted.com/video/Growth-Acceleration-through-Swe
Part 1: YOUR skill SET
Crucial skills, practice what you preach,
Start with self, plan, shadow and share, teach.
Business the tough journey, be prepared to make progress mistakes,
Sooner the decisions made, conclusions we reach
The paranoid of possible failure in enterprise is OK – it is a great driver
Pick yourself up, be ready for the fight.
Small, advantageous, fleet-footed, be unique, be bright.
Lead by example, strive more than the rest…
Be memorable, be fearless challenge – be the best
If you are not out of your comfort zone you may not be determined enough
Business books, read,
enlightening pills to apply and absorb,
Set your own targets, you’ll never be bored.
Start with nothing, it is possible you know.
Win, persist transform hence you will grow
Innovation counts, when did you ask a supplier for their latest inventions
Part II: The Dorchester story: Your Confidence
Expect to learn new stuff every day, look always for the better and different
Cash flow misery, budget management first,
If the numbers don’t stack up – it’s not what it’s worth.
Grown-up steps in company development are hard,
Frugal, Be patient, work very smart and focus, yes it is hard.
Raising finance, use banks if you can,
Build, reinvest, hold equity that’s your best plan.
Find or make a niche, calculated steps – be brave,
Be passionate about the team, delegate or risk an early to your grave
Practice your unique pitch, deliver it with aplomb.
Be far less British – love your shadows, look forward, learn – on, on.
Maximise your advantages – sell into the dark,
Travel in economy – Lead by example – “please” is free, leave your mark.
Employing your first recruit might be the hardest step, plan wisely
Networking is scary but that applies to all, be brave – mix in – make time return on your investment – we all have to sell ourselves in some way daily.
There is no such thing as vanity in the workplace, celebrate every progress with your team
Targets and tenacity are much better applied with training support
Nothing wrong with ambition and a plan, double it and blag like the boys do it you can??
Part III: The Importance of Planning
In time experience strengthens possible success
Share wisely, play fairly, consistency nothing less
Everyday evolves, plans need a tweak.
Move swiftly, stuffy competition, listen to your customer, let them speak.
Intend always to deliver brilliant customer service.
Things will go wrong, be confident but never fear,
On the worst lonely days, you must own it, it’s yours to gain
Makes the sacrifice worth it – dodge the raindrops, reach for the stars again and again
Part IV: Lessons learnt
The younger you start, the easier it is,
Export your socks off, research, be digital, become a global geek whizz.
Invest to progress stay current with the times
Constantly build social – momentum your joint / team competency
Read, be a sector expert, know your market – how it drives
People grow value when respected and empowered,
Task them, challenge them, targets rewards odd socks, gin, flowers
Set goals, share your vision, live for values, let them OWN the mike.
Genuinely, journey fun, teams win when they fight
Learn to be focused and humble at all times, authentic humility the greatest power of leadership
With effort, energy and focused determination,
Through Enterprise we will change the potential of our nation.
Corporates need to innovate, collaborate, engage embrace new ways.
No excuses just sweaty knickers,
Out of your comfort zone, APPLY SOMETHING DIFFERENT, don’t delay
By Lara Morgan