If there’s one thing that sets successful entrepreneurs apart, it’s not just their business strategy or their network. It’s their mindset.
Whether you’re an entrepreneur or an intrapreneur within a company, adopting these five mindset shifts will set you up for long-term success.
1. Build As You Go
One of the biggest myths in business is that you need to have everything perfect before you launch. (Spoiler alert: It’s never going to be perfect.) The best entrepreneurs build as they go.
There’s an old analogy about jumping off a cliff and building the airplane on the way down. That’s exactly what entrepreneurship, and ownership, is about. You take responsibility, you own the process, and you improve as you go.
The key is to start. You can always tweak, adjust, and refine, but waiting for perfection means you’ll never get moving.
2. Be a Salesperson First
No matter what industry you’re in or what role you play, sales is at the core of everything. The most successful people understand that sales is so much more than just pushing a product. It’s about listening, understanding problems, and providing solutions.
A top recruiter is really just a great salesperson who knows how to connect people with the right opportunities. And influencers are, at their core, powerful salespeople—companies pay them because they can sell better than the company itself.
If you’re going to have an entrepreneurial mindset, you need to be a salesperson first. You are always selling, whether it’s your business, your ideas, or even yourself.
3. Grow Only As Fast As You Can Serve
Fast growth looks glamorous, but it can be dangerous. There are countless stories of companies that skyrocketed in growth only to crash and burn because they couldn’t sustain it. Growth is exciting, but if you outgrow your ability to serve your customers or your employees, you’ll set yourself up for failure.
The best businesses don’t just chase growth. They grow at a pace that allows them to maintain quality, service, and culture. If that means slowing down, so be it.
There’s no trophy for growing the fastest, but there are plenty of cautionary tales about businesses that tried to do too much, too soon and lost trust with the people they serve.
4. Hire A-Players Only
You don’t need warm bodies filling seats. You need A-players who can elevate your company.
An A-player can do the work of three C-players. That means instead of hiring three average employees, you hire one phenomenal person, pay them well, and watch them thrive. The best businesses don’t tolerate weak links and actively seek out (and invest in) top talent.
If you want to grow, if you want to scale, if you want to build something incredible, don’t settle for average. Surround yourself with the best people possible.
5. Focus on Being Better Over Bigger
One of my favorite business stories comes from Chick-fil-A founder Truett Cathy. In the 1990s Chick-fil-A was competing against Boston Market, a company growing at an explosive rate. The executives at Chick-fil-A were caught up in conversations about how to expand, how to gain market share, and how to keep up.
In the middle of this, Truett Cathy banged his fist on the table and said, “We will have no more talk of getting bigger. The only thing we need to focus on is getting better.”
That single mindset shift changed everything. Instead of chasing growth, Chick-fil-A focused on creating a better product, a better experience, and a better company. Less than a decade later, Boston Market filed for bankruptcy. Chick-fil-A, on the other hand, became a billion-dollar company.
The lesson? Better makes you bigger. Bigger doesn’t necessarily make you better.
If you focus on better—better products, better experiences, better service, better leadership—your customers will demand that you grow. And that’s the kind of growth that lasts.
Own Your Mindset, Own Your Future
The common thread is having a mindset of OWNERSHIP. It’s about taking control of your work, your growth, and your impact. Whether you run a business, lead a team, or contribute to a company, these five principles will set you apart.
And if you’re ready to take your brand, business, or leadership to the next level, let’s talk. At Brand Builders Group, we help entrepreneurs and professionals build and monetize their personal brands. Schedule a free brand strategy call today and let’s build something amazing together.
