The Toilet Paper Entrepreneur PDF (HowEntrepreneur.com)

8/11/2019 The Toilet Paper Entrepreneur PDF (HowEntrepreneur.com)

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E n t r e p r e n e u rThe tell-it-like-it-is guide to cleaning up in businesseven i f you a re the end of your roll.

^


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U.S. 24.95 Canada 29.95

Never started a company before? Struggling withlittle or no c sh Have no experience no baselineto judge your progress against? Thank God You ve

got a shot at making this work.

So says Mike Michalowicz,author of The Toilet PaperEntrepreneur, a business book that is so uniquelyuseful,so raw and entertaining, it reads like the brainchildof Steve J o b s and Chris Rock.

The founder of three multimillion-dollar companies

including Obsidian Launch, a company that partners entrepreneurs to grow their concepts

into industry leaders, Mike Michalowicz knows what

it really takes to spin your great idea into pure gold.

Whether you're just starting out or have been atthis for years, Mike's get real approach to businessis a much-needed swift kick in the pants. In this book,you'll discover how to:

Increase revenue byas much as 600 using the visualDaily Metrics system.

Identify, build,and exploit your super-strengths-andattract key colleagues to do the rest-without givingup equity.

Use the Formula of Five to focus narrowly enough


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The Toilet PaperEntrepreneur


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The Toilet PaperEntrepreneurThe tell-it-like-it-is guide to cleaning up in business,even if you are a t the end of your roll.

Mike Michalowicz

L U N H

O B S I D I A N L A U N C H


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Copyright 2008 by Michael J Michalowicz.

All rights reserved.

Published by Obsidian Launch, LLC; Boonton,NewJersey.

No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, ortransmitted in any form orby any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying,recording, scanning, or otherwise, exceptas permitted under Section 107 or 108of the 1976 United States Copyright Act, without the prior written permission ofthe publisher, Obsidian Launch. Requests to publisher for permission should beaddressed

to the PermissionsDepartment,

Obsidian Launch, 239 MyrtleAvenue,

Boonton, NJ 07005,or by email at [email protected].

Limit of Liability/Disclaimer of Warranty: This book contains the opinions andideas of its author. Itis sold with the understanding that neither the author northepublisher, through the publication of this book, is engaged in rendering financial,legal, consulting, investmentor other professional advice or services. If the readerrequires such advice or services, a competent professional should be consulted. Thestrategies outlined in this bookmaynotbe suitable for every individual, and are notguaranteed or warranted to produce any particular results. No warranty is madewith respect to the accuracy or completeness of the information contained herein.Both the author and the publisher specifically disclaim any responsibility for anyliability, loss, or risk, personal or otherwise, which is incurred as a consequence,directly or indirectly, ofthe use and application of any ofthe contents of this book.

For information on discounts for bulk purchases, please contact Obsidian Launchat [email protected].

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data is available.

ISBN-13: 978-0-9818082-0-8

ISBN-10: 0-9818082-0-4

Cover Design by: Kristina ArellanoBook Design by:JustYourType.biz

Manufactured in the United States of America

10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3


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DEDICATION

Krista, Tyler, Adayla, JakeMichalowicz -Thanks for supporting me unequivocally and

letting me sleep in after the all-nighters on this project.

Successis never the resultof one-person endeavors.Never. It takesa team. Thank you team.

Thankyou from the bottomof my heart.

Patty Zanelli, Anjanette Harper, Mini Sankara, Matt Maher,Scott Bradley, Stephanie Cavataro, Howard Hirsch, Lauren

Lombardo, Sean Moriarty, Lisa Mason, Mike Maddock, ZachSmith, and everyone who helped in making this book great

thank youfor taking the stones and making a sculpture.It will never cease to amaze me how much a small, focused,

relentless, passionate group of people can accomplish.

Everyone Weredonefor now,until the massesbeg for another book

(If you areone of the masses,please feel free to beg for another book.)


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CONTENTS

FOREWORD xi

INTRODUCTION xiii

M Y THREE-SHEET STORY xix

PART ONE: BELIEFS 1

CHAPTER 1 - NATURE S CALLING 4

Answer the Urge 4Obliterate All the Excuses,Excepttor One 9One Day Still Hasn't Come 14Nature vs. Nurture 15

CHAPTER2 - A LITTLEPEACE ANDQUIET (INYOUR MIND) 17How To Blow Your Last $20 on Booze and Still Make Millions 19The Wallof Limiting Beliefs 21Envy This 24The Channel of Enabling Beliefs 25Getting Past Day One 30Mission I'm Possible 33

CHAPTER 3 - THE FIRE IN YOUR BELLY 36W h a t To Do? What To Do? 37W h a t Do You Stand For? 39

Immutable Laws (A Filterfor Everything) 41The Why Guy Finds His Why 47

PART TWO: THE TPE FOCUS 49

CHAPTER 4 - GETTING D OW N TO BUSINESS 51

Focus Small To Get Big 52HowTo Drive Dangerously Fast, Safely 54T he Focus Five 56

Yo u Got ta Do Better 59


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Your Area of Innovation - Quality, Price or,Convenience 61Who's Your Ideal Customer? 64You Are Really, Really Good At Very, Very Little 67

CHAPTER 5 - IT'S ALL ABOUT REGULARITY 71AJunk Man's 1B ProsperityPlan 72Create a Prosperity Plan 74AlwaysBeTacking 81Quarterly Tacking 83Every Day, Review Your Metrics 88Gold Bullion Everywhere 92

It'sJust Like Drivingto Albuquerque 93

PART THREE: ACTION ...,.97

CHAPTER 6 - ARE YOU READY NOW? 99 No Your Way to Success 100

The Top Nine List 102The Dark Side 104Haven't Been There, Haven't Done That 105What You Don't Know Can't Pervert You 107Burn the Boats 109

CHAPTER 7 - SHIT AND GET OFF THE POT 111The Secret Behind The Secret 112

Just In Case You Haven't Started Yet, Here's How 113Action, Lights,Camera 116HappilyWalk Outofa Once-in-a-Lifetime Meeting 117Act As If, ButOnly on the Inside 119The 16,107Steps You (Don't) Needto Take 122Know When to SayWhen 124Accountability 125AGood Night's Restinthe Hotel ParkingLot 126

PART FOUR: MONEY fi EQUITY . 129

CHAPTER 8 - CLEAN UP O N THREE SHEETS 131

Plenty of Somethin' from a Whole Lot of Nothin' 132Anythingfor Nothing 133


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Sometimes You Need To Borrow 135Bankers Are Anchors 135Trade a Paperclipfora House 137Funds from the Folks 139

Vendors Have Your Money. BorrowIt Back (PlusOther Options)...140Don't Borrow To Cover Your Mistakes 143Don't Give Personal Guarantees 144

CHAPTER9 - A GOOD, SOLID FLOW 146Applyingthe PFAProcessto Your Business 148

CHAPTER 10 - KEEP YOUR BUSINESS TO YOURSELF 153PartnersWithout Equity 154Watch Out for VIPs(Very InordinatelyPaid Specialists) 156Ideas Are Worththe Time Spenton Them 157Angelsand VCsSuck (Kinda) 158The RightWay To BalanceEquity&Partnering 159It's a BigDeal To BeSmall 160Throw Out the Way It Has AlwaysBeen 162

RONUS: THE YOUTH NDYOUNG T HEART

DV NT GE 65

Ivy Leagueor CountyCollege- So What 167Move In with Your Mom (And Other PainfulThoughts) 169Master Bocce Ball 169Still in School?Graduate Profitably. 170

THE NOT-SO-HIDDEN RONUS SECTION: TOU THE BIGCRAPPER 178


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FOREWORD

o everyone told me I had to get some bigwig towrite the foreword to my book. Turns out my book is just abit too controversial,a bit too blunt, and may have a slight

amount of bathroom humor - in other words, no foreword.

ButFma Toilet PaperEntrepreneur(TPE). I getit done. So I wrotemy own damn foreword,which is a crash course in the attributesofthe Toilet Paper Entrepreneur what you must embodyif you aregoing to be one of the peoplewho makesitin business.

HerearemyTop EightTPE Attributes:

1. H ie TPE Cultivates a Powerful Foundation o f Beliefs - A

TPE knows that success is nearly 100% determined by hisor her beliefs,not education, means,or circumstance.WhenTPEs believe they will achievesomethingand then back it

upwith relentless,persistent action,it will happen.

2. The TPE Has Passion - A TPE always, unequivocally,works in his or her field of passion. Thepassion might notbe obviousor apparenttoan outsider, but it is to the TPE.

3. The TPE Slants Toward Premature Action - A TPE willtake action over sitting still every time. Taking action toosoon may burn them, but inevitably TPEsare rewardedfortakingaction too early rather thantoo late.

4. The TPE Is Extremely Great at Extremely Little - TheTPE discovers his or her few strengths and exploits the


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xii The Toilet Paper Entrepreneur

living hell out of them. Whateverheor she sucks at getsoutsourced.

5. TheTPE Uses Ingenuity over Money- Moneycan be likea drug temporarilycoveringup all your problems.Moneyallowsyou todo stupid thingswithoutpainfulconsequences, hence keepingyou stupid. The TPE knows that entrepreneurialmastery is determinedby ingenuityand a razor-sharp focus.

6. The TPE Dominates a Niche - The TPE chooses a market

whereinthe competitionis weakor does not offer the angleof products, services,and values that the TPE can.Then theTPE dominates that niche.

7. The TPE Marries Long-Term Focus with Short-TermAction - TheTPE knowswith absolutecertaintywhere hisor her final destination is but doesn'thave a detailed play-by-play on how to get there. Instead, TPEstake action inthe short term (90 day increments) to make substantialprogress. Then theyreevaluate their goals, create plansforthe next 90 days, and execute them.

8. The TPE Is NOT Normal - TPEs are risk takers. Theyare a little weird and possiblya litde crazy. They are definitely different. TPEs do not adhere to rules or abideby social norms. They bust the status quo wide open.

Do you see yourselfin this list? If you do, or if you just wish youcould, thisbookis going to rock your world.


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INTRODUCTION

The world is moremalleable than you think

and its waiting for you to hammer it into shape

B o n o

I m tired...tired of the hundreds, if not thousands, of businessbooks that are all title and no content. Most of those booksshouldbe distilledto one or two pages of valuablecontent.The

others should be used to wipe your ass.

I cant tell you how many books Fve started poringthroughand inminutes foundmyself boring throughuntil I finallygave up. Onlya select few business booksare truly great and need to be read covert o c o v e r

My goal for The ToiletPaper Entrepreneuris to be different andfarbetter than the traditional business books and burned-out gradschool rhetoric, from the first word to the last. You find no outdated concepts in this book andno optimizedentrepreneurialexecutionmethodologies. This book is straightfrom the trenches.Fveput all ofmyeffort,experience,and resourcesinto makingThe ToiletPaper Entrepreneur one of the best. You decideifit is.

This book is about gettingreal, dispellingthe naysayersand kickingyou in the butt to getup, and do it.

The less you have of something critical, the more important itbecomes and the more wisely you use it. This is true with everything love, food, money, and even (or especially)toilet paper.


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xiv The Toilet PaperEntrepreneur

Haveyou everbeendoing your businesswith your pants huggingyour anklesand, whenyou are ready to wrapthings up, notice thatyou are extremelylow on toiletpaper? Don'tdeny it You know exactlywhat I am talking about.Three tatteredsheetsofTP hang offthe edgeof the cardboardroll, mockingyou.

This isacrappypositionto be in (pun intended).Thereareonlytwoor three options.You could call for help, which is WAY too embarrassing, but is an option. Of course you could do the humbling,hunchedshuffleofshameandprayyou findarollsomewherenearby.That'shorrible,but it's an option.The final option,usuallythe bestoption,is to managewithwhatyou'vegot.Andwhen youapply yourentrepreneurialmind, you quicklyrecognizeyou have more than am er e th re e sheets.

Here's the play-by-play.Yougo with the final option and decide tomanage.Let's be honest:you have a reputationfor using more thanthree sheets. You gotta see what else you can... wait a minute. Ahha Yes ThewastepaperbasketLikeamaster gymnastperformingatwo-handedstraddleoverapommelhorse, youhold yourselfup and

stretch yourlegout. Just... far... enough.With your leg quiveringfrom the strain, you precariouslyhook your toes overthe garbagepail andstart draggingit in. Come to Momma.Come to Momma,you repeat over and over in your head.

Time to examineyour newlyfound treasuretrove:A used snot-rag.

Good,verygood.AQ-tip.Oh, the inhumanityUseable,ifyoumust.A few cottonballs. OK, you can workwith that.And... dental floss?No way You drawthelineat dentalfloss. Sowith three sheets of TP,a fewcottonballs,a used tissueanda litdepokingaroundwith a Q-Tip,you walk out fresh as a daisy readyto face the world. Of course,


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Introduct ion x v

youdon't reloadthe toiletpaperfor the nextguy Lethim learn the

hard way

The story doesn'tend there. The next time you visit the John, youcheck the TP supply immediately.With a ready supply, you tearthroughthe paperlikeit isgoingoutofstyle.Withinafewweeksof the incident, though,you return to your oldwayswithouta fleeting thoughtofbeing caughtshort-handed.Sureenough,beforelongyou get caughtagainwith your pantaloonskissingyour anklesandan emptyroll, prayingyou won'tneed the dentalflossthis time.

Do you see the amazingentrepreneuriallessons here? In this mostchallenging,most human momentofall,wedemonstrateour infinite abilityto pull miracles outofthe trash.Whenwe literallyhaveno option to justget up andwalkaway,wefind awayto get the jobdone.With threesheets,somewastebasketscrapsand possiblyatornup cardboardroll, the impossiblebecomes verypossible.

It's awe-inspiringhow careful, thoughtful, and innovativewe arewhenour suppliesarescarce. But it's alsoconfoundinghowquickly

we use and abuse our resourceswhen we perceivablyhave a lot. Theproblemis howourheadswork.Whenwehaveknowledgeofabundance in a specific instance (e.g., a full rollofTP), we convert thisinto a careless perceptionof perpetualabundance (e.g., an endlesssupplyofTP within arms' reach). Hence,wewastewhat we have.Even worse, we don't check to make sure it isn't running out. We

justassume

itsgoing tobe there.We

sit down,do

our business,andTHEN grab thin air. Damn Herewego again.

Now, what ifeverytimeyou satdown therewereonly threesheetsoftoiletpaperleft onthe roll? Whenyou alwaysexpectscantresources,you quicklyget in the habit of beingvery careful in your cleanup,every time. You sure as hell would ensure the garbagebasketwas in


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Introduct ion xv i i

strengths, and then go for it with all they've got. Most importandy,

thisbook is for people who take sole responsibility for theirown success or failure. Success in business isn't about being right; it's aboutbeing committed. So, do you want to be right or do you want to besuccessful? I pick success.

Your Success Is Up to You

The safetyofa lifelong career witha large companydied out long agowith one final dying Enron gasp. The security, the fun, and all therewards exist in entrepreneurialism. Think aboutit:You can't trustordepend on anyone more than yourself. AndI am willing to bet thatyou already have all the skills you need to get started - you probablyjust need a better awareness of what you already have, as well as aswiftkick in the ass. That's my job.

It's time you hear the truth and not some sugarcoated nonsense orformula for quick success. Launching and building a company isfreaking hard. It is scary, time-consuming, frustrating, and sometimes life-draining. And, quite frankly, you might fuck it up andruin yourself financially. But financial disaster is unlikely if yourelentlesslycommittoyour own success. Ifyou exploityour strengths,you can create a company that feeds your wallet and your soul, acompany that exhilarates and frees you. If you have the destination,this book is the map.

The thing I can't do is travel for you. You must be willing to trysomething new, push beyond your perceived limitations, and grow.The responsibility for your entrepreneurial experience sits squarelyon your shoulders. The meekmay inherit the earth one day, but theysure as hellwon't be entrepreneurs.


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xviii The Toilet Paper Entrepreneur

Having beendownthe road of building three companies of my ownfrom scratch, partnering inthe launch of manyothers, and researching hundreds of other startups, I have discovered commonalitiesamong successfixlcompany launches, which I outline in this book.I'll tell you one thing right off it sure isn't common thinking. Soignore what youwere toldin business school, forget whatyouthinkyouknow about startups, and throw out your dad's methodof moneymanagement. There isanew generation of entrepreneurs, andit istime for anew modus operandi

Areyou ready to get off the pot?


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M Y THREE-SHEET STORY

F a c e b o o k Google, and YouTube all rocketed to incrediblesuccess faster than you can say the words holy sheet. Theyare worth hundreds of millions, or billions, or hundreds of

billions. The surprisingthing is that the founders were all twenty-somethingswhen theylaunchedAND made their gazillions. Holysheet Their success is amazingand for that they getthe lion's shareof media attention. Theyareheralded asthe best of the best and thefoundationof the new economy.

My experience was different. Waydifferent. And the main differencebetweenmy story and those of the Media Darling Entrepreneurs(MDEs) is how we launchedand built our businesses,but we'll getto all of that later. Thesuccessesof the Toilet Paper Entrepreneursare rarely discussed, let alone heralded in the media. Yet it is these everyday entrepreneurswho are slowlybut surelymarchingalong,creating amazing companiesand achievingremarkableresults.

Google isnot real in that it is not a typicalexperience.However,its success is achievableforyour own businessifyou truly believe it(more on that later). But Google should not be seen as the path tosuccess, simplyas one path.

There are manyother paths traveled bythe likes of the well-knownand the unknown.These are the paths of the TPEs. Some of themare well-known, such as Bill Hewlett & David Packard, who startedtheir companywith $538 and a garageworkshop,ultimatelyyielding today's $100 billion conglomerate;some of them are somewhat


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xx The Toilet Paper Entrepreneur

lesser-knownentrepreneurslike Brian Scudamoreof 1-800-GOT-

JUNK? who took a summerdream and turned it into a junk business now approaching$200 millionin revenue. Dave Packard, BillHewlett, and BrianScudamore areallToiletPaperEntrepreneurs. Soam I. And, I expect, so are you.

I am here to tell youtheir stories and the stories of others as well asthe lessons learned. I am here to tell you the real deal of successfulentrepreneurship.Itis bloatedwith failures,drenchedwith progress,marredwith mistakes,and pepperedwith major achievements.

So who am I to talk about this stuff? I am a Toilet Paper Entrepreneur. My journeywas a fight in the trenches,but I learned how toget outand make it big. Often funny, sometimesa struggle,myentrepreneurialadventurehas been far from glamorous.I even movedmy wife and infant into a retirementvillage to save money- nothinglamorousthere, believeme. Unlessyou likeshuffleboardand funky-smellingold people.

And I have found myselfstranded on the toilet bowl onceor twice.

Fve worked forty-eighthours straightbecause I had to, sleepinginclients' conference rooms to save on hotel bills. And as I write this

I'm sittingat a used deskI scavengedto save bucks, even though Ihave more than enough doughto swingatripto Office Depot.

The odds are that yourpath will be more like mine thanMark Zuck-

erberg's of Facebook.But I want you to know that success can beachieved followingany path. You don't need to have a full roll towalkout winning;you can doit with just three sheetsofTP. Andnomatterwhichpath you choose,you have todoit with strongbeliefs,absolute focus, and loads of effort.

Here's a quick look at my three-sheetstoryvs. the MDEs:


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M E D IA D A RL IN G

E N T R E P R E N E U R

Age 6 - Starts a lawn mowingbusiness by recruiting teenagersin the neighborhood. Buysparents a house.

Age 12- Sits on the board ofmajor toy company.

Age 18 - Is recruited by top IvyLeague schools but rejects themto launch a VC-funded company.

Age 19- Masters the managemento f a mult i -mil l ion-dol larc o m p a n y.

Age 21- Goes public.

Age 24 - Retires.

Age 24 and 1 day - Comes out ofre t i rement . Celebrat ions ensue.

Age 27 - Has another supersuccess because everyoneexpects it.

Age 30 - Is no longer in the newsbecause the next 18-year-oldphenom is all over the headlines.

Age 33- Seeks psychiatric help to find himself.

Age 36 - Writes book on lifestory. Doesn't sell. Goes to workfo r a TPE.

My Three-Sheet Story xxi

M I K E S T H RE E S HE ET '

PAT H

Age 6 - Still in diapers.

Age 12- Rushed to a majorhospital for eating a toy.

Age 18 - Picks a college basedupon the favorable guy-to-girlratio. Arrivesand is instantlyrejected by the girls.

Age 19 - Masters the invertedkegtap.

Ages 21 - Goes home.

Age 24 - Drinks too manyb ee rs a n d s ta r t s o w ncompany because any idiotcan d o it.

Age 24 and 1 day - Launches anew company, finds out tha t

any idiot cannot do it. Panice n s u e s

Age 27 - Company succeedsbecause t h e r e is n oalternative.

Age 30 - Finds his passion,launches another company,grows fast and strong.

Age 33- Found himself Isliving his passion. Businessandlife are great.

Age 36 - Inspires a new breedo f business l eader s - t h eTPEs.TPEs go on to hire failedMDEs .


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xxii The Toilet Paper Entrepreneur

Sowhataremy successes? I have the list of obligatoryaccomplish

ments, but more importandy,I have discoveredmy passionand amliving it I love launching startup businesses,makingthem great, anddoing it fast. I love the underdog,the unsunghero, the peoplewhoare committed to their goals but maybe aren't given a fair chance. Ilove helping people even out the odds, showingthem how to exploittheirnatural strengthssotheycangoout and kick ass. My life'svocation isallabout workinghand-in-hand with first-timeentrepreneursto grow their concepts into industry leaders. I love doing this. Asa result, I am extremelyhappy, making a great living and feel constantly energized.I have achievedhealth, wealth,and happinessallatonce.To me, this is my greatestsuccess.What willyours be?

My ist o t Obligatory Accomplishments

In case you don'twant to Google my ass, hereare my resumehighlights:

I startedmy first business,a computerintegration company,at twenty-four. I sold the company on December31, 2002, through a privatetransaction. It lives on todayas a thriving company.

On January 1, 2003,1 starteda new company.Yes, the verynext day.That company came into national prominence in three short yearsand was subsequently acquiredby a large publicfirm in 2006.

I started my third company, Obsidian Launch, in the summer of2005. The name was different back then, and so was the preliminaryconcept. It changed becauseI took time to look introspectively,discover what I really loved to do, and slowly build the conceptaround my interests and life goals. My earliercompanies,whilevery


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My Three-Sheet Story xxiil

successful, were built on concepts that were desirable to the market

but didn'texploitmy talents andmy passion to their fullest. My latest company has all that covered, soI'm good.

I have followed the path of the Toilet Paper Entrepreneur, early onunintentionally and unaware, but over time deliberately and withstronger focus. Throughout, I have valued my beliefs, discovered andexploited my strengths, and, most importantly, never stoppedpushing ahead, evenduringthe toughest times. The results?

In additionto selling two companies for lots of cash;

I now partner in the launch of a new company approximately every four weeks;

I am a reccurring guest on The Big Idea with onny eutschand other television programs;

I have received many entrepreneur awards, including theSBA'sYoung Entrepreneur of the Year Award;

I have been interviewed in many national media outlets;

I have presented at some of this country's most prestigiousuniversities (and I barely hadaB average at Virginia Tech-go figure);

I am the author of this book and intend to write manym o r

And, most importantly, I continue to quickly grow revenueand profits for all my companies


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xxiv The Toilet Paper Entrepreneur

My goal is not to be a braggartherebut simply to point out that if

I can do this, so can you. Also, make sureyou don't mix up gettingmedia exposurewith beinga MediaDarling. Exposure in the mediais a great thing -1 strongly suggestyou seekit out, as I do. BeinganMDE is somethingdifferent than mere exposure; it is more aboutthe overnight successes who actually do achieve successover night.MDEsshouldbean exalted group,no question. But theyshouldnotbe perceivedasan exclusivegroup.

You can and will achieve success, too, if you want. Your overnightsuccessmay just take time to build. Ultimately you can achieveanygoals you desire, and you can do it all by following the path of theToilet Paper Entrepreneur.

ClearlyI have not followedthe pathof the MDE, but mostentrepreneursdon't. You too willmost likely launchyour businesswith threesheets,a wing, anda prayer. Myjobisto helpyouget rid of thewingand prayerpart. Your job is to succeedon your three sheets.

Let's get started, shall we?


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3

o

Bel iefs

God didn t havetime to make a nobody only

a somebody Ibelieve that each o f us has God-given

talents within us waiting to be broughtto fruition

- Mary Kay Ash


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The Toilet Paper Entrepreneur

At the start of my presentationsI use the old Jack Canfielddemonstration,the one with the $100 bill. It goes something likethis:

I start out by asking, Who here wants to be a multi-millionaire?A room full of hands go up. Who here IS a multi-millionaire?The hands go down. Who wants to have a positive impacton thisworld? Handsgo up. Who has accomplishedit? Handsgo down. Who wants to be known for the good they did? Hands up. Whohas ach ieved this? Hands down.

AfterI explaintothe attendeesthat theseare all inspiringaspirationsbut are truly unattainablein this one moment, I fish through mypocket, pullouta $100 bill and hold it up. I say, This is somethingwe can all see and talk about . Who wants this 100 bill? All the

handsgoup.I ask again, Who wants the$100 bill? The handsstayup, accompaniedby strange looks. The third time I ask, I get thesame response.Often it takes four or five times beforeone personsheepishlygets out of his chair, walks overand cautiously takes the

$100 bill from myhand.The rest ofthe audiencelooks stupefied.

When the $100 guy returns to his seat, we go through an exploration of our beliefs. Even though all raised their hands saying theywanted the money, their beliefs prevented them from taking it. Thebeliefs are always the same: It's a trick; It's embarrassing; You'll

just takeit back; Someoneelse deserves it. These powerfullimiting beliefs keep everyone'sbutt stuck to the seat, even though eachwants the 100.

But that one person, maybe out of pure frustration, elected tochangehis beliefs. Fm going to go for it. What's the worst that


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Par t One: Beliefs 3

can happen? Sowhat if it is a trick, at least it will be over. Maybe

I can just take it. Maybe it's not a trick. I'm going for it, now

The only thing betweenthe audience and that 100 bill is air. Thereisnothing else, yet the forces of their beliefs are so powerfulthat theyare literally immobilized. I wonder how many 100 bills and otheropportunities they regularly miss out on because of fear.

Imagine yourselfat that presentation. I bet you would have raisedyour hand like everyone else, stating you wanted or planned to be amillionaire. But like everyone else, I bet you wouldn't have grabbedthe money from me. If you aren't going to getout of your seat to takea 100 bill, what in the world makes you think youwilldo anythingto make 100 mil? You won t.

You can't do anything if you don't have the beliefs to backit up. Anddon't try to fool yourselfand say it will be different when the stakesare higher and that then you would do whatever it takes to makemillions. If you can't get yourselfto grab the first 100 toward yourmillions when it is literally waved in your face, what makesyou thinkyou will behave any differently in business? If you are going to succeed, you need to destroy your limiting beliefs and create enablingbeliefs.

About forty-five minutes into my presentation I d o a wrap-up thatties back to the opening demonstration. I tell the attendees I can

prove thatthey all have in fact changed their beliefs. I reach backintomy pocket and hold up another 100 bill. Before I can say a wordeveryone makes amad dash toward me, andin aninstantthe moneyis gone. That's the power of an enabling belief. Your entrepreneurialsuccess depends on it.


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CHAPTER 1 - NATURE S GALLING

To succeed, we must first elieve th t we can

- Michael Korda

w o great warriorsare about to fight. One of the warriorsvolunteered because of his undying love for his country;the other was simplypaid handsomelyto fight. Which one

would you bet on?

Alwaysbet on the individualwho is servinghis calling, not the guywhois doing it forthe money. Itisthe personwhois servinghispurpose and fulfillinghis heart'sdesirewho will see his businessthroughthe good times and the bad. Those that are followingtheirpath willrelentlesslymarch forwardduringthe upsand downs,even asothersgive up to pursue somethingelse. They willbe there when the paid

guyswalkaway. Ifyou tryto get rich bydoing the next big thing, butit isn't your passion, the competitorwho really is passionateaboutit will eat you up and spit you out. Passion begets persistence.Andpersistence begetssuccess.

n sw er th e Urge

For you to launch a dominant business, you must first find whatyou thirst for. This took me years to discover. When I started outI had this beliefthat entrepreneurs shoulddo what they know, notwhat they want. I knew computersand liked working on them, so

I launched a business related to that. But I didn't love computers. It


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Chapter 1: Nature's Calling

TPE T IP

The Business - While not the best form of legalprotection, Sole Proprietorship is a cheap way ofgetting started, since there are no setup costs. There

are fees associated with setting up an S-Corp, C-Corpand limited liability corporation (LLC).Of course, as youmake money you willneed to paytaxes just likeanyoneelse, and you will want to incorporate down the road.Consult with an accountant (not one you pay for, butone who is a qualified expert from a local college) onnext steps. An LLC is often the most economical and

effective way to go.

was my vocation, not my passion. My first two businesses were successful, but not because I was passionateabout technology.I didn'teat, sleep, and breathe tech.

ButI loved entrepreneurialism.I could talkabout business all day,read every magazine,attend everyseminar, and still my thirstwouldnot be quenched. It took me a few years to figure out what was sitting right under my nose the entire time: That I loved launchingbusinesses.OnceI came to the realizationthat it is the birthing andmaturing of a businessthat I love, I knew thepathmy future wouldfollow.

It doesn'thave to take years to discoverwhat really gets you jazzed.The key isto reflectand take the time now, rather than figure it outthrough trial and error.


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6 The Toilet Paper Entrepreneur

What would you volunteer to do simplybecauseof your love for it?

What activities bring you the most happiness, energyand satisfaction? What makesyou lose trackof time, complete tasks almosteffortlessly, and comeout even more energized?When you are talkingwith friends, what is the one subjectyou can just go on and on andon about, until they are rolling their eyes? Answer these questionsand you've found your heart's desire. And when you have found

your insatiable thirst, your passion, you will have taken the mostimportant step to launching a companythat will excel.

Perhapsyou'vehada fleetingthought ofstarting a business,or maybeyou are on fire with ideas and ready to jump in full swing.Eitherway, you need to get started by stopping.No, that's not a typo. The

best response to a waterfall of what-if dreams is a deep, thought-provoking breath.A successfullaunch is more about you and yourbeliefs than anything else. Committing to a business without intimately knowingyourselfis a fool's dream. Going all-in on a badhandisastupid move,andsoisjumping feet-firstinto businesswithout knowingthe cards you'reholding.

Toget startedat launchingyour companyor to clean up a mediocrestart, you must begin by discoveringyourself. You need to understandand acknowledgeyourheart'sdesire,yourmindset,and beliefs.You need to lead with introspectivethought. You need to learn allabout what you're all about.

Just for a minute, if there were no limits to what is possible,whatwould you envision your entrepreneurial company providingyou?The first thing that pops into almost everyone'smind is financialindependence.I agree. I totally agree. But there is more, isn'tthere?What if buildingyour businessmade youfeel emotionallysatisfied,totallyhappy?Whatif yourbusinessmadea difference? Whatifyou


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Chapter 1: Nature's Calling 7

wokeup every morning excited to work? What if people loved your

company? What if the world heralded what you did and happilyconsumedwhat you had to offer?

Owninga business is NOT about workingyour ass offfor the sakeof trying to squeeze out a living. It is NOT about making tonsofmoneyat the expenseof losing tonsof life. It IS about maximizing

life, bettering your life and the lives of others, which, not so ironically, fattensyour purse.

The greatestexampleof work-your-ass-offbusinessownershipcamefrom the quintessentialentrepreneur himself, Sam Walton, founderofWal-Mart. Waltonstarteda companybasedupon a simple dreamand went on to become one of the richest men in the world. The les

son? I blew it. Thoseare the wordsWalton reportedlyvoiced fromhis deathbed. By his own measures he was a failure - a billionairewho barely knew his youngestchild and was married to a womanwho stayedwith him for reasonsshortofa fulfillingrelationship.

What final words would you like to utter? I hope they are wordssteepedwith feelings of contentment,words that say that you livedlife to the fullest, pushed beyondyour limits, and built a companythat you are proud of both for how much it accomplishedand forhow m u ch i t made.

If this is the type of successyou want, you can have it. It all starts

and endswith you. It doesn'tstart with where the market is headed.It doesn't start with the latest and greatest trends. It doesn't evenstart with what you believethe customers want. Your business startswith you.

Yesterday's financially-fat companieswere able to market their way

out of a crap product. If they ran enough late-nighttelevisionads


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and made big, albeit false, claims in the magazines,they were guar

anteed tons of customers. Disappointed customers,but customersnonetheless.

That wasthen and this is now. Today'ssuccessfulbusinessesaregrowing becausethey are truly great. They are providingunmatchedservicesand products,andthe word isgettingout, virally. No longercan

youcount on a marketingbudgetalone to bring loads of customers.Today you need to provide unmatchedservicesand products. Themarketingisdonevirally- at summerbarbeques,in Internet forums,andon perpetualblogs. It's that simple.And for you to provide thebest that you imaginablycan, it needs to come from both your headand your heart. When your companycomes from your soul, when

your companyis all aboutyou, it becomesa formidableforce.

Years ago a major corporationinvited me to speak to a group ofabout forty marketingspecialiststhat sold an insuranceproductandwere trying to break into the small business market. They wantedto learn how to speak to the entrepreneur.The presentation wasscheduledto start at 9 a.m., but we couldn'tget started until 9:20because everyonewaslate.

I startedbyaskingthem who woke upthat morningexcitedto cometo work. The few who raised their hands clearly did it for politicalposturing,notoutof sincerity.Then I askedwho loved their jobsomuch that they came in an hour early to work, not because theyhad to but becausethey wantedto. All of them scoffedat me. I thenexplainedthat for this meetingI had arrivedat7 a.m., just to makesure I found the buildingand was ready to go. I then had breakfastnext door and walkedin twentyminutesearlyto set up.


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TPE TIP

Web Presence - Every business needs a web presence,right? Absolutely.But that doesn't mean you needa website. Those are two very different things. You

can establish a web presence by using Facebook.com,MySpace.com, Squidoo.com or a million other socialsites.Spreadthe wordabout whatyouaredoingthroughthese social sites and set up free email. Supplementyoursocialnetworking site witha free blogat Blogspot.com. That's more than enough to get some businessrolling in.

In this one example I have explainedthe differencebetweenan entrepreneurdriven by passionand someone whojust has a job. Whenwe lovewhatwe do, we do itto our heart'scontent,and we naturally

excel. I arrivedat the presentationearly not becauseI needed to butbecauseI wanted to. I love entrepreneurialism, and theopportunityto discussit drives me to be ready to roll, day and night.

Obliterate All the Excuses Except tor One

Excusesare like assholes.Everyone hasone and they all stink. I don'tknowwho came upwith this quotation, butI havea feelingI wouldreally like the guy. Excusesare a great mechanismto apply logic toour fears.Theyare simply themachinationswego throughto defendour inner fears. I have heard andexperiencedthem all. And theyareall B.S. All, that is, exceptone, but I'll save that one for last.


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The economy is not strong enough to start a business - Everyone

is experiencingthe same economyas you are, so you are on equalfooting. If the economy is in a recession, buyers may slowdowntheir activity, but competitorswill also fall bythe wayside.A weakeconomyis like a forest fire; it kills off many ofthe plants, but theseeds that take hold now have the most room to grow as the forestcomes backto life. A weak economyisoften the besttime to start.

Entrepreneurship isveryrisky - Anythingthatyou go into withoutpreparationand knowledgeis risky. So go in prepared The funnything is, you are alreadymosdy preparedand don't even know it. Ifyou listen to your inneremotion,yourcalling,you will naturallybeled downa pathwhereyoualreadyhavestrengths.You probablyhavemasteredmanyofthe criticallearningsteps,andyou'll pickup all thenewstufflikea sponge.

A job withabig companyis for more secure - Tell that to the folkswho got fired from Enron,ArthurAnderson,Bear Sterns,or any ofthe otherhundredsof large companiesthat have collapsedor downsized. When you work for someoneelse, you can be fired at whim.Ifhe screwsup, youpay. When you work for yourself,you can'tgetfired, and the only limit to your successisyou.

Fmtoooldto start a company- So whatareyou goingtodo aboutit? Wait untilyou areyounger?There is no time like the present.Lifehasyet tooffera rewindora redo. Don'tlivewith regrets.Get started

now, regardlessof your age. The self-discoveryprocess you will gothroughcreatingyour new companyis well worth it. Plus, you canleave a little inheritance to the next generation.

I amtoo young to start a company- What? ? Did you know thatyou could legallystartand incorporateyourown businessat any age?


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Chapter : Nature's Calling 11

You can literallystartyourowncompanybeforeyou can legallywork

for someoneelse. Oneofmy friends, CameronJohnson,startedhisfirst businessat agesevenand incorporatedhis firstcompanyby agetwelve.Why don't you be the first to start a businessat age six? Nomatterhow oldor how youngyou are, start today

I won't make enough money - A recent study by the NationalAs

sociationofCollegesand Employers(NACE)statedthat the averagestartingsalaryfor an Accountingmajor is $46,292.Not bad. If youtook that job and received anannual raise of 10% each year forthenext ten years, youd be making $120,069.Not bad at all. Now ifyou start your own company,your salary the first yearwill average$50,000accordingto WorldWide Learn.Not badeither. Ifyou run

your companywell and you elect to give yourselfa 25% raise everyyear (I give myselfan average ofa 50% raise every year), on yourtenth anniversaryyou will be earning$465,661.Now th t s sweet

I don't have the proper education - Ifyou feelyou needa collegedegree to succeed, you are sorely mistaken. I've met with Ph.D.sfrom Harvardand dropoutsfrom high school; theirentrepreneurialsuccessesweredirectly tiedto theirbeliefs,desire,passion,and thirstto learn throughthe schoolofhardknocks.Yourscholastic pedigreehas basicallyno influenceon yoursuccess.None

I don't have enough moneyto start - Thatsgreat Ifyouhad enoughmoneyto properly launchyour company,I would fear you mightgo bankrupt.The fact thatyou haveno money(or verylitde)simplymeansyou needto applyyourhead right from the get go. There is areason they say necessityis the motherof invention.Moneycoversup problems andweaknesses.Without money,you vegot to bringyourA-gameeveryday. Lackoffunds forces you to optimizeeverywhere and grow the right way.


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Thecompetition istoo strong My motheralwaystold me thatno

two peopleare alike. Shewas right. Ifyou think the competitioncando a betterjob thanyouevercan, thenyouaren'tproperlypositionedto exploityourstrengths.Findan angle to applyyour strengths, yourinnate talents, andyourpassionina way thatno one else is doing,orno one else isdoing well.

No onewillbuy my product or service - Good thing you caughtthat now, but it's not an excuse not to launch a company. It simplymeansyou need to reinvestigatewhatyouwant todo and determinea newwayofdeliveringit so thatyou canbuilda customerbase.

I amnot ready -1 agree;you'renot. You never willbe. This excuseis

simplya combinationofall the others.When I ask peoplewhy theythink they'renot ready, they resortto some semblanceof one of theother excuses listed.They areall nonsense.Go time is now

I am sure you can thinkof many other creativeexcuses not to starta business.You need toput these rationalizationsaside, look ahead,and take action now. We rarely regret the thingswe didin life whenwe have followedour passionand taken risks.Too often, though,weregret the thingswe didn'tdo. Ifyourheart is callingyou to takeaction, don't use any one of these excusesto squashyour desire.

There is one reason not to start a business. Don't start a business

if your reason is simply to get rich quick. Greed is not becomingand does not have lastingresults.No matterwhenyou are presentedwith barrelsfull of money,you DO pay for them. Even ifyou collectyour moneyprior to any effort,like a lotterywinner, for example,naturestillhas an uncannywayofmaking youearn it.If you'relucky,your windfallmay be earned through the rapid masteryof a new


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financialdiscipline.But all too often the earningcomes in the form

of despair, disaster,and bankruptcy.

Just lookat whathappensto some big lotterywinners- it isn't pretty.JackWhittackersurewishedhe'd torn his lotto ticket up. ATPE, hehad pluggedaway for years, buildinga constructioncompanythatgrossed $16 milliona year. But afterJackwon $315 million, his life

becametotal hell. He lost friends, family, and hadfourhundredlegalclaims againsthim. I'm not trying to talk doomand gloom here; Iamjust trying to point out that getting rich quick rarely happens, isnot satisfying,and in some cases has disastrousresults.

Quick money is very alluring. It is rare to meet someonewho isn'tdying to win the lotteryor receivesomewindfallof cash. Most people, ofcourse,neverget a dime wishingfor a bigpayout.It is a shamethat the majorityofus wasteevena secondoflife hopingsomethingwill be handed to us insteadofusingour talentsandpassionto makei t ourselves.

Moneyis an amplifierof habits. If you have bad habitsand receivelots of money, you will simplyrepeatyour badhabits more often. Ifyour habitsare good, it will amplifythosegoodbehaviors.Moneyallows us to be moreofwhowe alreadyare. So we betterhave a strongmindset andhaveestablishedgoodhabitsbeforewe getgobsofmoney. When you have achieveda strong,focused,happy mind and areexecutingon good habits,moneywill come easily. And moneywillbuildmoremoney.And goodhabitswill grow. Happiness,too. Thatisthe healthyway to get rich.

Launcha companyto get richright, notto get rich quick.It works.


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TPE TIP

Product Sales - You don t need an ecommerce s ite when

eBayhasalready createdonefor you.Whilenot free,thisisa really inexpensiveway of gettingyourproducts into

the hands of consumers. And you don't have to auctionoff product; youcanset upan eBaystore whereyousellthings at fixed prices.There are alsoa numberof nicheauction sites out there, so start searching

One Day Still Hasn't Come

If I onlyhada nickelfor every time I heardan aspiringentrepreneursay, One day. One day I will launcha company.One day I will bethis, one day I will do that. Would someoneplease tell me what thedate is for one day? Becauseit sure as hell isn't postedanywhereon

my calendar

It is now or never. One day is a dream. One day is a hope that ifeverythingmagicallyfalls into place, successwill land in your lap.So if you are at all serious about launchingyour first company,putan actual dateon one day. Isit one month from now, six months,

a year? Tell everyoneclose to you the day you will be opening thedoors ofyour new company.Then back-calculateall the thingsthatyou need to do, back to today, back to this momentright now, andstart taking action.NOW. Maybeit is setting up a phone line orestablishingan LLCor takinga class.The key is to startdoing it nowand don't stop.


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Oh yeah, I almost forgot. Tell your biggest, smelliest,hairiest, zit-

ridden friend that you needhim to keep you accountableto yourgoal of startingyour first company. Promisehimthatif you miss thisgoal, you will let your friends takea pictureofyou kissinghis nakedkeesterand allow it to be postedall over the Internet. If that doesn'tget you in gear, I don't know what will.

Nature vs . Nurture

I find it laughable, the amountof time expertsspend debatingtheentrepreneurialnature vs. nurture argument. Let's settle this onceand for all: IT'S NATURE.No one can teachyou to have entrepre

neurialpassion.You can't learnhow to grow a burning,unquenchable desire for business.No one can train your attitudeor makeyouintelligent.This is all stuffthat naturehas eithergivenyou or hasn't.

You better have the entrepreneurialbug in you or you'll struggle tohave evena modicumofsuccess.You canwaterthe soil allyou want,

but you won't grow a tree unless there is a seed first. If you have itnaturally,then it can be nurturedinto somethinggreat.

There is an importantthing to note about nature; it doesn'talwayspresentitselfat birth or even in the earlyyears. Sometimesyour natural thirstfor entrepreneurialismbeatsout ofyour chest whenyou'retwentyyears old. Otherpeople don't feel it until they are collectingsocialsecurity. Me? It tookfour cold onesat the local bar. Regardlessofwhen the urge presentsitself,when you feel it, go for it. Nature'scalling. Answerit.


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TA K E A C T I O N NOW

Small steps lead to big gains. At the end of each chapter you'll findthree action steps you can complete in under halfan hour. So youhave n o excuse

What's your heart's desire? What gets you totally juiced up, somuch so thatyouthink you could be happy doing it every day?Write it down in as much detail as possible, paying attentionto what you really get out of it. Sometimes we think we wantsomething tangible when really we want to feel a certain way orexperience something over and over again.

2. Make a list of every single excuse you have used to putoff starting your business. If you're already operating a business, writedown other little lies you tell yourselfthat keep you from yourheart s desire.

3. Debunk your list of excuses.Write down every reason why yourexcuse doesn't ring true. If you're really feeling pumped, convertyour excuse into a positive statement about your abilities.


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at their goalof long-termweightloss becauseoflimiting beliefs, fleeting focus, and sporadicand depletingactions.Withouta foundationof enablingbeliefs, focus will not be sustainednor actionbe accomplished. For people to lose weight, they must believe not only thatthey can drop the pounds but also that they will drop the pounds.They needto viscerallyknow that a healthybody involvesa lifelonglife-stylechange and believe they must live that way. Weight loss is

more aboutwhat goes on in your headthan anythingelse. Actually,any accomplishmentis more aboutyour beliefs than anything else.

Just becauseyou believesomethingdoesn't mean it is actually true.You might think so. Othersmay not. Who's right?Neitherand both.See, it doesn't matter if there even is a real t ruth; what matters

is what you believe the truth to be. We are hardwired to behavein absolute consistencywith our own beliefs. Our emotions act likean invisibleGPS system and move us toward our beliefs everytimewithout fail.

I believe I should be a millionaire, you say, but I'm not, so your

idea is stupid and you're dead wrong. After I stick my tongue outat you, I explain that you have already achievedyour belief. YouSHOULD be a millionaire,but you aren't becauseyou believeonlythatyou shouldbeand don't believethatyou are. Yourinevitableresponse is, OK, I believeI AM a millionaireandI am still not. Andmy responseis Liar You don't really believethat you are, therefore,you aren't. Your final commentis, Of course I don't believe it, because I am not. And becauseyou don't believeit you aren't.

Untilyou believesomethingtobe absolutelytrue, just as you believethe sky is blue andthesun makes light, you won't be able to realizeit. Sorry, but that's how it works. It's time youstart being extremelycognizantof your beliefs and using them to achieve your desires.


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Chapter 2: A Little Peace and Quiet(In YourMind) 19

This is not about lying to yourself. That simply doesn'twork. It isabout aligning all your beliefs, focus,and action to be consistentwith your desires. When you do this your beliefs will manifest inmoney, success, and whateverelse you desire. The bad news is thatchangingbeliefs is hard. Butthis is the foundationalcomponenttoentrepreneurialsuccess,and withoutsupportivebeliefsyou will notachieveany degree of success.

Here's the good news. Beliefs can be changed To establisha newbeliefyou will need to have congruencybetweenyour gut andyourhead. To get there you first need to understandthe two types of beliefs that exist, limitingand enabling. Thenyou need to decide, inyour head,what your new beliefis. Finally, you need to allow your

gut to adjust, accept, and commit to the new belief.

EveryToilet PaperEntrepreneurknows that ifyou wantsuccess,youhave to get your beliefs in check. You have to know that you willsucceed, regardless of the challenge in front of you. A consistent,enablingframe of mind and the guts to get it donewill make all thedifference.A mismatchingof mind and gut will stop you dead inyour tracks.

How To Blow Your Last 80 on Booze and Still

M a k e Mil l ions

A few monthsafter arrivingfrom Englandin searchof the AmericanDream, DavidTyreman was down to his last $20.Just as his formerboss predicted,his business idea- sellingantiquesto Americansvialivingroom parties- had failed.Youprobablythinkyou knowwhatDaviddid next.You're thinkingthis is a storyabouthow hetook$20

a nd turned it into millions.


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Wrong. David and his businesspartnerblew their last $20 at a bar.

(They are from England, after all.) What the hell, right? Might aswell have a little fun while you'regoing downwiththe ship. Butthenext morning, David realized he had experiencedhis worst nightmare - total failure - and it wasn't so bad. Nobody died; the earthdidn'topenup and swallowhim whole.

So hedecidedtotry again. Over thenext few monthsDavid changedhis business model, targeting retail stores that needed antiques formerchandisedisplays. Even though he knew nothingabout his industry andhada tough competitorthat dominated the market, hefounda way to gethis first few clients.

Unlike his competitor, David storedhis inventory in a garage, recruitinghis friends to help him deliverthe merchandise.Withoutafat bankroll,he built his businessusing sweat and ingenuity. Davidhad to think outside the box, which turned out to be exactlywhathis clients wanted. He realized retailers were using his antiques fordifferentiation, and that he was not in the antique businessbut thebrand identitybusiness.This realizationwouldmake him millions.

David leveraged his success by transforming his company fromLondon Antique,a visual merchandisingcompany, to Propaganda,a brandingcompanythat sold antiquesand a wide rangeof itemsretailers needed for branding.It was a huge step,but David wasn'tafraid of failure. And when Polo's Ralph Laurencame calling, looking for a newbrandingcompany,Davidtook the leap. Did he knowhow Propaganda wouldmeet the demand?No. Did heworryaboutit? Not so much. So what if he failed?

Within just a few years David's company,Propaganda,landedotherhuge clients suchas Banana Republic,Old Navy, and Nike. After


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Chapter 2: A Little Peace and Quiet (In Your Mind) 21

yearsof thinking creativelyand boldly, Davidhad becomea branding

expert. He later sold his multi-million dollar company and formedWorld Famous,a companythat helpspeopleand companies developa brand identity - one of the most valuableassets a business has.

Davidtook chances in part becausehe wasn'tafraid of failure. He nolonger believedfailurewas theworstthing that couldhappen to him.

He'd been there and done that, and he knew better. David Tyremanis a Toilet PaperEntrepreneur.

The Wall of Limiting Beliefs

Businessis all about departingfromyour current plateau, point (A),with the intent ofgettingto yournext achievement,point (B). Maybeyouwant to start sellingyour first serviceoffering.Currentlyyoursales are at $0; that is (A). You want to have your sales at $400,000bytheendofthe year, that's (B). Ifyou have limiting beliefs theywillestablisha wall.The wall willblockyour progressand may even causeyou to takeother directionsthat might make things worse.

For this example,let's assumeyou have limiting beliefs that include:

1. You have no money and without it you can't market yourproduct.

2. You have never done this before, so the competition willeasilybeat you.

3. You are too young to be respected by the business community.


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Chapter 2: A Little Peace and Quiet(In YourMind) 23

you will succeed. Besides, the Internet allows you to act like

a big business, even if you're conducting business in yourunderwear.You're never too young to become an entrepreneur - you don't even need a driver's licenseto launch yourfirst company

4. Your Idea Is Impossible Because it's Never Been Done -

So many people are trapped by the belief that somethingcan't be done just because no one else has done it before.Again, the immediate result is inaction.And the end resultis watching someone else achieve your impossible idea.Everyinvention, everybusiness,everygreatideahad to havea first time. If no one has ever done what you want to do,be excited You have the advantage, becauseyouwill be thefirst to pull it off.

Do you see how, before you even get started, your limiting beliefshave built a wall so high and so strong your progress from (A) isimmediately blockedand pushesyouin a new direction?It is impossible to achieve (B).

I call these limiting beliefs The Wall. The Wall is insurmountableand is more powerfulthan any physicalbarrier could ever be. Thereisno methodof knockingit down or destroyingit other than to vanquishThe Wall by creatinga channelof enablingbeliefs.

Butwaita minute If I believethatI need moneytostarta company,and then I get money that will clearly knock down The Wall, I candestroyThe Wall without changingmy beliefs,

Not true. Access to money has not knocked down The Wall; it hasactuallymade The Wall bigger and stronger.You have not changedyour beliefthat you can't start a businesswithout money. You actu-


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ally proved to yourself that you needed money. The Wall of can't

start without money is made temporarily irrelevant since you havemoney for now. Butthebeliefis still there, larger than ever. The nexttime you are in a situation thatyou believe requires money you don'thave, your limiting belief will stop you in your tracks. Navigatingaround your limiting beliefs doesn't knock The Wall down; it makesit higher.

TPE TIP

Service Sales - Use Elance.com, Guru.com or other

freelance websites to quickly land projects that fit yourcapabilities and desires. This will cost a few bucks, butit is another inexpensive way to get started withoutputting money into a website.

Envy This

Envy. Until recently, I didn't appreciate how damaging envy was tomy own progress. And as my envy of others diminished, my ownentrepreneurial progress pickedup with evenmore momentum.

I used to see successful peoplewho clearly were ahead of me, and I

would acknowledge their success outwardly. Inside, though, I wastelling myself that they were probably unhappy pricks, that theywere silver spooned and undeserving of what they had. A millionother thoughts would cross my mind, mentally knocking peopledown well below me, which made me feel good, at least for a while.But the next time I saw a successful person my envy would be evengreater, and I would repeat the process.


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1. You have no money, whichenablesyou to focus your inge

nuityand your energy to market yourproductbetter thanany competitor.

2. You have never done this before, allowingyou to come upwith outside-the-box,unheard-ofideas that will destroyyour competition.

3. You are youngand professionalwhich commands hugerespect in the businesscommunity.

4. No one has discovereda fast-growthmethodin yourindustry, andso your innovativetalentwill accelerateyour growthand put you well in front ofthe pack.

By revising the beliefs that built The Wall, you not only remove thelimitations,you actuallycreateThe Channel. ThroughThe Channelyour momentumis pushed forward. Even if you get bumped offtrack yourenablingbeliefs keepyou moving forward.

Here are my best tipsfor creatinga channelof enablingbeliefs:

Realize Nothing's Impossible - When you say and believe something is impossible,you set up a giant roadblockto success. Today,if I toldyou that teleporting is possible,youwouldlaughat me. If Itold you flightwas possibleyouwouldsayof course it is.Anymoronknows that. But the same statementabout flight madein the 1800smade people laughand say, impossible. Righthere, right now, stopsayingsomething is impossible.There is alwaysa way, and you needto seek it out. I can'twaituntil the first teleporter is inventedso I cansay, I told ya so Nothing is impossible.


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yourselfandtry somethingthat is contrary to your limiting beliefs.

Don't try it to prove yourselfright; instead, try it with the absolutecommitmentto proveyourselfwrong.When you actuallyachieve it,youwill have achieveda new enablingbelief. Beingwrongnever feltso right

Take Baby Steps - If you need to make a 180-degree changein

your beliefs,you have to start changingone degreeat a time. Put themajorityofyour energyinto makingthe first little change.Onceit isaccomplished,congratulateyourselffor beingone degreecloser, andthengo for the next one. Don't tryto tackleeverythingat once; address it one small baby step at a time. TPEsknow their millionsaremadeby grabbing the first $100 and then the next.

View the Glass asHalf Full - When faced with anysituation, youneedto focus on findingonlythe benefits.In some situations, theremay be very few benefits and many, many problems. Focusingonthe problemswill yield nothing.You need to exploitthe benefitsthatyou can find, even if they are few and far between.Even if yourglasshas onlyonedropof milk in it, there is still somethingto drink. Or,ifjustone sheethangs fromthe roll, you can stillwipe... youget thepicture.

Write and Research - Often, many people say they know something, and when you ask them how they know, they respond, I justknow. It is an easy, lazy way to build The Wall of limiting beliefs.

When you have a belief that is preventingstrong progress,write itdown. Then researchthe hellout of it. The informationyou find willoften destroy your beliefand get you into The Channel of strongm o m n t u m


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Chapter2:A Little Peace and Quiet (In Your Mind) 29

When It's Over, Move On (The French Toast Incident) - Just

becausesomethinghappenedin the past doesn't meanit will happenagain.WhatI'm aboutto sharewithyou is corny, but embarrassinglytrue. UntilI waseighteenyearsold, I avoidedeatingFrenchtoast likethe plague.I knew that Frenchtoastwouldmake mesickbecause,atthe age of six, I ate French toast and gothorriblysick minuteslater.I threw up for days. I mean, it was a vom-fest.Puttingone and one

together, I knew that French toast was the culprit. I vowed in thatmoment never to eat it again.

Then it happened.At age eighteenI was placed in the horribleposition ofeitherstarvingto deathor eatingthe only thing left - French-fucking-toast.Witha quiveringlip and ten gallonsofAuntJemima,I dug in. It wasdelicious. Surprise,no puking Yearslatermy mothertold me that when I was six and puked for days I had the flu. Itwasn't the French toast after all. So just because it happened oncebeforedoesn'tmean it will happenagain. Don'tlet twelveyears gobywithout eating Frenchtoast.

When it comes to entrepreneurialsuccessyou have to know that itis absolutely,unquestionably,hugely important to defeat or changeyour limitingbeliefs. Only once youhave The Channelof enablingbeliefscan you even begin to march forward and build your desires.

TP E T IP

More Product/Service Sales - If you don't want tospend a penny,use Craig'sListto get the wordout. Listingproducts or services costs you squat.


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Betting Past Day One

Knockingdown yourWall and buildingyour Channelis big, powerful stuff.But how do youhold fast to your beliefs past that firstinspiring day? The truth is, you'll have to work on buildingyourChanneldaily in order to make it stick. Here are a few tips to helpyou maintain your TPE mindset:

Gowith Your Gut, Not Your Logic

Your beliefs areyour core emotionalresponses;they are NOT basedon logic. In otherwords, your beliefs arethe thoughtsbehindyourthoughts. Ifyou are sayingout loud, I will succeed, but your gutis saying, You can't, cause you suck, your gut will win out, andyou will suck. I cannotoveremphasizethe importanceof this. We allachievewhat we believedeep down inside- this ain't hocus-pocus,this is the scienceof how humans operate. Be very mindfulof thethoughts behindyour thoughts...your gut.

Join the Right Mob

Changingyour beliefs doesn't typicallyhappen with a snap of thefingers. But onevery effectivemethodfor changing yourbeliefs is toidentify the peoplealready achievingwhat you want and entrenchyourselfin their group. If you measure the common traitsof yourfive closestacquaintances,you are equal to that. Choosethe people

you hang out with basedupon what you want to be. Absorbeverythingyou can from them and learn at everyopportunity.Take themout to dinner, attend networkevents with them, andjust plain ol'spend time with them.

And here's my advice about stayinggrounded in your beliefs as youlaunch your business:


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Chapter2:A Little Peace and Quiet (In Your Mind) 31

ShareYour Thoughts

You wouldn'tbelievehow manypeopleapproachmesayingtheyhavethe next billion dollar idea, but are afraid to share it with me or anyone else in fear ofthe idea being stolen.Ultimately,the thoughtsfadeaway, and another inspired moment is lost. Shareyour ideas withtrusted individuals,just don't give away your secret ingredients if

you can avoidit. Sharingyour ideasstrengthens yourbeliefin them,and soon you will be actingon that strengthto supportyour ideas.

Know that responses to your ideas are free and oftenworth aboutthat much. Butif you share your thoughtswith been-theredone-thats, the collective feedbackmaybe invaluable.As you share yourideas,

yourbeliefs will grow,

and peoplewill

start holdingyou

accountable. The upwardspiral begins.

Ignore or Adore

Don't ignore the naysayers if they are your prospectiveclients ortrusted individualswho have already triedwhat you plan to do. Doignore them if theyare just trying to stand in yourway or are speaking from a vantage point of ignorance. The best feedback is frompeoplewho have alreadydone whatyou are doing.

I can't tell you how many people have told me not to start a business and that entrepreneurialism is assured failure;of course, noneof these naysayers has any experience to back up those opinions.WhenI speakwith successfulentrepreneurs,their responseisthepolar opposite.They freely share the paths theyhave alreadyblazed inlaunchinga company.Alwaysadore the peoplewho have been thereand done that; the others are to be ignored.


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32 The Toilet PaperEntrepreneur

G r o w a Pair

That's right, damn it.At some point every businesswill have a darkday, month or, God forbid, an entireyear.Youare goingto strugglefor a while. Even the big guys struggled.Gary Erickson,the founderofClif Bar, makerof organicenergyand nutritionfoods, hadto livein a garage, work a day job, andstay up all night makingproduct.

Earlyentrepreneurialsuccessis definedbysurviving,not thriving.Setoutwith the beliefs, focus,and actions to grow rapidlyand strongly,knowingthat initiallyit is all about justgettingup off the ground.

Seriously, Grow a Pair

The worst thing is to never even try in the first place. Sadly, mostpeopledon't. Mostpeoplesiton the sidelinesand let opportunityafteropportunity go by. Whata damn shameit wouldbeto have yourlastwords be, I nevereven tried. Listen up,Tiger, you may fail andyou maysuck, butyou will onlyknow ifyou try. Garydidn'tgive upwhen his equipmentkept breakingdown dueto the thicknessof hisClif Bar mixture. He overcameseeminglyinsurmountableobstaclesto launch what is now one of the most successful and revered Ameri

can health food companies.

Earlyentrepreneurialsuccessis often definedbysurvival.But mybetis that once you get started, you will naturallyget your feet underyou andnotjust survivebut thrive.So find that footing,starta confident walk, andthenruna winning entrepreneurialmarathon.Worstcase? You don't learn, don't grow, and you fail; don't worry, anotherToilet Paper Entrepreneurwho did succeed willhave a job waitingfor you. The greatest failure is never to have tried at all. Seriously,growa pair and go for it.


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Chapter2:ALittle Peace and Quiet (In Your Mind) 33

TP E T IP

Better Affirmations: Standing up and making astatement, or an affirmation, saying, My business isgreat will probably not convince you that it is. Andthe thought under the thought will be the opposite.

Use this trick: Put the words She thinks or He thinksbefore your claims.For example, Hethinks my businessis great. This affirmation will naturally work, sinceyour mind is configured to make it true. If someoneelse believes something positive about us, we naturallybelieve and build in that direction This is some twis ted

mind screwing, but it sure as hell works. Give it a try.(This workson pickingup members of the opposite sex,too, at least so I am told. I am a happily married man -or, should I say, My wife thinks I am a happily marriedman )

Miss ion V m P ossib le

Many peoplesaysomethingis impossiblebecauseit hasnt been donebefore. I'm gonna geta little AnthonyRobbins on you now. If youlook at the word impossible,it can actually be split into two words I'm and Possible. From now on, whenever someone says somethingis impossible, hearthe word as, I'm Possible. As in, I'm possible an d wi ll ach ieve whatever I believe.

Before the Wright brothers,people thought it was impossibleto fly,and it was. Then the plane was invented, and now flight is possible.


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34 TheToiletPaper Entrepreneur

If the Wright brothershad listenedto the peoplewho said it was im

possiblefor humans to fly, we mightnot have planes today. Progressoften involvesbeatingthe odds and doing the impossible.

Today we look at flight and know that of course it is possible.Itsano-brainer. The reason you and I believe that is that when we wereborn, flight already existed; its all we know. For many people theInternet is the same way. Of course it is possible, it exists, it works,it's great. If you rewindhistory to beforeAl Gore invented the Net,the thoughtof instantaneouslyexchanginga letterwith anyoneanywherein the worldwas crazy.Today, you aremockedfor usingpostalmail insteadof email. Even email isgettingstale; it is the new snail-mail. IM-ingis the wayto go. Allthingsare impossiblethingsbeforethey exist.

Whats impossibletoday? Seek out people saying something is impossible;theyareoften ventinga frustration.TPEsknowthat behindevery frustrationis a new productor service, and behind every impossibility thereisa goldmineof businessopportunities.

Isit impossible toget good food at yourcollege?Isit impossibleto get throughsecurityat the airport? Isit impossible to teleport?Isit impossibleto ?Makewhateveris impossible todayyour business.Makeit possible.


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Chapter 2: A Little Peace and Quiet(In Your Mind) 35

T K E A C T I O N N O W

Beforeyou move on to the next chapter, take half an hour to complete the following three exercises.Otherwise,its all conceptand noapplication.You need to knowyour beliefsbackwardsand forwards-they are the foundation of your success.

1. Exposeyour Wall. Make alistof all ofyour limiting beliefs,no matter how sillytheysound. If you're stumped, useyourlistof excusesasa jumpingoff place.

2. See your Channel. Write down your enabling beliefs, thosecertainties that help you take chancesand ponder greatness.Stumpedagain? Think about your accomplishments.Howdidyou get there? What did you know for sure that helped youachieve?

3. Knock down your Wall; build up your Channel.This is reallyjust a beginning, because you will continue to uncover bothlimitingand enablingbeliefs as you go through life. For now,debunk those beliefs with affirmative statements, and make aplanto acton your enablingbeliefs,new and old.


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CHAPTER 3 - THE FIRE IN

YOUR R E L LY

Catch a mana fish andyou can sell it to him. Teach a man to fish

andyou ruin a wonderful business opportunity.

- Karl Marx

h e foundationto anyTPEs success is listeningto and following her heart, traveling where it insists she go. Your

heart is simply the map to your company'sdestiny; yourhead is the navigationsystem.

When nature sends a rumble through your stomach, you movequickly and deliberatelyto the bathroom. When you arrive, youspenda few moments preparingfor the work at hand. This is your

mind navigating the situation.

What is the chance of interruptions? Pretty high? Not good. Doesthe door lock? Shit It doesn't Son-of-a-bitch, the door doesn't even

close completely.Time's ticking;gotta move faster, gotta think. Howabout wedging the magazinerackand somebath towels behind thedoor to slowdown any unexpected guests? You must prevent beingcaught mid-maneuver.Now, with the door addressed,isthereproperventilation to take care of any periphery issues?Most importantly,is there adequate noise to cover up any unexpected music? Maybeit's smart to do a few practice runs clearingyour throat, just in casethere's a need for cover-up sounds.


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Chapter 3:The Fire in Your Belly 37

All systems checked.Time to get to work. Oh crap You forgot to

check for a roll of TP. Sure enough, a mere three dangling sheets arewaving in the breeze. You're caught again with your shorts aroundyour heels. But you're aToilet Paper Entrepreneur. This oneis easy tonavigate. Time to start limbering up your leg.

What To Do? What To Do?

Do something thatyou want todo because you love it, are passionateabout it, and because it has a positive impact. Whoopty-doo Veryfreakin noble, right? Doing what you love is a great starting point,but that won't necessarily bring home the bacon. I could spend

months talking about high-performance cars because I love them,am passionate about them, and they are exhilarating. But unless I canmake a comfortable living at it, it is just an expensive hobby.

Passion is the starting point. There is no question about it. If youaren't passionate about your vocation, you will have a real toughtime

sustaining a start up, let alone living through the dark days. And ifyou aren't passionate about what you do, someone else who is passionate about it is going to kick your ass into next Sunday.

Your long-term success requires a growing number of customers,consistent cash flow, and your ability to outmaneuver the competition every step of the way. Before you dive in with your heart, firstdivein with your head andmake sure you can say a resounding YESto eachone of these questions:

1. Can you make significant money doing this? Meaning, isit realistic that this business will bring in enough bacon for


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38 The ToiletPaper Entrepreneur

youto coverall your expensesAND stashALOT away intosavings?

2. Can you make money consistently?Meaning,isit realisticthat this new venturewill yield a regular, predictable,andgrowingflow of cash intothe company?

3. Can this venturebe startedwith little orno money?

4. Do you want this venture to be an entrepreneurinsteadofa freelancer?If you want to be a freelancer, you are simplyan employeewithout a boss.A freelancerfocuses on masteringthe craft, while an entrepreneurfocuseson buildingthe

systemsthat support the craft.

5. Do you want to consume this product/servicedesperately,but can't find it? If you do, you ARE the focus group.

6. Do you know peoplewho aren't friendsand have the same

interestsas you? Do they also really want this product/serviceand they can't find it either?

7. Is this business consistentwith your values? For example,frugal typeswould be better offstarting the next Old Navyrather than the next Polo.

8. Are people polarizedon your concept?Meaning, do somepeople think it is a great idea and others think it stinks?Polarizingpeopleis a majorkey to successbecauseit bringsrecognition from both sides. The side that hates you talksabout it, and the side that loves you defends you. See how

polarizingconceptsget both sides talkingabout your business?


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Chapter 3: TheFire in YourBelly 39

9. Is your businessa one-shot, make-or-break deal, or can it be

flexibleand change as it grows?You may not get it perfectly right on the first go and may discovernew things aboutyourself.A little flexibilityin the business offering can go along way.

Buildingyour businesson a foundationof passionis clearly the mostimportant part of sustained entrepreneurial success, but passion

alonewon'tmakeyou successful.Backingit up with positive answersto allof thesefundamental market-demand questions increasesyourc ha nc es f or success tenfold.

With passionand potentialon your side, it's time to back them upwith conviction, a set of Immutable Laws that form the backbone of

y o u r c o m p a n y.

T P E T IP

Business Cards - You don't need them to get started,

and when you become a big shot you won't want tohand them out. So skip buyingthem for now and insteadcollect other people's cards when you meet them. Sendcontacts a follow-up email, and let your signature actas a virtual business card with all your contact info andlinks to your website, blog, or social network pages.

W h a t Do You S t a n d For?

There is a business, located right outside Sydney, Australia, calledGorgeous Things. Its Founder, Lesley-AnnTrow, struggledfor years


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with her company. While she had always made enough moneyto

live, she never really prospered,and she never really felt energizedabouther vocation.Entrepreneurialism, for her, was a kind of tunnelthat seemed to have no lightat the end.

It all changed in a momentwhen she recognizedthat her personalvalueswere regularlybeing compromised, downplayed,or ignoredinorder to deliver what the customer wanted. Her wow moment came

when she conceded that the constant challengeto her values was aresult o f her own activities and beliefs.

She immediatelytook action, and her business changed radically.Lesley-Ann identified her own five Immutable Laws that she hadalways had but never really acknowledged,let alone documented.Shewrotedown everythingshestoodforand everythingshedid not.Thenshe changedher business.

Everythingin the companyhadto complywithher Immutable Lawsor it was removed. If a product was not consistent with her values,even though it was a big seller, it was removed. If a vendor did notshare values, even though it was an inexpensivesource of product,the relationshipended. She no longer tried to sell products, electing instead to share stories about her Immutable Laws and how herproducts supported these values.

Business started to increase exponentially. Old products that wereconsistent w ith her Im mutable Laws started to sell like never before. A redesignedwebsitethat spokeentirely to her values nowdrewover fifty times the amount of traffic it previouslyhad. Consumerssharing the same Immutable Laws came back more frequently andbought more. Most importandy, she is now happy, very happy. InLesley-Annsown words, Having your own company that mirrors


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Chapter 3: The Fire in Your Belly 41

your personal value systemis just like having a soul mate. I couldnt

imagineanything better. Her business isout of the tunnel, and thesun is shining brightly.

Immutable Laws A Filter for Everything

I valueand believe in go-givers.If someone wants to take, take, takefrom me, I push them away as fast as you can say, Blood sucking,life draining bastard. Butif someonegenuinely isout to helpothers,to help her common man, I applaud her and want to associatewithher. I, too, go out of my wayto help others. When someone tries totake advantageof me, watch out, it is totally inconsistent with my

beliefs and I will be pissed. I thrive in making,building, and participating in clearwin-win situations because that is my internal rule.

We all have our own mix of unique internal rules we abide by. It isthese values that we constantly adhere to, deviatingfrom them withrare exception, that I callour Immutable Laws. When we do deviate

from them for some reason, our emotions punch us dead center inthe face and remindushowbad it is to compromiseour own internallaws. Likethe long arm of the law, every timewebreakour own lawsour conscience catches us and punishes us. To be successful as anentrepreneur, you must abide by your own Immutable Laws.

Your values say a lot about who you are, which in turn says a lotabout the type of businessyou will create. You must ensureabsoluteconsistencybetweenyour valuesandyour business.If everythingyoudo in yourcompany isconsistent withyour values,you will behappyand always inspired to work.


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But ImmutableLaws are far more than the sourcesofyour inspira

tion and emotional satisfaction;theyarethe filters for every consideration in your business.Who should you hire? What should yousell? How should your customer service function? What vendorsshould you work with? Who are the customersyou want to service?Any question you have aboutyour businessmust pass through thefilter of your Immutable Laws. If theydon't match, don't do it.

The Immutable Laws are the spine of your business. If your spinegets out of alignment,your ability to progress willbe greatly compromised,and your companywill be hunched over, limping alonginsteadofstriding forward. Ifyou breakyour spine,you will beparalyzed, and your companywill fail to survive.Your job,TP Entrepre

neur, is to be the chiropractor for your business.You must keepyourcompany'sspine in perfectalignmentby ensuring that every part ofthe company body is consistent with your Immutable Laws.

Now that you knowhowabsolutely critical theyare,it is time to discoveryour own Immutable Laws. Thegood news is that you already

know them. The bad news is that they still existat an emotional leveland not as conscious thought. To find them, you need to reflect onyour past and consider every situation that pissed you off and everysituation that made you feel happy. What is the common thread inthe situationsthat upset you? What were the reasons behind the reasonsyou got pissed?Which values werecompromised?

Asksimilarquestions about the situationsthat havemadeyou happy.What werethe common threads in situationswhereyou werehappy?What are the real core reasons you were happy? What is it aboutthose situations that naturally made you happy every time? Whatvalues of yours were elevatedduring those situations?


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Documents

The Toilet Paper Entrepreneur PDF (HowEntrepreneur.com)