Execution: What can we learn from Les Brown?
J.P. Montalvan • April 25, 2023
“Do whatever it takes. It always seems impossible until it's done.”
-- Les Brown
Photos courtesy of Dominick Brady
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Execution: What can we learn from Les Brown?
Do you ever find yourself stuck in a cycle of planning and preparation — at work or in life — without ever actually taking action? Do you struggle to achieve your goals, despite your best intentions?
You're not alone. When my coaching members talk about where most of their time is spent, it’s in planning. That's a big part of what holds us back. We struggle with execution and taking action — the follow-through on our plans.
One big thing we think that keeps us from acting is a lack of resources — time, money, or energy. How do we find those resources?
Let’s talk money. A recent survey of Black women business owners revealed that 95% use personal finances to start their companies and only 13% had access to outside capital. Black women business owners are rejected for funding at 3x the rate of White business owners, and they secured just 2% of venture capital funding in 2022. Latino business owners fared a little better with bank loans under $50,000, but were substantially less likely to have larger loans approved. Latino business owners fared worse with VCs and private equity, with less than 1% of funds landing in the hands of Latino entrepreneurs.
And yet, the survey reports that 41% of Black women entrepreneurs have been in business for 10+ years, most respondents reported gross annual sales over $250,000, and more than 34% earned over $1 million. And Latinos are starting businesses faster than the rest of the start-up population, have 9% faster revenue growth and 22% faster earnings growth than non-Latino-owned start-ups. That’s great execution. What can we learn from them about execution?
This month, my Leadership Circle is talking about intention and execution. Execution is not about resources. It’s about resourcefulness. And you can strengthen your resourcefulness by learning to start with the first domino.
Motivational speaker Les Brown knows something about that. He was born in Liberty City, a low-income section of Miami, and was adopted by Mamie Brown, a 38-year-old single woman who worked as a cafeteria attendant and domestic assistant. He was declared "educable mentally retarded" in grade school.
Brown’s dominos took him from the DJ booth to PBS, to the Ohio legislature and to his own company. He has received the National Speakers Association coveted Council of Peers Award of Excellence (CPAE), and ultimately, its most prestigious Golden Gavel Award for achievement and leadership in communication.
Les Brown once said, "You don't have to be great to get started, but you have to get started to be great." Getting started is about taking the first step. It's easy to feel like we're not ready or able to take action yet. But the truth is, the only way to truly achieve our goals is to take that first step, even if it's a small one. That’s what these successful Black and Latino entrepreneurs are doing. That’s what Les Brown is doing.
That step is what I call taking a domino action.
When I started one of my businesses — a fitness center — in 1997, I didn’t have much money for equipment and no history of leasing commercial space. I took the first domino action and applied for a loan with about 2 dozen banks. I was rejected by every single bank. So I took other domino actions. I asked my clients for advice. One recommended a business attorney who sat on the board of a bank, and that relationship helped me get 50% of what I needed. I scraped together the other 50% from savings and a small loan from my father. Another client was a commercial agent who had a relationship with the owner of a medical building. That led to my first lease of a commercial space for the fitness center.
You don't have to have all the answers or take perfect action when you get started and take your first domino action.
It's okay to make mistakes and learn as you go. The key is to take action, even if it's imperfect action. Start with a small domino action and build execution momentum. Push through the setbacks and celebrate each small win, using it as fuel to keep moving forward.
To overcome the obstacles on the way to your goal, identify one or more domino solutions.
- Can you say "no" to something that will help you say "yes" to something you want?
- Can you delegate tasks to someone else?
- Can you find ways to save time or money?
- Can you reach out to others for help or support?
Remember that there are always multiple paths to achieve your goals. Planning matters, but nothing happens without execution.
What’s one domino action you can take right now to get closer to one of your goals? Often, taking the smallest next step is the key to building momentum. I’d love to hear what step you decide to take…I’m just an email away.
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