The First Year Anniversary of Greenpoint Knowledge Venture LLC: Reflections and Thoughts from a New Entrepreneur

Today is the first anniversary of Greenpoint Knowledge Venture LLC. The past year has been filled with excitement yet uncertainty in many areas of entrepreneurship. In this newsletter, I will outline some of the highlights and challenges I experienced in my first year.

Uncertainty Leads to Excitement: Over the past year, uncertainty has been the major theme. As an entrepreneur, I've faced numerous challenges, including time management, targeting clientele, and maintaining consistency while juggling life events. Perhaps the biggest surprise of this first year is the amount of investment I've had to put into the business and believe me; it adds up. Nonetheless, I found it very exciting, and it has been an educational experience on a week-to-week basis. My advice to anybody starting their business: anticipate everything but consider every day as an educational experience.

The White Belt Mindset: The white belt mindset refers to embracing the business and learning journey as a novice. This means dealing with both challenges and successes on an equal level. For example, in my 22-year journey as a grappler, which includes wrestling and Brazilian jujitsu, many people quit after a certain point because they feel like they haven't reached a particular level or goal. Sometimes, it's due to their ego getting the best of them. If everyone had the approach of a white belt mindset, this would allow people to not worry about outcomes and instead embrace whatever obstacles come their way.

Do Not Confuse Motivational Rhetoric with Action: You've probably heard some of the most incredible motivational speakers, like Gary Vaynerchuk and Tony Robbins, tell you that you can achieve anything if it's your passion or calling. In my experience, these statements only hold true if you take action. Simply dreaming about something won't make it a reality. I recommend creating a plan, working on it for at least six months, and then giving it your best effort when executing it.

Overall, entrepreneurship has cultivated my initiative to help others and expand my skill sets. Cheers to our first year in business!