Stay focused on your work and find your time simultaneously. Entrepreneurs must practice time management and be well aware of its effects.
Have you ever noticed how often we equate success with more? Whether that’s more products, more profits, more activities or more accomplishments, we buy into the belief that we have to do more to have more to be more. And that will sum up to success. And then along comes The Great Resignation. Where employees are signaling that the “more” that’s being offered — even more pay, more perks, and more PTO — isn’t summing up to success for them. We visited with leaders who are redefining what success means now. Their answers might surprise you.
As a part of this series, I had the distinct pleasure of interviewing David Reid.
David Reid is the Sales Director at vem-tooling.com. They currently operate in over 5 countries and have served multiple businesses including giants from Automobile, Steel, and other production houses.
Thank you for making time to visit with us about the topic of our time. Our readers would like to get to know you a bit better. Can you please tell us about one or two life experiences that most shaped who you are today?
Thank you for inviting me to this beautiful session, and I am so grateful that I am invited to be a part of it. Yes, of course. I am the Co-founder of the VEM tools agency, a project that functions on the plastic injection molding and manufacturing platforms. I am a person who loves sharing their experiences with others because it involves so much fun, and it makes me feel unique about myself. Hard work and persistence are the things that had shaped me into the person that I am today. Without these, I would have been like an average person who wanders around for livelihood.
We all have myths and misconceptions about success. What are some myths or misconceptions that you used to believe?
I used to believe many myths in the early stage of my career because I did not have much exposure and experience back then. I was very unaware of the opportunities available. One such misconception that I used to believe is that the first product always wins. There are multiple processes like promoting the sales count, creating awareness and knowledge about the product to the target audience, and many more that should be pursued beforehand to expect my product to be at the top. But, as soon as I got familiar with things, I found out that it was not valid.
How has your definition of success changed?
My definition of success used to be within the company’s sales count and productivity rate. But, in recent years, I have learned a lot, and there are some things that I changed drastically. For now, my definition of success lies all within the customer experience and does not revolve around just productivity and sales count. Though they are essential for a company to succeed, I consider customer experience to top those two.
The pandemic, in many ways, was a time of collective self-reflection. What changes do you believe we need to make as a society to access success post pandemic?
Entrepreneurs must take risks at certain levels to access success points after the pandemic. Entrepreneurship is all about taking risks, exploring new things, and implying the knowledge gained throughout the journey. To achieve success in their businesses, entrepreneurs must be fearless and face their issues with grace and confidence. No matter what, they should never quit exploring. That is the key to success anytime, not just during the pandemic. Also, they should analyze the market well before they jump into the business.
What do you see as the unexpected positives in the pandemic? We would love to hear a few of your stories or examples.
There would be times when your business has to be reframed. While doing so, the entrepreneurs must check for the available situations and their capabilities. For instance, an artist can continue their tasks and work by doing the same to the target audience online. This feature has emerged as one of the best-unexpected positives during the pandemic. It still benefits people worldwide even though the concentration of the pandemic has reduced considerably.
We’re all looking for answers about how to be successful now. Could you please share “5 Ways To Redefine Success Now?” (Please share a story or example for each.)
- Overcoming procrastination and other bad habits is the first step taken in redefining success. One can achieve success only when they get out of their comfort zones. Substitute your good habits in this place instead.
- Make a plan in advance and not at the last moment. Entrepreneurs must analyze their plans well and look for their flaws before implementing the same into their work.
- Stay focused on your work and find your time simultaneously. Entrepreneurs must practice time management and be well aware of its effects.
- When talking about time management, being organized also plays a vital role. They should learn to optimize their desk place and organize a regular habit.
- Entrepreneurship involves inspirations in significant amounts, and it would be appreciated if the candidate has had it in advance. They should be capable of capturing their ideas and introducing the needed and unexpected whenever opportunity strikes.
How would our lives improve if we changed our definition of success?
Success is all about how we pursue our thoughts about it. The degree of success varies among different stages and different mindsets of people. Many situations could change when one realizes that success is not what other people should praise you for, but yourself. Confidence levels amongst the entrepreneurs will change a lot when they change their definitions of success. They shall come to know about it only when they are educated enough in this regard.
What’s the biggest obstacle that stands in the way of our redefined success? And what advice would you offer about overcoming those obstacles?
There are a few struggles that I had to face when shifting my definition of success. I had to sacrifice the profit rates, and I partially lost faith initially in myself. I used to think that I couldn’t do this for long. But, when things changed, I came to realize that I was wrong all the time. To overcome these struggles and hardships, I suggest the entrepreneurs be patient and look for the right time to take the task to the next level. Initially, it might seem weird to change your definition of success, but it is worth trying.
Where do you go to look for inspiration and information about how to redefine success?
I go through some books and websites that contain content regarding redefining success. One of my favorite books that I prefer to others who want to redefine their success is “Redefining success: still making mistakes” by W Brett Wilson. There are many chances available in this modern world that people can use to access to seek information.
We are very blessed that some of the biggest names in Business, VC funding, Sports, and Entertainment read this column. Is there a person in the world, or in the US, with whom you would love to have a private breakfast or lunch, and why? He, she or they might just see this if we tag them.
Of course, there is. I am a massive fan of Singer and businesswoman Celine Dion and would be delighted to dine with her if I ever get a chance. She is a well-established singer and an entrepreneur, and I would learn some entrepreneurship skills from her.
How can our readers further follow your work online?
There are many ways to follow my work and keep track of the updates. They can update their e-mails on our company’s official website, i.e., Vemtooling.com, so that the announcements would reach them on time via newsletters. They can also follow the official pages of the project on various social media like Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and Instagram to get the info at the earliest.
Thank you for these fantastic insights. We greatly appreciate the time you spent on this. We wish you continued success and good health.
Thank you for saying that. That is so sweet of you. This is one of my best interviews, to be honest, and I loved every part of it. I wish the same to you and your peers.