When you start a new venture, you are excited about it. You want to give it your all and make it successful. But as time goes by, the initial motivation of starting a new project wears out. That is when the boredom kicks in. You get tired of doing the same things every day. However, to push during tough times is what will set you apart from the rest. Cody Kiks a high end fine custom jewelry designer believes that – “You aren’t always motivated, but you have to be dedicated.”
Cody was a kid when he started doing things for himself. Before he became a famous high end jewelry designer, Cody used to do snow removing. He was only 12, but before school he would hit all the houses and business strips nearby. Even as a kid he took his job pretty seriously. At 12 he had every business on the main street under contract for the snow removal! He had a burning need to prove himself and do something big.
A friend of Cody’s lined him up for a grill. It took him some time but Cody finally got the gold teeth and when he got it he couldn’t stop smiling. This motivated him to know more about jewelry. So, he took a course in New York to get inside knowledge of the business. Once he was fascinated with jewelry and how it was made, there was no turning back. Cody Kiks says that -”Once you know the process & believe in the product, it’s easier to sell anything.”
Like all entrepreneurs Cody Kiks also learned that the initial charm of starting a new business wears off. “You realise that the only way to do business is to do business. So, if you just keep talking about doing business & not actually doing business, you’re always on the starting gate and are never in the race”. There are many “wanterpreneurs” out there, who want to start new ventures but only talk about it.
“The whole process of starting a business is exactly how you get a business, you get a situation or a problem and you find a solution. Everything has to be consistently improving.” He shared that the motivation can take a hard hit when things don’t go as planned. But it is during these roadblocks that you have to keep digging. When asked how he deals with negative mindset, Cody Kiks said that -” Whatever your mindset is, do not just hope. Hope doesn’t get things done, actually doing gets things done.”
Whenever you are at a point where the future looks bad, do something about it. Just hoping for it to work out is called being delusional. Whatever the situation is try to think of a way out of it. “ I like to keep my mindset more of a glass half full type” , says Cody. Try to make the best out of the situation, try to make it work despite all the hiccups. It isn’t always going to be easy, there will be times when things get tough. Slowing down is an option, stopping isn’t. If you feel like there is too much going on, then take a step back , soak in the glory of all your accomplishments, take a break and then set new goals again.
Not all successful entrepreneurs work with 100% motivation always. It is mentally impossible to focus all the time, no matter how hard you try. But staying dedicated to your goal is what sets you apart from the rest. When asked to advise young entrepreneurs Cody shared – “ Do the shit that makes you happy and find a way for that to feed your life.” Now, that’s some solid advice!
To keep up with Cody Kiks, follow along on Instagram.