James Bond the Entrepreneur

The name is Entrepreneur, Serial Entrepreneur.

The scene goes something like this- flashlight in hand, a faceless figure is searching through the desk drawers located in a dark room. Headlights shine through the window; a car is approaching. It comes to a stop and a man gets out. He walks into the office where the intruder is and flips on the office lights. The intruder has vanished, leaving only an open window.

If this sounds familiar, it’s because it’s a scene in almost every James Bond movie. Although, it’s what happens next that makes Bond, Bond.

Bond scopes out the car that is left sitting outside while the bad guy is in the office. He opens the trunk of the car and finds a body. What does he do? Remove the body and take its place.

The bad guy comes out with a briefcase and duffle bag and drives away. After the car comes to a stop, the driver opens the trunk to see a smiling James Bond. BANG. Bond gets out and looks around. What happens next? Bond is approached; asked, “Did you bring the goods?” Without saying a thing, reaches in the car, grabs the briefcase and duffle bag and he follows the man to a plane. He hops on a plane full of bad guys, on his way to the secret weapons facility.

We all know how it goes from here. He rids the world of countless henchmen and super-villains. He stops a world disaster and gets the girl to boot.

What does James Bond have in common with the entrepreneur? Three things; he recognizes opportunity, he says yes, and he goes with the flow. When it comes to your business, are you recognizing opportunities as they come? Are you saying yes when opportunities present themselves? Once you’ve committed, are you dragging your feet or going with the flow? Sometimes it means getting into a tight situation, being a little uncomfortable, or doing something you might not want to do. Those are the exact situations that make us want to be like James Bond. Truth be told, Bond is also well prepared, well trained, and ready for action. But one thing is for certain, he’s not afraid to get his hands dirty.

Suave comes with experience. Opportunity comes when you say yes. Get your hands dirty. Be prepared. Say yes. Grow a company. Be successful.