" "

They Didn’t Teach Me That at Jones County Junior College

Posted on March 10, 2023 by James Harold Webb
They Didn't Teach Me

Everyone has some silly line that makes the family giggle. Ours is “They didn’t teach us that at Jones County Junior College.” I didn’t really recognize that I was saying that until my young son, Joey, pointed it out one time. When talking about overcoming business challenges, new business strategies, or wins, I’d usually end the conversations with “Yep, they didn’t teach me that at Jones County Junior College.”

So often, we go to school with hopes and dreams of becoming successful, only to come out ill-equipped and still lacking the know-how of what to do when and if that happens. I can’t count the number of individuals I’ve consulted with – educated individuals who have not understood the avenues available to them to effectively run their businesses and turn a profit. I find myself reiterating the same advice to current and prospective entrepreneurs regularly:

  1. Have the confidence to be successful. Believe that you will be successful and seize the opportunities that present themselves. Get out there and start doing and working. When you’re exhausted and have had enough of the day, send two more emails, make two more phone calls – do two more things. When you wake up and don’t feel like going to work, go anyway. The only thing you can always control in business is your hustle, and the people who hustle the most tend to be the ones who reap the greatest rewards. Don’t fall for the modern trap of work-life balance. For an entrepreneur, it doesn’t exist. Work manifests opportunity, and opportunities are captured through work. Work harder than you think you can and that effort will take you places you never imagined.
  2. Always protect your assets. As an entrepreneur, it is crucial to protect your assets as you launch your business and after you’ve achieved success. How? Keep a clear line between the decisions you make for your business and the decisions you make for your life. Other people’s money is a great way to do that. Even when you start making money and put together some capital, don’t use it to fund your business. Invest in someone else’s business, and let other people invest in yours. Now, what happens when you become successful? Too many entrepreneurs have not set themselves up to properly protect their assets for future success. All too often individuals aren’t aware of their options. And others didn’t think they’d find themselves where they are. Regardless, how you set your business up legally and in the eyes of the government, will be significant for you personally and professionally. Three letters are what you need to look into – LLC. That and a layered approach. Those are concepts to discuss with a lawyer to ensure that you continue to protect your assets.

While I’m grateful for my time at Jones County Junior College, the fact is most of my business acumen did not come from what I learned in school. It came from hard work, failure success, and experience. That is most certainly the case when it comes to the ins and outs of truly being successful as an entrepreneur/businessperson.

 

Have you read my book? Redneck Resilience: A Country Boy’s Journey to Prosperity shares the highs and lows that accompany anyone who becomes successful in life. You’ll learn about amazing wins and devastating losses, about sin and redemption, about recovery and forward momentum.