15 minutes with member Andrew Griffiths

Describe your “aha” moment; when did your business idea first come to you?

I’ve had so many aha moments over the years, it’s really hard to think of just one. Every business I’ve had has started with an aha moment, where the seed of an idea or an opportunity has started and it grew from there. I love that feeling of excitement when the idea takes shape and a business starts to grow around it. I’ve always have a few important people in my life who I share the idea (sometimes to get them to tell me if I’m being crazy, other times just to share my excitement). And every business I’ve had has grown or developed in some way from the businesses that came before.

Describe for me the “why” of your business

I’ve been in business for a long time, well over 30 years now. During that time my “why” has changed, depending on what is happening in my life. Today, more than ever, I’m really clear on my big “why” – and that really is my desire to help others to achieve their own goals – whether that be to write a book, become a professional speaker or to achieve something specific in their business.

List your three biggest business goals? Which of them scare you the most and why.

Each of these goals scare me, but what’s the point of having a safe goal? So my three are

1. Play a bigger game – build my brand into a global brand.
2. Become the world’s #1 book writing coach.
3. Present to audiences in 50 countries (20 so far).

Has anything surprised you about working for yourself?

Everything has surprised me about working for myself! Most days I wake up and realise how little I actually know and how much I need to learn. I think what has surprised me the most is how important my state of mind is to the success of my business. I work really hard to stay positive, to learn, to grow, to be surrounded by other like minded people.

Once you became a soloist, what about your life changed almost immediately; what changes have been slower to come?

I’ve moved in an out of the soloist world over the years. The time I’ve enjoyed being a soloist the most is after I’ve had a larger business and downsized. I get to do more of the work that I enjoy the most when I’m a soloist, I make more money and I have greater freedom  – and this happens pretty much straight away. The changes that have taken longer to come about are more about my own personal and professional development. There are no buffers when you are a soloist and this means you need to develop a unique skill set that enables you to manage every single aspect of your business, not just the parts you were responsible for in the past. That’s not easy, and a lot of people struggle with it.

What’s the best part of the life you’re living now you’re a soloist?

I have a fantastic life as a soloist. I travel a lot, I get to work with incredible people, I have a lot of freedom with what I do and my success or failure really is up to me. I think there are two things I love the most – I get to live life and do business on my own terms.

Got a tip you’d like to share with our community about soloism? Can be related to systems, technology, health, mind and body….anything!

Keep looking outward, learn, grow, be around people who are positive and smart and push yourself everyday. The world is changing at a very rapid rate and as soloists we need to constantly be staying relevant to our clients, that doesn’t happen by accident.