Page 56 - Midas Touch

When entrepreneurs take the leap of faith and start their businesses, it is
very similar to a gunship pilot putting on the guns and rockets and flying
into combat. In combat as in entrepreneurship, being good is not good
enough. That’s one reason why 9 out of 10 businesses fail in the first five

years. I would not be writing this book with Donald Trump if I had
continued with my “C”-student attitude. First, I wouldn’t be alive. Second,
Donald does not tolerate “average.”

I’m not saying you have to become a Marine and prepare for war to
become an entrepreneur. I mentioned the transformation of my aircraft and
the transformation in me simply because it is a real-life metaphor for the
transition that employees must go through as they evolve into

entrepreneurs. When people leave the world of job security, steady
paychecks, benefits, and retirement plans, they too strap themselves into a
different aircraft and prepare for a different world, a world where few
survive and even fewer thrive.

Let’s Focus on Focus

Aside from my laziness, I did not do well in school because I could not
focus. If you look up the definition for ADD (Attention Deficit Disorder)
in the dictionary, my picture should be there. I have the attention span of a
cockroach sometimes. I simply cannot focus on subjects I am not
interested in. School was boring and I hated being there. When the surf
was up, I grabbed my surfboard and went surfing. At least the waves

managed to hold my attention.

Transitioning from pilot to gunship pilot was good for me. I had to
become a real student. I had to learn. I had to focus, not just for the sake of
preserving my own life, but also for the lives and families of my crew. Just
as surfing large waves forced me to focus, so did combat. In combat, there
is no second best. In a strange way, war brought out the best in me. So does
entrepreneurship.

Focus Is Power
Focus is a simple word, and, because of that simplicity, it is often abused,
not respected. It’s misunderstood. What most people miss is that focus is
power. People who can focus have the ability to gather all their abilities