Masterpiece ⚡️ on Nostr: It all goes back to financial literacy... __To really fly, you must never stop ...
It all goes back to financial literacy...
__To really fly, you must never stop learning. No excuses.
When I was in primary school I was mostly a prize student, so imagine if I had gone to my parents and said: “I think I now know enough to go and get a good job.” What would they have said to me?
“There is more to learn because even the most average guy in your class now will be better than you if they stay at school another five years.” Right?
Then again, I was a very good student at high school and aced every subject. What would my parents have said to me then if I had concluded I now knew enough?
“Son, there is much more to learn. This high school stuff cannot make you an engineer or lawyer. You must go on, otherwise you will end up working for the average guy in your class right now, simply because they went on to university.” Right?
What is my point?
I sometimes read on this platform people complain they were not taught certain things at school. The truth is, even if you went to the best high school in Switzerland or America, the stuff you need to know to be a great entrepreneur is not taught in high school! [If you do know of a junior or high school with such courses, let me know here asap and we can all salute them!]
It is also a fallacy or the height of laziness to say to yourself that it is “now too late” because you are now 30, 40, 50+. What? If that's you, you are looking for an excuse or just having a “self pity party”!
There are thousands of programs online where you can enroll to help you get to grips with knowledge and skills you don’t yet have. Even local universities run courses for adults to learn key skills areas required to strengthen your knowledge. Including #AI.
Now just to be clear, what I mean by "financial literacy" in this post is NOT how to manage your personal finances (budgeting, spending, debt management, investments, savings, etc). All important for you to master, but not what I'm talking about today.
As I have said before: A modern entrepreneur who has not taken at least one course in #Finance is really asking for trouble.
__You must know how to prepare and read #Financial statements at the very least. Even better, you must know how to understand and use them as the most powerful business tool ever devised.
I’m serious!
You can’t wing your way on this one. You either know or you don’t.
There are actually courses online with titles like: “Finance for Non-finance People”! Other common titles are “Financial Literacy for Entrepreneurs”.
The level of success that many of you are (rightly) dreaming about is possible, but it will not come if you are not willing to acquire the most basic skills.
Don’t be fooled by people who point to someone who is successful that did not “formally” study things like finance or economics. Somehow they recognized its importance and got someone to teach them; they are just not telling you!
I once sat down with a very wise leader who first asked me what I was doing and the challenges I was facing. Then he said something which stung and even offended me at the time, but for which I have been so grateful for over the decades since he said it: “Your understanding (of business) is not sufficient to help overcome these challenges,” he said.
And with that he left!
With tears welling in my eyes, I gradually changed my perspective.
Photo credit: With thanks to late nature photographer Chris van Rooyen, Kruger Park, South Africa. "If you want it, you can fly, you just have to trust you a lot." Steve Jobs
__To really fly, you must never stop learning. No excuses.
When I was in primary school I was mostly a prize student, so imagine if I had gone to my parents and said: “I think I now know enough to go and get a good job.” What would they have said to me?
“There is more to learn because even the most average guy in your class now will be better than you if they stay at school another five years.” Right?
Then again, I was a very good student at high school and aced every subject. What would my parents have said to me then if I had concluded I now knew enough?
“Son, there is much more to learn. This high school stuff cannot make you an engineer or lawyer. You must go on, otherwise you will end up working for the average guy in your class right now, simply because they went on to university.” Right?
What is my point?
I sometimes read on this platform people complain they were not taught certain things at school. The truth is, even if you went to the best high school in Switzerland or America, the stuff you need to know to be a great entrepreneur is not taught in high school! [If you do know of a junior or high school with such courses, let me know here asap and we can all salute them!]
It is also a fallacy or the height of laziness to say to yourself that it is “now too late” because you are now 30, 40, 50+. What? If that's you, you are looking for an excuse or just having a “self pity party”!
There are thousands of programs online where you can enroll to help you get to grips with knowledge and skills you don’t yet have. Even local universities run courses for adults to learn key skills areas required to strengthen your knowledge. Including #AI.
Now just to be clear, what I mean by "financial literacy" in this post is NOT how to manage your personal finances (budgeting, spending, debt management, investments, savings, etc). All important for you to master, but not what I'm talking about today.
As I have said before: A modern entrepreneur who has not taken at least one course in #Finance is really asking for trouble.
__You must know how to prepare and read #Financial statements at the very least. Even better, you must know how to understand and use them as the most powerful business tool ever devised.
I’m serious!
You can’t wing your way on this one. You either know or you don’t.
There are actually courses online with titles like: “Finance for Non-finance People”! Other common titles are “Financial Literacy for Entrepreneurs”.
The level of success that many of you are (rightly) dreaming about is possible, but it will not come if you are not willing to acquire the most basic skills.
Don’t be fooled by people who point to someone who is successful that did not “formally” study things like finance or economics. Somehow they recognized its importance and got someone to teach them; they are just not telling you!
I once sat down with a very wise leader who first asked me what I was doing and the challenges I was facing. Then he said something which stung and even offended me at the time, but for which I have been so grateful for over the decades since he said it: “Your understanding (of business) is not sufficient to help overcome these challenges,” he said.
And with that he left!
With tears welling in my eyes, I gradually changed my perspective.
Photo credit: With thanks to late nature photographer Chris van Rooyen, Kruger Park, South Africa. "If you want it, you can fly, you just have to trust you a lot." Steve Jobs