Two points to this thread:
Point one: always keep your ears open every time there is a complaint about something
Point two: always be nice and/or respectful to your colleagues AND competition, roles might be reversed one day
So I hated my job. Hated hated hated it. I worked on a rotational basis which made me be out of town 7 days on, 7 days off. I worked 12-16 hours a day while on shift, and slept in a work camp. As far as jobs go that one was pretty good. I got paid well, I got 14 days off a month, I got free food while at work.
But while there I was not very happy. I won't get into any of the details, but that lifestyle just is not for me.
While at work we had a few line of products which always had issues. We could never source the stuff, and when we could the price would fluctuate literally by 400% in a matter of months. Now when you are providing a service to a customer and you come back with a new order at a 400% higher price they are NOT happy! I squirreled this information away as soon as I heard it.
Fast forward about a year from when I knew about these supply issues, and a member of this forum sends me a text asking a little bit about the industry I was in. Turns out that he might be able to solve that exact problem that I described up above. It took me a few phone calls over the span of a few hours to confirm 100% that we were indeed dealing with the same family of products.
On to point number two. While working on my shift, we had a direct competitor on site ho was literally trying to take our business and put me out of work. I was never gossipy or mean about this or him, and I generally made it a point of my day to spend a few minutes everyday in genuine conversation with him while neither of us has pressing issues. Lets just say that my colleges didn't have this attitude towards him.
Now lets combine these two points. My former "rival" at that site might soon because the first customer for this product in this massive industry. Due to how I interacted with this individual, and the information that I chose to pay attention to and not ignore, we have already had some calls with him and are on our way to putting some deals together.
This industry is massive. By listening to the industry pain point and by keeping respectful to everyone in my professional dealings, we have the potential to shift one company over to us. This in turn is going to bloom into a beautiful case study of how this can be done. This case study can then be brought to others who need this product/service, and getting that business should be so much easier than it ever could have been.
This is all in the starting phases here. But all of the potential that has opened up would have been lost had I chose to ignore these signs and act with a "business as usual" mentality. Opportunities are everywhere, we just need to keep our eyes and ears open and listen for them at all times.
Point one: always keep your ears open every time there is a complaint about something
Point two: always be nice and/or respectful to your colleagues AND competition, roles might be reversed one day
So I hated my job. Hated hated hated it. I worked on a rotational basis which made me be out of town 7 days on, 7 days off. I worked 12-16 hours a day while on shift, and slept in a work camp. As far as jobs go that one was pretty good. I got paid well, I got 14 days off a month, I got free food while at work.
But while there I was not very happy. I won't get into any of the details, but that lifestyle just is not for me.
While at work we had a few line of products which always had issues. We could never source the stuff, and when we could the price would fluctuate literally by 400% in a matter of months. Now when you are providing a service to a customer and you come back with a new order at a 400% higher price they are NOT happy! I squirreled this information away as soon as I heard it.
Fast forward about a year from when I knew about these supply issues, and a member of this forum sends me a text asking a little bit about the industry I was in. Turns out that he might be able to solve that exact problem that I described up above. It took me a few phone calls over the span of a few hours to confirm 100% that we were indeed dealing with the same family of products.
On to point number two. While working on my shift, we had a direct competitor on site ho was literally trying to take our business and put me out of work. I was never gossipy or mean about this or him, and I generally made it a point of my day to spend a few minutes everyday in genuine conversation with him while neither of us has pressing issues. Lets just say that my colleges didn't have this attitude towards him.
Now lets combine these two points. My former "rival" at that site might soon because the first customer for this product in this massive industry. Due to how I interacted with this individual, and the information that I chose to pay attention to and not ignore, we have already had some calls with him and are on our way to putting some deals together.
This industry is massive. By listening to the industry pain point and by keeping respectful to everyone in my professional dealings, we have the potential to shift one company over to us. This in turn is going to bloom into a beautiful case study of how this can be done. This case study can then be brought to others who need this product/service, and getting that business should be so much easier than it ever could have been.
This is all in the starting phases here. But all of the potential that has opened up would have been lost had I chose to ignore these signs and act with a "business as usual" mentality. Opportunities are everywhere, we just need to keep our eyes and ears open and listen for them at all times.
Dislike ads? Become a Fastlane member:
Subscribe today and surround yourself with winners and millionaire mentors, not those broke friends who only want to drink beer and play video games. :-)
Membership Required: Upgrade to Expose Nearly 1,000,000 Posts
Ready to Unleash the Millionaire Entrepreneur in You?
Become a member of the Fastlane Forum, the private community founded by best-selling author and multi-millionaire entrepreneur MJ DeMarco. Since 2007, MJ DeMarco has poured his heart and soul into the Fastlane Forum, helping entrepreneurs reclaim their time, win their financial freedom, and live their best life.
With more than 39,000 posts packed with insights, strategies, and advice, you’re not just a member—you’re stepping into MJ’s inner-circle, a place where you’ll never be left alone.
Become a member and gain immediate access to...
- Active Community: Ever join a community only to find it DEAD? Not at Fastlane! As you can see from our home page, life-changing content is posted dozens of times daily.
- Exclusive Insights: Direct access to MJ DeMarco’s daily contributions and wisdom.
- Powerful Networking Opportunities: Connect with a diverse group of successful entrepreneurs who can offer mentorship, collaboration, and opportunities.
- Proven Strategies: Learn from the best in the business, with actionable advice and strategies that can accelerate your success.
"You are the average of the five people you surround yourself with the most..."
Who are you surrounding yourself with? Surround yourself with millionaire success. Join Fastlane today!
Join Today
