MM#135--Will It Fly?

Welcome to the theory to action podcast, where we examine the timeless treasures of wisdom from the great books in less time to help you take action immediately, and ultimately to create and lead a flourishing life. Now, here's your host, David Kaiser.

Hello, I'm David and welcome back to another Mojo minute.
Let's kick off this Mojo minute with a great story.

Quote, when my son, Kiani turned three, I couldn't wait any longer. It was time for me to teach him something that my dad passed on to me when I was a kid, a skill that I have gratefully kept with me all of these years. Like riding a bike. It's something you never forget once you learn how to do it. I grabbed a sheet of paper, eight and a half by 11. I turned to my son and said, Do you want to make a paper airplane?

I remember my dad and I throwing paper airplanes all over the house when I was growing up. There must have been more than 100 or actually 1000 decommissioned planes in my own personal history of paper airplane construction. All kinds to pointy planes, fat planes, huge ones tiny ones, planes that flew straight and others did did loops in midair. And here I was about to give my own son his first glorious taste of printer paper made aerodynamics. Kiani look confused by my suggestion. He said, Daddy, how can you make a piece of paper fly?
Well, but I replied, You just have to fold it a certain way watch. I put a crease down the middle of the page. I folded the top corners so that they met in the middle. Then I folded the wings and as I held the finished glider with my right hand. I could see my son's eyes light up with excitement. I pulled my arm back, ready to throw and said You Ready? Ready? Okay, here we go. Taking off in 10 Nine Eight. I learned to stretch moments like this as long as humanly possible. My dad taught me that 12765 Kiani was trembling, he couldn't wait any longer for three to one to three quarters one and a half one zero lift off. I launched the plane across the living room and we both watched it sail smoothly over the vast ocean of carpet until it crashed into the window on the other end of the room and landed on a sill behind the couch. It was a pretty epic flight if I do say so myself. Whoa, Kiana yelled.

I want to make one I want to make one. Exactly the reaction I was hoping for I grabbed another sheet of printer paper handed to Kiani. Before I could give him any instructions he was off to the races folding, increasing like his life depended on it.

After about 30 seconds he was finished and proudly displayed his new creation holding it and both of his hands with his arms stretched out to me. I had to lean in to get a little closer look because I was staring at what I look like nothing like an airplane. It looked more like a piece of paper you forgot you had at the bottom of your backpack. I was surprised by the direction he thought was the front. But not surprised when after a big wind up. The contraption didn't fly at all. It only landed a couple of feet from him.
He picked it up and tried it again to throw it even harder. This time. It had the same exact result. grounded,

clearly frustrated, he turned towards me and said I don't like paper airplanes. Then he disappeared into the other room to go back to playing with his brand new Batman figurine end quote

kids can teach us some wonderful things about life, don't they?
I don't like paper airplanes. He said.

I just thought that was a great story illustrates so much.
And that story comes to us from Pat Flynn and his remarkable book about trying to start a business successfully. The title of which is ironically, will it fly? How to test your next business idea so you don't waste time and money.

So this week, we're going to be talking all small businesses and what are your action steps in building a successful small business. Now, if you've not heard of Pat Flynn, let me share some points from his story. Pat Flynn is a popular podcast author, and founder of several successful website, one of which is smart, passive income.com. Pat is very transparent on his website and certainly a leader in the starting successful businesses space.

And now here's some praise for Pat's book from some of our fellow authors that we have covered here on the Mojo minutes.

One of my favorite guys and a favorite here on the podcast how Elrod Best Selling Author of The Miracle Morning says, I don't know if will it fly is the only book of its kind, but I know that I've never read a book like it. Whether you're an entrepreneur, who wants to ensure that your next launch is the most successful of your career, or you are, you are a one to burner with an idea that you want to turn into a highly profitable business. This book would give you exactly what you are after End of quote.

One of those great authors we are sure to cover in the future J. Pop Hassan, who co wrote along with Gary Keller a fantastic book titled The one thing like I said, we will, we will have to cover this one in the near future because it aligns so much with our mission for flourishing here at the Mojo Academy and on this podcast. 

Here's what Jay wrote, actually, Jay wrote the foreword to the book, I'm sorry. And let me pull a quote from that book to demonstrate how cool this book is, quote, will it fly? It's practical. It's simple. And I believe after almost eight years researching the one thing, and then coaching individuals and businesses on those principles, it's your number one priority. Entrepreneurship doesn't come with a parachute. Make your first investment and your big idea. Be a few hours with this book, complete the exercises, think it through the best way to ensure your success is right in your hands. So place your sheet trays in the upright position. It's time to see if your big idea will fly and of quote.
I love that vision of a business being an airplane and how Jay tells us to place our seats in the upright tray position.

Very clever.

So yes, we are talking about developing business ideas. And this is by far one of the best pieces of advice I've come across in the last 10 years since reading a ton of books.
And this comes from the chapter and Pat's book called conversation and observation. So if you have a business idea and you think it will take off, aka will it fly in the name of Pat's book, if you think it will fly, let's go back to the book.

Quote, early in the life of my podcast, I had the pleasure of interviewing John Saddington, a serial entrepreneur who has built and sold multiple businesses for well over seven figures each. He and I first met at a conference in Nashville in 2013. And we connected instantly, mainly due to the fact that we were both young, entrepreneurial parents of abnormally hyperactive kids and we loved every minute of it. During the podcast, I'm sorry during the interview podcast number 61. We started with a deep dive into his journey into entrepreneurship but then quickly shifted this discussion to best practices and strategies for succeeding as a entrepreneur.

Because he had several successful businesses under his belt, I wanted to know what his first steps were, after he comes up with an idea for a new business. His answer was not what I expected, quote.

This is kind of a very global and very quick overview. But the first thing you do when you have a great idea is you write it down. You don't keep it in your brain. When you write it down, you vomit as much as possible. On a physical piece of paper.

I could spend a lot of time on why I think physical pieces of paper are really valuable. So you just don't put it in Evernote. You just don't put it in a text document on your computer actually write it down. There's something powerful when you apply pressure with pen on pieces of paper. And then I want you to carry it around wherever you go in the next couple of weeks, or even the next month. I want you to share it with as many piece people as possible
The people that you know, your spouse, your kids, your friends, your maybe your business partners, people at Starbucks in the line and local deli, every one. Because this is what happens when you start sharing that idea. It starts becoming refined. And a refined idea is a much more mature idea. You'll get quick feet feedback, instant guttural feedback from people, and especially from complete strangers that will say that's a stupid idea, or that's a great idea. But have you thought about this. And again, because you have a piece of paper, you don't have it in your iPhone, it's harder to type on your iPhone, you can quickly add that. And so that's what I do with great ideas, I capture them and I start sharing it. Because now the idea will get refined, unquote.

And as he was sharing this, my mind immediately went to where it probably is going for you right now.

And I took the very first chance, I could ask a clarifying question, what stopping people from copying my idea. And John's reply could have could not have been more motivating nothing.
But here's the difference between you and the next person on the street, who has a great idea. If you're committed and you love the idea, you will actually see it to completion. Most people never execute on their ideas, because they just never execute.
Let me repeat that. Most people never execute on their ideas, because they just never execute.

That's the reason I'm a success as an entrepreneur, because
why many other entrepreneurs are at success is simply because we do it. We just don't talk about it, we do it.

Side note here. What's the name of our podcast theory to action, this is what we're getting at. This is the heart of the matter. We just can't talk about it, we have to do it, we got to put in the work. Okay, back to the quote.

But talking about it is where it starts. And because when you start talking about it with other people, you continue to drive the motivation. You continue to build momentum, and you continue to get excited on a much better and a much more refined idea. So after an incubation period, could be a week could be two weeks could be a month, you have a better idea about your great idea.

Is that not fascinating? That's a fantastic nugget of wisdom.

You make your business idea even a better idea. Even a great idea because you refined it.
And let's face it, just like John's reply to Pat's question, what's the difference between you and the next person on the street who has a great idea? You are going to see it to completion? Yes. Just like we talked about putting theory into action. We've heard it before, but theory into action.

There's no happiness without action. We've heard that before.
Our good Lord told us we gotta get off our butts and get after it.
Well, that's not actually what he said. He actually said was, let's find the quote here. If any man will come after Me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow Me. Matthew 1624. But anyhow, you get the point. We have to
get after it.

We have to as the great Steven Pressfield has told us
in the book we covered way, way back, we have to do the work. So in today's Mojo, man, if you have a business idea, get it down on paper.
Then follow John's advice to Pat which thankfully, Pat shares in this wonderful book, will it fly and start sharing it?

Now the funny thing is, unbeknownst to me, I followed this same advice. And I told everybody about this very podcast idea. This podcast you're listening to right now, just to see what they would say. I said that on the golf course with clients. I said it at dinner with my family. I said that they're friends and members of my men's group at church. I said that their friends who probably really weren't good friends, almost to see if they would tell me it's a stupid idea. And I should never even attempt a podcast.

Like, come on, man.

So I broadcasted it to everyone so I can absolutely validate that this idea works. Plus, more importantly, it refines your idea and it makes it better and that same thing happened to me. Now in full transparency, the only difference I did versus what John's advice was, as I made the mistake of writing the idea down in my eyes
Phone. And John highly recommends writing it down on a piece of paper, you heard that it's your call, I understand where John's coming from, you have much more access to be able to refine the idea and get all those nuances written down very quickly either way.
The main point is to bring it up in conversation everywhere you go with whom everyone you talk to.

So in today's Mojo minute, let's do the work. Let's put theory into action. If you have a business idea, write it down somewhere, hopefully on a piece of paper, and share it with the world to refine that idea to make it better.
And then you will be on your way to knowing whether it will fly or not. And that's a good thing. It's a very, very good thing.
So good luck to all your newly minted business ideas out there. And let's keep them flying high.

Thank you for joining us. We hope you enjoyed this theory to action podcast. Be sure to check out our show page at T Mojo academy.com where we have everything we discussed in this podcast as well as other great resources. Until next time, keep getting your mojo on