Keep Your Eyes Open

Great writers often say that the key to writing is simply listening. Listening not just to people around you, but to your characters themselves. Once you get that first draft out of the way, your characters will find a way to show you where they want to go, and their instincts are usually better than yours. Keep an open mind and open ears, and the path to success will often come to you.

The same could be said about business. The world changes on a daily basis, and the best entrepreneurs are eager to change with it. Whether you start your own company or work for somebody else’s, the importance of adapting cannot be understated. And what better way to position yourself to adapt than to listen to your business and to the world around you?

In our ever-shrinking world, all industries are connected in one way or another. Martha Stewart believes an elite business leader needs to pay attention to everything, in order to spot potential advantages for their company. The next strategic partnership, untapped market, or job opportunity could be in the last place you expect it.

As we all learn the hard way, life rarely exists in clear plot lines with beginnings, middles, and ends. The five-year plan that you make for yourself today is unlikely to be completed in its entirety. The tangents along the way are often where we find the most success. Just like a great writer is willing to change the story when necessary, a great entrepreneur is always willing to change course. Take Martha Stewart’s advice and be on the lookout for those opportunities, wherever they may be.
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