Every entrepreneur fantasizes of being recognized as a top-notch performer in their industry. The cutthroat competition and rivalry in every trade makes it even more imperative to excel and masterfuly set oneself apart. There is no substitute for strenuous efforts and immense toil to emerge as a successful business magnate.
A fine example of a serial entrepreneur that has excelled phenomenally is the rip-roaring American clean energy industrialist Troy Helming. The business leader 31 solid years of experience. Troy has founded multiple companies and ventures over the years that have contributed over $30 Billion of economic impact to the US economy. They include;
- TeleTeam Consulting (a leading dealer of Lucent Technologies and Nextel Wireless equipment) in the telecommunications industry until 1996
- KC Biofuels (a 10 million gallons/year biodiesel plant, Founder & CEO 2004-2009)
- EarthGrid (Founder & CEO 2016-Present – developing an all-underground tunnel network for electric transmission lines, other utility services, and transportation & freight)
- Traverse Fitness (Co-Founder & President 2017-Present – the largest ninja warrior gym on the west coast)
- ArcByt (Co-Founder & CTO/CDO 2018-2020)
- Urban Services (Co-Founder & CEO – construction & rental of solar-powered shipping container tiny homes)
- TradeWind Energy, which he founded in 1998 & sold in 2004 (>10 GW of wind projects totaling >$30 Billion of economic impact were built by the company he founded, and was the #1 Wind Developer in the USA in 2017)
- Pristine Sun: >350 solar projects built so far totaling $500 Million in market value (including projects sold to other companies such as Renesola (NYSE: SOL) & Enerparc) and many high profile projects, including the largest floating solar project award in North America & the largest community solar projects in both Vermont and Wisconsin. The company has over 5 GW of additional projects in its development pipeline.
Furthermore, Troy is also an author and a dynamic innovator. He’s the author of the 2005 book The Clean Power Revolution, co-inventor of FloatoRack (an innovative floating solar system with multiple patents pending), and inventor of the Red Gopher, a world-changing tunnel boring robot using plasma (like light sabers!) technology in stealth mode also with patents pending.
The modern-day industrialist is an elite athlete and a clean energy executive. As a creator, Troy has founded companies that have generated more than $30 Billion of economic impact to date and invented two technologies that have led to 55 clean energy patent claims. He coaches select people on entrepreneurship, is a wellness practitioner & yogi.
Troy believes,
“We’re in the midst of the largest shift of wealth the world has ever seen – away from fossil fuel companies towards clean energy & Infrastructure 2.0 that supports clean, lower-cost, sustainable energy, transportation & communication. To do this, I will surround myself with people & organizations that share my vision for the world. And I will put my passion, creativity & energy into advancing these goals to make the world a better place for my son and our younger generations.”
He specified his goals to be;
- Get the USA (and other nations) to 90% clean energy by 2035.
- Upgrade the creaky, inadequate Electric Grid in North America.
- Transition to Infrastructure 2.0 worldwide, sustainably. And do it 100% underground.
The phenomenal entrepreneur has achieved a flourishing career through his creativity, risk-taking tolerance, and hard work. He encourages entrepreneurs to stay consistent and keep working whatever project for which they have the most passion. Here is what he has to say on emerging as a top-grade entrepreneur in the business world:
1. Planning
The basic starting point to pull off your ambition is to plan beforehand. Having a clear, realistically achievable, written plan helps you define the full scope of a project, helping you stay focused. You can set goals and objectives, meet deadlines, measure success, and debrief regularly with yourself and your team regarding the entire project. Research and analysis about your industry can further enlighten you about the possible risks, challenges, and complications awaiting, thereby systematically preparing you to face them. This process will stimulate your powerful subconscious mind to give you hidden insights to grow faster, overcome or avoid challenges, and mitigate risk from competitors. Without planning, Troy indicates that there it is highly unlikely to maintain focused performance.
2. Consistency
Commitment, effort and work is required to reach phenomenal heights in anything. But “you do not have to shoot for the moon,” says Helming, “just do something, even if it’s just a little bit, every day. That should include taking time away from work to rest your mind & soul one day per week to allow your subconscious to reset and work on creative solutions.” Only a handful of people succeed in life by mere chance, and even those probably didn’t achieve it – or sustain it – without real effort that may be hidden to outside observers. Most people have to work hard, be committed and make real sacrifices to get ahead. Stop wishing for a miracle and start building your own.
3. Get out of your comfort zone
Many people are afraid to make a change due to insecurities and possible risks. The ‘what ifs’ intensely incapacitate their subconscious, holding them back from thinking outside the box. Super-successful people thrive in times of change. They’ll take the risks that other people aren’t willing to – and no, they may not always work out. But when they do, they reap the rewards. Set aside 1-2 hours every day to do something to advance your business idea. You likely have come up with something that solves a problem society is facing. Why not you, and why not now? Society will be better off if you solution(s) are implemented, right? So go for it!
4. Enjoy your work
If you struggle, contemplating it as a burden on yourself, success will be difficult and, in some cases, impossible to achieve. The focus on the excitement of discovery, improving, exploring and experimenting, will lead to consistently high levels of motivation. It feels great to be on a new journey. Dopamine, epinephrine and other brain stimulating chemicals are produced during the excitement of a new journey. So enjoy the journey, and don’t get anxious about the destination or when you might get there. Simply enjoy the journey. Once you embark on this path, you benefit from having what Troy Helming calls the “power of purpose.” This power increases happiness, energy, and motivation. Find something that truly moves you, passionately, and work towards solving a societal problem in that area. You will not be disappointed with how it makes you feel. On the other hand, if you choose a problem to solve or an industry to join that you are not passionate about, you won’t discover the power of purpose and consequently your productively level and chances for successfully achieving your goals will be greatly diminished.
If you focus solely on results, your motivation will die the minute you hit a storm. The key, again, is to focus on the journey (enjoy it, even the road blocks!), not the destination. Keep thinking about what you are learning along the way and what you can improve.
5. Purge the distractions
Meaningless things and distractions will always be in your way. These could be typical life events & tasks, family, friends, social activities and more. These distractions, typical in everyone’s life, tempt us to take shortcuts or avoid focusing on meaningful projects. Learn to focus on what is productive and gainful. “In studying the lives of successful men & women over time, they all had one trait in common…and only one: self-discipline,” says Troy Helming. “I find that when I can get 3-4 hours of completed uninterrupted time, devoid of texts, posts, calls or anyone (including family members!) poking their head in my office and can get into a ‘flow state’ and be more productive than 2-3 people working simultaneously on the same thing. But it takes a while – perhaps the first 30 minutes – to get into that zone. Any interruption causes me to have to start over again from the beginning.”
6. Avoid burnouts
Self-care is an essential aspect of growth and development in any area of life. This includes an entrepreneurial journey. It’s easy to burn out when you are very motivated and work yourself too hard. The excitement can keep you up late at night or up early in the morning. Mr. Helming offers, “That super hard work ethic is great, so go with it…especially if you enter the aforementioned ‘flow state’! Be advised, however, that your mind, body & soul need to rest and recharge. Don’t forget to eat, like I found myself doing way too often earlier in my career! I now set reminders to myself so my computer or phone will ding at me to take time to eat, take a short walk to let the mind rest, and be certain to get sufficient sleep. It’s not cool, or impressive, to brag about how little sleep you got the night before. Just the opposite, in fact: when I hear someone remarking about lack of sleep I run the other way. That is not someone I want on my team, because I know how important sleep & rest are to the creative process and overall productivity.” Observe yourself to recognize any signs of tiredness and take time to rest. Overachievers often destroy their bodies slowly over time (sometimes not so slowly!)