Working World

Issue 461

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February 1 - February 22, 2016 18 Working World l WorkingWorld.com "I f only you'd known then what you know now" is a statement we could all make several times throughout our lives, says serial entrepreneur Parviz Firouzgar. "I'm not just talking about knowing the winning lottery numbers an hour in advance to a drawing; I mean important and human lessons in life that we learn and feel deeply after potentially painful trial and error," he says. The saying applies to relationships, achieving a sense of self-acceptance and satisfaction in life and, of course, business. How many missteps does the average employee make throughout one's career, and how much better off would one have been without having to make such costly mistakes? "If only I could have known how to navigate my first million like my second million, I could have been better off much quicker and with as much pain and effort," says Firouzgar, who left a middling corporate job in his early 20s and eventually earned a fortune a few times over. "This is why it's so important to educate ourselves, to read and to learn from others." Firouzgar, author of "20/20 Hindsight" (www.parvizfirouzgar.com), says he has learned some importance lessons after 25 years of founding several multi- million dollar companies. THE ONLY WAY TO PREDICT THE FUTURE IS TO CREATE IT This is both the most common yet most important lesson to learn. There is plenty of business literature on goal setting, yet knowing how to keep your eye on the ball is crucial. "I cannot emphasize enough the importance of to-do lists; in every study ever done on what habits set successful people apart from poor people, among the top two are virtually always setting goals and using to-do lists," Firouzgar says. "An important trick in making these lists work is to do what you like least, first. Otherwise, you'll be inclined to procrastinate doing this least- liked thing." We don't have to living according to the circumstances in which we find ourselves. Indeed, the best way to predict what will be is to create it, he says. UNDERSTAND WHAT ANY POTENTIAL PARTNERSHIP IS BASED ON Any journey can be made less intimidating and more palatable with a companion or partner, but some journeys are better taken alone. However, that's not to say it's a bad idea to share the load. In a business partnership, keep the following in mind: the truth is that partnerships fail because of the most surprising foundations, good intentions. You must not let good intentions replace business sense, Firouzgar says. Of course, a failed business relationship often results in losing the personal relationship. Few people understand why this dynamic so often fails. But, more importantly, even fewer people have managed to avoid the pitfalls the first time they enter into a business partnership. ANSWER HONESTLY: ARE YOU REALLY READY TO BE THE BOSS? Bono from the rock band U2 has lyrics that can be interpreted as good business sense, including, "If you want to kiss the sky, you'd better learn how to kneel." While poetic with spiritual overtones, the business takeaway is this: if you want to achieve greatness, you need to FEATURE ARTICLE by Parviz Firouzgar "I'm not just talking about knowing the winning lottery numbers an hour in advance to a drawing; I mean important and human lessons in life that we learn and feel deeply after potentially painful trial and error," How To Make Your First Million As If It Were Your Second Experience Clarifies Lessons For Success, Says Serial Entrepreneur

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