In a previous blog post, I talked about the 3 pillars of business - Visibility, Connection, Delivery.

But where does engagement fit? Aren’t connection and engagement the same thing? I get this question a lot...and it’s absolutely critical to your business that you not only understand the distinction between them, but that you also develop your strategies and actions with these distinctions in mind.

If you haven’t got a good sense of the basic 3 Pillars of Business, I would suggest that you start your reading there, and then come back here for more learning. Today’s post is dealing only with Connection and Engagement.

Successful businesses are CATALYSTS. They solve real problems, quickly and easily and then get out of the way so that people can enjoy their investment. Consider this definition, pulled from the Gage Canadian dictionary (we are Canadian, after all):

Catalyst: (n.) an agent that causes or speeds up the occurrence of an event, especially an agent that is not directly involved or affected by the results.

Catalytic businesses have 5 essential components in common that help their business strategies succeed:

Most people do all their best work in their head. A flash of brilliance, a stroke of genius, an ah-ha moment...and that’s where it stops. What happens to those little hints of Einstein? Where do they go?

In a nutshell, they evaporate. Poof! Gone forever. Never to be reclaimed. Doesn’t that just drive you crazy!!

So I have a strategy. It took me a few years to realize the significance of actually writing it down. I know the idea of writing down your thoughts isn’t new. It’s been around a long time, and the habit of journaling has been touted as a Success Habit by almost all truly Successful People. Once you write it down, it becomes real.

You have a comfort zone, a place where you play willingly, and sometimes eagerly. It tends to be a place that doesn’t stretch you too much, and keeps you "safe". Most of the time, it feels good, like an old well-worn pair of jeans. Yet other times, you have that nagging feeling that you aren’t reaching far enough...because you know you can be more and do more. It’s human nature. People want to leave an impact.

People don’t actually have only one comfort zone...there are a number of different comfort zones, depending on the hat you are wearing...and how safe you feel that it is for you to take a "risk".

To be or not to be … Is that really the question??

I would argue that the real, impactful question, the one question that makes a meaningful difference is:

"To be good or be great...what do I really want?"

Entrepreneurs are a driven lot.  We set out on the entrepreneurial journey believing in our potential to excel, to do a better job than average, and create an exceptional business doing what we love. We have faith, courage and enthusiasm.

Then what happens?