Start A Business Or Focus On My Job: What Should I Do?

Here is the complete transcript of the podcast

Welcome, or welcome back to Success with Srini. Happy Friday morning to you. Today on the podcast, I’m answering a question that has come in from a longtime listener of my radio shows, and now the podcast. But then somebody who’s very active, listening to my recent shows.

“Srini, I have been listening to your radio shows for a long time. And lately, I had been thinking of starting a business. Not that I want to make money, but it’s just that I’m very unhappy in my job situation. And I heard you say that it’s better to start a business while having a job. I was not sure because I want to leave my job. I’m kind of conflicted. I wanted your suggestion, I thought of consulting with you. But on the recent radio show, you said you don’t want or you cannot do consultations, you are asking people to text you. So I’m texting you here.”

This is an incredible question. So thank you for this question. Because this is something very close to my heart, I have personally gone through this thinking of expanding my career, focusing on my career, getting all the qualifications, all the experience, and kind of staying and rising through the corporate ladder, or leaving that path and start my own business. So this, and for a long time, I did both. So I’ll tell you, you know, the answer to this question is from my heart. Okay. The first and foremost, I’m a big supporter of entrepreneurship. And I want everybody to have autonomy, that freedom. That is what is going on on this podcast, I repeat myself across many episodes. Over the months, I’ve been telling this. So you can hear me say that. And I have been in that in that position myself where I suffered through jobs, I got fired multiple times, even today, I can get a job if I go to the market, but I think I’ll get fired. Not that because I’m bad. I’m really good at what I do just that the mind shift that has happened over the years into entrepreneurship. So I encourage everybody to start and run a business. But at the same time, I do encourage people to also focus on their careers. And it comes down to two questions, fundamentally your identity, how you see yourself, and then your capability. So what are you, that’s the identity. And what can you do, that’s your capability.

So if you have the capability to learn to do more, or to do less, then either of the tracks works. So today, if you choose to just focus on your job and want to climb up the ladder, it involves that you learn more, do more, or do less, right, whatever you’re doing, you have to do less because you could do more. So you could arrive there by investing time and effort if you choose to do a business. And the question was to start a business, so you can start a business. And here’s the problem starting a business means and I’m assuming this, I’m not sure, you probably have not done a business before and you’re trying to leave your job because you’re unhappy there, which you already mentioned. And you are going to start a business because hoping that the business acts as a rebound. See, the business has a life of its own. It’s a baby, it takes time to grow. It takes time to really bring your values and your beliefs and your engagements and your time, your effort. It’s just like a baby. So you have to put in 18 years’ worth of effort before you can call a business. An adult grown-up. So it takes effort. That’s the point.

Not that you have to do it for 18 years. So there is an element of mind expansion or a mind shift that involves starting a business. It’s fun to start a business it’s difficult to operate and grow if you do not get success and gratification immediately. So this is where people quit. So the barrier to entry is minimal. Practically with $100 you can start a business, any business. But because you put $100 to start a business, you are going to quit that business in the first point of resistance. So if you’re thinking of creating a business that you know, will act as an adult and needs 18 years’ worth of effort, dual effort mom and dad how case. So that’s the kind of a failure to put in 80 hours a week into a business, you are willing to sweat it out, tear it out to tears, and blood it out with blood. Because a business will construct you in a whole different way. But before it does, that, it’s going to distract you. You have values, your beliefs, your understandings, your relationships, everything will be challenged, everything is going to go for a toss, you’re going to break apart, and then you’ll be constructed in a way reconstructed, such that you can run into a real business. Now, here’s what I’ve seen people who start one business, end up running multiple businesses, I’ve seen that. And there are many revenue streams, the Discover, people who started a subway ended up buying other businesses, there are other businesses. If you are an owner of subway and or listen to this podcast, you understand what I’m saying. And you started a business.

So what you did is you probably got into a system when people buy a franchisee the bias system. And they operate as an employee in that system, thinking that they own a business, they are not entrepreneurs, that is there is not a unique sandwich you’re introducing into the marketplace, you’re not bringing in new marketing ideas, new branding, none, you are leveraging what is already there. So you’re essentially working as a sales and service individual as the parent franchisee by putting your own money in. Right, that’s all there is to this. But then at some point, they start to realize, listen, I was in a job, I had a manager with whom I was unhappy. And I had a structure about me, I was unhappy with 100 employees, I had peers, I was unhappy. Now I’m in a situation where I don’t have a boss about me, that is still corporate, but no direct boss, and then I can choose to hire people to work under me. And I control my time I control a few variables. But if you’re an entrepreneur, you start to realize that that’s not the autonomy that you’re seeking. And hence, you want to have a better situation like you want to bring in your own product, you want to bring in your own branding, your own messaging, your own positioning, and all that. And that really opens you up to many possibilities. And that’s a true expression of yourself.

Hence, many software owners or many franchises you not, I’m not calling out software, specifically here. And just as an example, they end up owning multiple businesses. So that’s the change, but then there is a price you have to pay for it. And also same is true in your job you will have you will end up paying a price if you want to grow up in the ladder. So either way, you have to learn, you have to do more, or you have to do less and all that, okay? Now, there are two other ways to other frames that I want to share with you. One is if you’re unhappy with your situation, and that is why you want to start a business, I think it’s like going from one bad relationship into another relationship thinking that that relationship is going to work out. If that is true, then we don’t have the highest second marriage divorces in the country today and across the world. So, people who are getting married for the second time think that you know, they will have a better situation, or get divorced at a higher rate at a faster rate, than the first time around as compared to the first time divorces. So it’s interesting how this is playing out.

So I don’t want you to quit something because you’re unhappy and go somewhere else thinking that’s going to have a happy equation happy situation which is not true. Grass Is Greener, wherever you are watering. Truth. So sometimes people tell me, you know, it’s the same cubicle, same office, same job, same manager, same software, same people I don’t like I want to change. Hence I want to start a business is not true. Everything is seen because you have made yourself predictable. And wherever you will go. You will make yourself predictable. It’s just a matter of time before your craving for that variety will go away.

So you go to a new job. One week, two weeks, three weeks, the craving is gone like that. Click of the finger gone. So I wouldn’t leave something just because I’m unhappy. I will leave if there is something within you that says that I want to explore more that is within me. I want to exceed my own expectations. I want to stretch myself I want to experience a different realm of my thinking, or of my desires, something like that. So it’s very difficult to express this in words. But hopefully, you see it. So that’s one, one frame. So the second thing is, you shouldn’t start a business because there’s a market for it. You should, but you shouldn’t. For example, I don’t suggest people leave their jobs and go and start and become realtors. I said that 10 years ago, and I’m telling that today. Now, if you are a realtor who quit your job, and you’re successful, all the power to you, that’s an exception, but many don’t. So leaving a job and becoming, you know, something, because the market is there, the market is ripe, it’s happening. So why not get in and take a share? I wouldn’t, I would do it if you are self-driven. So there are two kinds of people market-driven and self-driven. You are market-driven, you are temporary, you will be gone, the market is gone, you’re gone. If you’re self-driven, then you are there, no matter what happens. So, growth occurs in both areas, by the way, you will succeed in both areas. So if you are market-driven, that means you’ll have vertical growth, the market growth, then you will grow. And you will have expansion and all that. So all that is good, but if the market collapses, you are going to be the first individual to leave the market, and will take you along with it. We have seen that happening right now with many realtors, and I get the calls. I know, that if you’re self-driven, you will always find a reason to stay. And you’ll go all in, you’re not holding any boundaries. So between a job and a business, if I have to choose, I told you, I will choose a business. And I will choose a business with an intent to go all in, I will not think of I’ll have a job. I will also have a business I can manage. But you cannot listen, you can’t manage kids at home, you cannot manage businesses, you cannot manage to responsibilities, you cannot do it. People have done the thing that is successful all the best. You know, I don’t know what their definition of success is all the best. Okay, in my book in my dictionary, it’s mediocrity that’s mediocre thinking that I can juggle a job, I can juggle a business people say, I’m gonna make a million dollars from a business, then I’ll quit my job. They never do because they fundamentally have an employee mindset. And they will continue to milk the system as employees and they will try to make the system they tried to make the system on the business front. They’re always scared. They’re always fearful. It doesn’t work. That’s not freedom. That’s like buying yourself and not the job.

Okay, it’s too it’s gone too far. Hopefully, this is helpful. Pardon me, this is a rant, but you see the paint that I have within me. I told you this is going to come from within. Okay, hopefully, it did. So you take care of yourself. Have a wonderful Friday. I don’t want to extend this and enlarge this conversation and leave you in a bad taste. But hopefully, this is valuable to you. That’s all for now. And you have a wonderful weekend, as I said and I will be back with you as early as tomorrow morning. Stay tuned. Bye now.

How To Write Emails That Get Results

Here is the complete transcript of the podcast

Welcome back. Happy Thursday morning to you. Again on the podcast today, I’m answering a question, a career-related question that came in a while ago, which I completely missed out on. I have no idea how.

The question goes like this, “How to write emails at work efficiently? And succinctly, I always feel other people can write very nice, quick, clear, and to-the-point emails. I think efficient writing or speaking professionally, sometimes in personal life plays a huge role in overall success and satisfaction. So any advice to improve the skill will be highly appreciated. Thank you, as always.”

Thank you, as always, for your great questions. You’re right, efficient writing and speaking can completely change the game in a big way, in a good way, and create higher success. And that is why on this podcast, I keep driving the point, but most people don’t. And, interestingly, both writing and speaking are learned skills. So if you choose to just learn the skill of how to write, and how to speak, you could become really, I mean, really, really good. And I’m a live example of that I was not a good speaker I presented before, but I was not Never a good speaker. I don’t think I’m a good speaker either. But it’s just that, you know, some events in my life that triggered me to really focus on speaking. And as I was speaking, to promote my business, it so happened that people started to listen to my speaking more and listen less on the topic I was speaking about, which was promoting my business. So long story short speaking changed my life in a very, very big way. I don’t think I’m a good writer, it’s valid in the sense that I write in, I used to write a lot of emails, and emails really made my life before the radio date. But I don’t think I’m a good writer, I can get a few thoughts, and then I can put them together. But then I don’t think I write well. So I’m going to share with you a formula because this question is about writing emails, I’m gonna share a formula that is not mine, it has been around for a very, very long time, I’m gonna give you my spin on it. And this is the formula I use when I write emails. Now you can modify this formula to write any email so that you can also get the same level of clarity to the point. And now you can write a very nice email, quick, clear to the point. But the real purpose of an email is to get a response, a favorable response. People write nice things. It sounds good, but does it really produce the result?

For example, I’m doing the podcast, and this podcast may sound good because we are producing through the sound and all that. And maybe I’m also saying everything right? On this podcast, my English is good, or whatever. The way I’m speaking, it’s making sense. And I’m not saying too many hours on Yes, who knows. And I’m not pausing too much all is good. But then it doesn’t really create change in people. So for example, you asked me the question, and I’m recording this podcast. And what happens if this doesn’t really resonate with you, it doesn’t really produce the outcome for you, then what, then I failed. So it doesn’t matter how good of a show I produced, or how good of a podcast I produced. It’s an exercise futile, it doesn’t work. And there is no end outcome collective. Neither I succeeded nor succeeded. So there’s no point.

So in my opinion, an email should doesn’t matter how it’s written, it should generate the desired outcome. So what I’m going to do, I’m going to share with you a formula on how to write an email that produces the desired outcome, because that’s what I have done. It doesn’t matter. The languaging you’re using the vocabulary, the phrases, the rhythm, the rhyme, none of that matters. What matters is a formula. And what matters is a formula when used correctly, produces the desired outcome. Okay, so that being said, let’s get into this. The formula for writing a good responsive email or copy or a paragraph or a letter is simply put, the acronym is A.I.D.A. Okay.

The first alphabet A in the acronym stands for attention. So whatever you are trying to say your first thing your first job is to get the attention of the reader That’s the first thing, I use in this podcast. If you are a career-minded professional, today’s podcast is for you. If you are a financial professional, today’s podcast is for you, if you are looking to lose weight, or you’re looking to get in shape, or you’re trying to bring some healthy habits into your diet, then today’s podcast is for you. So I qualify, I get the attention. That’s step number one.

Then the second step is interesting. The second alphabet in this acronym got to create some interest, then we create some desire. And then we do what is called the last alphabet in this acronym is, which is we do what is called a call to action. Okay, so first, get the attention, and span, create the interest, generate the desire, and then call to action. This is the structure. But let’s take this example in weight loss, it’s used in weight loss extensively, lose 20 pounds in 20 days, that’s a massive attention opener, you might have seen these ads all over the place. 20 pounds in 30 days. Interesting. So that’s the tension it got your attention. Next is interest, no pills, no diet changes, and no exercise. See that interest, then the desire is to get into your wedding dress in time for your daughter’s or son’s wedding. Right, that’s the desire to look good. And then the call to action only two spots remaining call now. limited supplies call now. Whatever, right? You got the idea. Now. There’s also one more step in between tension between desire and a call to action. And that step is called agitate. So get the attention, create the interest, build the desire, and then agitate and then call to action. Now how do you agitate people who are trying to lose weight? By simply saying, hey, how long do you want to do this alone? How long will you allow others to judge you? You’re not getting younger by the day. Right? So you induce some guilt, some apathy, some FOMO into that, into that agitate area, and then you do call to action? Hey, only two spots, so many call now. Correct. That’s how the weight loss industry works more or less.

Now, because your question was more about how this applies. In my career, I’ll give you an example. It’s very, very widely used. And again, it depends contextually you can keep changing this format. But I want you to understand this. I’m going to give you an example. At work. Attention, this is your opportunity to sign one on one with our CEO John. Very simple, a manager sends out an email and says this is your opportunity to shine, and one on one with our CEO, John, entrust, I’m looking for someone to represent me and present the group update to our CEO John as I will be traveling or I’m on vacation next week, something like that, right. So that is interesting. So one on one present an update and of informing, okay. And you can also say there is just one slight update, not not not much all that. So it’s kind of built interest. So tell them that there is not much to be done, everything is already done. Just go in there, present the update and come back then you build a desire, this is your chance to increase your leverage and your reach. Okay, this is your chance to get the attention of the higher-ups, this is your chance that otherwise most people do not get work 10 or 15 years in the organization. Okay, something like that. And then call to action. I can nominate a couple of people that I have on my mind, but thought of opening this up to everyone on the team.

The first response gets it. If you want to induce an agitate in the middle between the desire and call to action, you can say hey, how long do you want to sit on the sidelines, your time to shine is now things like that you can add That’s how simple this formula is. And this formula works and again, there are so many other 40 mil so many other different ways to approach the writing, but this is how I approach and you can moderate this, you know, you kind of tone it down a bit, and then be very simple. This is brilliant how this works. It has been working for hundreds of years ever since the marketing world sales world started working and many many copywriters back in the early 19th 20th century, use this, this formula to really sell some crazy crazy stuff.

Okay, so try this formula. Let me know how it worked for you. Okay. Yes. You know, at some point in time, I may do a career workshop, and if time permits, then I’m going to walk through several different formulas for writing these emails and creating a different impression and different positioning in the minds of the readers and things like that. That’s for a different day for a different discussion. But this is all for now. Hopefully, this helps. If it does, let me know. And that’s all for now today. Have a wonderful Thursday and I’ll catch up with you all as early as tomorrow. Take care. Bye now.

The Truth About Life: Every Moment Is an Illusion (Illuminate It)

Here is the complete transcript of the podcast

Welcome, welcome back to success with Srini. Happy Wednesday morning to you on the podcast today. I have a question kind of an interaction that I just had with a friend of mine yesterday, a very dear friend of my childhood friend, and kind of became philosophical as we were talking. And he’s going through his own challenges and setbacks and all. And he was picking my brain. He said you know, how do you deal with this? How do you deal with that? And he was a listener of my radio show, but ever since I started pushing this podcast, he started listening to it. And his point was here heard your podcast, and you said that every moment is our first moment. It’s the last moment what do you mean by that? And all that. So it was kind of a very broad discussion. And at one point, I said, to cut him off, I said, Listen, you know, you can’t think about your past as much the time you’re spending, thinking about the past, I think you’re losing your ability to create the future.

Clearly, if you think about your past, you’re losing, and that much amount of time, then clearly, you’re not thinking about the future. So you’re compromising the future. The future is still a dream. So your job is not to dream about the future. If the future is the dream, and the past is already gone, all you have is this moment, this is the truth. And this moment is what defines who you are, how happy you will be or how sad you will be. So given this is the only moment you have, why not inversion happiness? So that was one point. And then I said, if you really understand if a cut off everything, like everything, you just go to the basics, the basics are this, you came along, you’re going to go along, nobody came with us, nobody is going to go with us. So to begin with, it was a lonely game. And we’re going to end this as lonely as possible. If you have a long life, it’s going to be a hell of a lonely game, clearly. And in between, you is also a lonely game, it’s a long game.

So what we have done, or what we are supposed to do, is we are going to create some love and some friendship. And with love and friendship, will create this illusion that at this moment, we are not alone. That’s all this friendship is all about. That’s all we are doing right now, as I’m sitting and talking to you. I’m just creating an illusion that you and I are not alone. Truth is, you’re alone, I’m alone. So given that this is a lonely game, and given that every moment is what we need to focus on, not to be carried away by what future promise future is promising us or not get really bogged down by what the past has done to us, then the discussion becomes is what are we supposed to do, so that this illusion that we’re creating is as real as possible. In this illusion, also, we mess it up, we say things to people that we are not supposed to say, we show we exhibit some kind of behavior we are not supposed to exhibit. So we are messing up this moment also.

So we are unhappy in the past we are going to be we don’t know what the future is going to be. And at the moment, this is the only moment we have and we’re also messing it up. He was very intelligent. It was very, he’s a very smart guy. And he’s like, okay, so what can what do you think I should do now? Well, there is a five-step formula that I shared with him I want to share with you, which is not mine. By the way, this is not me. This is something that I read many, many years ago, the first formula, the first step in the formula is to Be kind. Be kind because this is the only moment you have. You can get angry, you can get frustrated, be kind, because the person whom you’re getting angry at, they’re also temporary here. You’re also temporary, I’m also temporary. There’s no point to get angry. That’s step one, so be kind. So how do we become kind we become kind by showing some compassion, showing some emotion, some care, some love all that. So just be kind, whatever you think it says to do this, mostly, kindness is through words. Mostly kindness is through intent. So be kind, then be aware.

Be careful what you say and how you say it. Be aware of your personal situation. Be aware of the immediate surroundings that you are in. Be aware of everything that’s happening around the world, which is an invisible world, like something happening in some other country. Just be aware. Just be aware and thanks to the times that we are in right now. We have so much information coming our way. We could be incredibly aware. And we choose not to, by the way, that’s a whole different story. But it’s coming to us. Then be interested, interested in everything that’s around you. Be interested in philosophy be interested in, spirituality, be interested in engineering, be interested in politics, finance, law, relationships, everything, engineering, medicine, everything. Why shouldn’t you be? By the way, you have no idea you are much smarter than what you tell others what you exhibit to others is what you claim to have. In your qualification, you’re much smarter, all of us are much smarter. So it’s natural. It’s the process, natural curiosity. That’s the natural process of living. So be interested, be awake, be awake, awakeness. Most of the time people are sleeping, the sleep, the sleep a lot, the sleeping on activity, the sleeping on decisions, that sleeping on everything. So be awake. Just bring your best brain to anything that you’re supposed to do, or you’re about to do. And then last one, overall, always, in every moment, be thankful.

Thankful for something that is going wrong, thankful, thankful for everything that has gone right? thankful that you tomorrow morning, you’re going to wake up and see the sun, thankful that you saw the sun yesterday. Be thankful, in general everywhere, wherever you can. You don’t need to show this outside, but in your mind as a part of your own self-dialog. If you be thankful, that’s enough, you don’t need to talk to anybody else. So this is the formula on how to create love and friendship, and keep creating and magnifying this illusion. At this moment, you’re not alone. When you do these things or any of these things, and doesn’t matter, one or two, from this list of five, doesn’t matter. You don’t just have one, right? You have some elevation in the illusion, you do all the five, right, you’re like totally, you know, totally consumed by it. You are an absolute illusion. You know, it’s amazing how I have personally met and spoken to people. Every individual has their own definition of what life is on how life is. And it all depends on their own experience. And I made them say in if somebody’s painting life is very low, then the first thing I do is share this formula with them. Like here’s the formula. So that’s exactly what I did with this friend and here’s the formula, man go create this illusion. So this podcast is an illusion to everything is an illusion. We are here in this illusion.

So anyway, so hopefully you got this point. Hopefully, this is helpful. Hopefully, they submit to today’s discussion. That’s all wherever you are, be safe and be focused. Make sure that you are capturing this moment and maximizing this moment. Okay. As I was recording this podcast as I am recording this podcast, my idea is that you maximize this moment as you’re listening to this. That’s all for now. And I will be talking to you as early as tomorrow. Take care bye now.