“Uncle” Art Lopez
My most valued business mentor is my 90+ year old Great-Uncle, Art Lopez.
I was visiting him in California a few years ago when I was there on business and he called me when I was on the way home from his house. I stopped off at a 7-11 store to get something to drink and when I returned to the car, I saw that he had called and left me a voicemail.
Mal, it’ s your Uncle Art. Here’s something to think about: who motivates the motivator? Think about it.
So I did. I thought about it on the way home and again on the way to the client site in downtown LA. I thought about it during the day and on the way home. Nothing about that statement made sense. I wondered if I was over-thinking it. Finally I called him to ask. Here was his reply:
Mal, it’s simple. Who motivates the motivator?
I was a bit disappointed. I figured the riddle would result in some game-changing advice.
Then I thought back on his story.
Uncle Art served in the European Theater during WWII. After the war, he found a laborer job but quickly rounded up three of his buddies to start their own business buying property and putting up houses made of materials from Quonset huts purchased as military surplus. Very quickly he saw that his three partners didn’t have the same drive as he did so he bought them out. He worked seven days a week, putting in long hours to build his empire. My earliest memories of him was that he was up really early and worked late (I spent some time at his house the summer before 2nd grade started) and he never seemed to stand still. Even recently, he cited his frustration being on a couple of local boards where people seemed prone to inaction and apathy. He still spends time working on his computer and lamenting the fact that not all of his family has the same entrepreneurial drive.
And yet, with all of that, he never mentioned one person who pushed him.
His success, his drive, his motivation all came from within. He is the ultimate motivator to me and countless others he’s mentored, but he’s the one who pushes himself.
When I thought back on my own journey, tt all made sense. By the time I hit the 12-year mark in the Navy, I knew I wanted to start my own business doing what I do now. Yet I received not ONE ounce of encouragement from anybody I worked for. In fact, upon leaving the Navy, my Executive Officer told me I’d fail and end up fixing computers (the job I did during my last two years in the Navy). My first job was mainly getting my feet wet and my second focused more on I.T. than training and development. Association members discounted my skills, calling me only for help when they needed passwords reset for their member website access. During all that time, the single source of motivation was to make my dream come true. Of course I had family and friends that supported and encouraged me, but really, it was up to me to make it happen.
So that’s our stories. What does this mean for you?
First, only you can define, plan, and implement your dreams. Certainly a strong network and source of funding helps, but when the day is long, the customers are few, the reviews are mediocre, and the passion is fading, only YOU can push yourself.
Second, it’s really important to surround yourself with two types of people:
- Raving fans: people who will be a constant source of positive energy and encouragement.
- Critical accountability partners: people who aren’t afraid to give you positive and negative feedback, to push back on you, to make you stretch yourself.
This week, take a look at your normal operating procedures. Are you doing something to recharge your own batteries? If not, why not heed Uncle Art’s advice and motivate the motivator?