HOW TO LEAVE YOUR COMFORT ZONE

To leave the comfort zone, you must learn how to control the natural fear and anxiety
you will feel when you try new things. It starts with getting in touch with your emotions
and transforming your mindset.

1. FIND YOUR BASELINE

To move out of your comfort zone, you must determine your risk tolerance. Most people
think they’re more risk tolerant than they actually are – and many people don’t actually
know their risk tolerance because they’ve never been faced with an extreme situation in
which it’s been tested. To find your baseline, determine your driving force. If your
number one human need is certainty or connection, you may need to leave your comfort
zone more than others.

2. MASTER YOUR EMOTIONS

Those who are able to easily leave comfort zones may have more emotional
mastery than those who stay stuck in routines. This doesn’t mean that they repress their
emotions – in fact, they do the exact opposite. They acknowledge that their emotions
are there to guide them. They feel their feelings fully and ask themselves, “What is this
emotion really telling me?” When you leave your comfort zone, anxiety is normal. It’s
telling you that you feel vulnerable. Acknowledge it, then move past it.

3. DEVELOP A GROWTH MINDSET

Growth is one of the most essential human needs: If you’re not growing, you’re dying.
The most successful people in the world have a deep need for growth that pushes them
to leave the comfort zone in search of new things. This is called having a growth
mindset – the belief that humans can improve their skills. In contrast, people with a fixed
mindset don’t believe they can improve themselves, and may not bother trying. When
you develop a growth mindset, you’ll unlock your inner power.

4. START SMALL
You don’t need to go big immediately. Start small: Say “hi” to a coworker you’ve never
said hi to before. Make a quick company announcement. Take a different route to work.
Try a new restaurant. Begin to create new habits that turn your ability to leave your
comfort zone into something that feels natural and becomes a part of your daily routine.
5. FIND LIKE-MINDED PEOPLE
If you want to leave your comfort zone, you must surround yourself with the right
people. People with a growth mindset. People who challenge themselves to be better
and do better on a daily basis. People who will celebrate your accomplishments and
help you learn from your failures. This could be a results coach, a mentor or a group of
supportive friends. When you learn to leverage the power of proximity, anything is
possible.

6. ACCEPT FAILURE – AND FIND THE LESSON

Fear of failure is one of the most common fears that hold us back from achieving
excellence. When you look at the best athletes, business people and actors, you will
find they have one thing in common: they have all failed spectacularly at some point in
their lives. The difference is that they don’t let failure hold them back. They know that in
every failure there is a lesson – but you must move out of your comfort zone in order to
find it.

HOW TO MAKE A PROFIT IN BUSINESS

For all businesses, large or small, making reliable profits is the name of the game. New
businesses, however, must first concern themselves with building a foundation that
supports sustainable business growth. Here are some things you need to know
about how to make a profit in business.

1. UNDERSTAND FINANCIALS
What does it really mean to make a profit? The money coming into your company is
considered revenue, but before the money hits your bank account, you’ll have to cover
business costs such as payroll, taxes, supplies and other expenses. What’s left is your
profit margin – the magic number that determines whether you’ll stay in
business, experience explosive growth or be forced to close your doors.

You also need to understand financial statements and basic financial terms. You can’t
fly a plane without knowing how to read the gauges; the same applies to
business. Learn how to read a balance sheet, income statement, and cash flow
statement, and you’ll be able to participate in conversations about how to make a profit.

2. CREATE A BUSINESS MAP

Every successful business starts with a plan or a business map, which is more than just
a way to get from point A to point B. A business map prepares you for anything by
outlining different scenarios and connecting them to your overarching company vision.

Your business map will include a plan for how to make a profit. What can you do today,
this week or this month to improve your quality of profit ratio? Working with a business
coach will also be invaluable as you work towards creating a sustainable and scalable
business plan.

3. SET REALISTIC GOALS

With any new venture, it’s easy to start thinking about the end goal. Today, you’re
opening your business; tomorrow, you want to make $10 million. However, if you
obsess about achieving massive profits right off the bat, you’ll miss other
opportunities and quickly become overwhelmed.

Think in terms of incremental growth. Set SMART goals – Specific, Measurable,

Achievable, Realistic and anchored within a Time Frame – improve your processes and
systems, and focus on steadily increasing profits over time. Everything worthwhile in life
takes work. Don’t be distracted by “quick fixes” or get caught up in the rat race. The best
way to make a profit is to focus on long-term growth and what’s right for your business.

4. IDENTIFY WHAT’S HOLDING YOU BACK

As you go through the process of learning how to make a profit, take an objective look
at your entire organization. What’s currently preventing you from making money? Is it a
lack of viable leadership skills? Is it a problem with your sales team? Have you not
spent enough time getting the word out about your brand?

The problem may also be something within you: Are you emotionally holding on
to something limiting your company’s growth? Are you sabotaging yourself with limiting
beliefs? Identify what’s holding up your plan to increase profits and seek out personal or
professional tools to break through these barriers.

5. HIRE RIGHT
Tony always says, “focus on your strengths and hire for your weaknesses.” Identify your
strengths, learn how to leverage them in leadership, then identify your weaknesses and
hire to fill those gaps. For example, You may need an accountant, bookkeeper, or an
incredible sales team.
Hiring raving fan employees who support you 100% is also a good idea. You want them
to know the company inside and out and understand when it’s time to rally the troops to
bring in new business. It’s always easier to succeed with a team of people excited to
work for your brand.

Finally, think about how you can better retain your existing employees. Do you need
to hire fresh talent, offer more benefits, or change the company culture? Do you need to
invest more in your employees’ well-being? With the right mix of leadership, inspiration
and incentives, you’ll find the key to how to make a profit in business.

6. ADD REAL VALUE FOR YOUR CUSTOMERS

Make sure your business adds real value for your customers because this is how you
make money. The bottom line for making a profit isn’t a number – it’s the value
customers place on your business’s product. When someone finds a product that fills a
longstanding need, they fall in love.

How do you add value your ideal customer can’t ignore? Prioritize your market research
to understand their lifestyles and tastes. When you inhabit your customers’ minds and
preferences, you can create exciting innovations customized to your market. Then,
as you innovate, track how your buyers respond so you can adjust your strategy as
needed.

7. FOCUS ON STRATEGIC INNOVATION

It’s rare to find a company that offers its clients a unique new product. Nowadays,
successful businesses tend to strategically innovate by expanding on existing ideas in a
way that appeals to their customers. To truly understand how to make a profit, focus on
identifying your customers: Who are they, and what need do they have for your
product?

Netflix is a prime example of a strategic innovator. Before streaming exploded in

popularity, people were happy to rent physical media at Blockbuster. Netflix capitalized
and found a way to make movies more accessible to their target audience. They
strategically innovated – fostering an innovation culture will put you leagues ahead of
your competitors and help you make a profit.

8. LEVERAGE YOUR CONNECTIONS

Running a profitable business requires far more than just number-crunching and
managerial savvy. Business success hinges on many factors, including the ability
to build connections. Look at your network as a collection of strategic alliances rather
than a collection of individuals.
Build relationships with complementary businesses in your industry, and consider
partnering with them for referrals. Learn to leverage your connections, and you’ll
increase your ability to make a profit.

9. CUSTOMIZE YOUR CUSTOMER ENGAGEMENT

STRATEGIES
Understanding how to make a profit means taking a close look at how you engage your
target market. There is no universal sales or marketing strategy, so customize yours to
fit your product and clientele.

Given modern technology and the popularity of social media, for many products,
outreach is about immediacy. Engage your target market digitally through your website
and social media so they can easily access and learn about your product. In addition,
attract more customers by adding interactive tools like webinars and demos.

10. TAKE MASSIVE ACTION

Once you overcome barriers and figure out how to grow and strategically innovate, it’s
time to plan for making a profit. Start with developing a timeline and a series of steps
you (and your team) can take to increase your profit margin.

Then make a massive action plan to help you jumpstart growth and increase profit at
your business. This may involve creating a new department, launching a new marketing
campaign or undergoing leadership training to make you better equipped to lead your
company. Whatever you need to do, include it in your plan so that you have concrete,
achievable company goals.

11. TRACK YOUR PROGRESS

Creating an action plan doesn’t mean your choices are set in stone. Monitor your results
as your plan progresses. Have you figured out how to sustainably make a profit? Set
times to check in with your team and reevaluate your progress.

Tracking progress allows you to evaluate what’s working and what isn’t, refine your
profit strategies, and gather employee feedback. If you consistently miss your goals, is it
because they aren’t realistic? Or are you focusing on the wrong areas? On the other
hand, if you quickly achieve your goals, it’s time to ramp up your goal-setting – and your
profits.
12. DON’T WASTER YOUR TIME ON LOW-VALUE
TASKS
Learning how to make a profit involves understanding which tasks are the most
profitable. Once you know, you can eliminate unnecessary low-value tasks or outsource
necessary but unprofitable tasks.

Automation also has a part to play. With so many businesses moving into the online
space, automation software and online solutions are becoming more popular and
accessible. Whether using a customer management system or setting up
an automated drip email campaign, there are many tools available to deal with low-
value tasks.

13. PRICE YOUR PRODUCTS OR SERVICES

CORRECTLY
To make consistent sales, you must ensure your products or services are priced
correctly. Low prices won’t sustain your business, and overpriced products will struggle
to be competitive in your market. To find the perfect price point, evaluate your market
and competition and determine a competitive pricing strategy that can also cover your
business costs.

Business success takes time and effort, but for those who try, learning how to make a
profit isn’t rocket science. These thirteen strategies will get you off to a great start, and
with hard work, a good plan, and the right tools, you’ll put yourself in the best possible
position to achieve the profits you dream of.