Elon Musk’s biography is my latest read.
If you are not familiar with Musk, he is the brainchild behind PayPal, his second successful company.
Yes, second. Before starting Paypal, Elon, began his first business in 1995 called Zip2 with a loan from his father for $28,000.
It was acquired by Compaq for $307 million, with Elon making $22 million.
With his engineering, tech superhuman freak traits he strategically sought an industry that needed disrupting.
Banking was the target.
He cofounded PayPal, the first online payment system. PayPal sold to eBay for $1.5 billion in 2002.
With his new fortune, he went on to disrupt the space industry, working on building the most powerful rocket ever constructed with a spaceship designed to carry at least 100 people to the Red Planet per flight.
Elon shared at an Astronautical Conference late last year “If all goes according to plan, the reusable ITS will help humanity establish a permanent, self-sustaining colony on the Red Planet within the next 50 to 100 years”.
Whoa!
But that’s not enough. There has been no one that has made a dent in the car industry since Henry Ford, until hello Elon Musk. Let’s concurrently build electric vehicles and start Tesla while we build rockets, he said. And he did.
He has become a billionaire twice over. But what inspires me more than anything about this man is his drive to get stuff done.
He does not care for hope or enthusiasm or motivation he just gives everything he has to his mission.
An excerpt from the book:
“He’s the possessed genius on the grandest quest anyone has ever concocted,” Ashlee Vance writes.
“Where Mark Zuckerberg wants to help you share baby photos, Musk wants to . . . well . . . Save the human race from self-imposed or accidental annihilation.”
After reading this, I hired Elon as my mentor.
We never talk or Facetime. I simply telepathically ask him one question, and now that I am connected to his story I always find the answer.
What would you do here Elon?
I started my business because I love helping small business to support them make the shift to thinking BIG.
And ironically helping big business think SMALL and nimble.
Digital/Tourism marketing trainer and mentor with an addiction to personal development and inspiring quotes was not on Seek or Linked In, so I asked Beyonce.
Yes, sorry I should mention she was my mentor in June 2014 before Elon.
What would you do Bey?
I just thought of her and watched YouTube videos of this powerhouse doing what she loves in front of filled out stadiums and inspiring millions around the world. We all have the same hours in the day as Beyonce and Elon.
Let’s lift.
Every day in the first year was 10/10 terrifying. Second, 9.5/10. And as I approach year three at the end of June I think I should nail 9/10.
In this week’s podcast Tourism Hub Episode 4 – ‘Confessions of a Start Up Launching a New Website and Business,’ I share with you what it has been like starting a business and website.
Even more than that I share insights and tips for you to consider as a checklist for your existing website or the new one you are about to build.
Never miss an episode by subscribing to the Tourism Hub Podcast on iTunes. I have some industry legends coming up you don’t want to miss.
Online digital course kicking off today – Decoding Digital Marketing for Tourism
We have a great eclectic group of businesses in the program so far from around Australia and being my very first one delivered in this format look forward to sharing everything I know around digital, social and visitor servicing championing these experience makers to digital greatness. And there will be music!
Check out my DIY promotional video for this course. Nerve racking and out of my comfort zone, I split tested two ads on Facebook to two different audiences. Interestingly global audience segment performed better than my East Coast Aussie audience. I was so proud of the captions…and bookings 🙂
We kick off today at 1 pm – this week’s first topic is ‘Decoding Business and Leading From the Heart.’
Can’t make it? No worries it’s recorded and will be sent to your inbox. #NoExcuses
Signing off with a song: Beyoncé – Freedom (Live at The Formation World Tour)
“FREEDOM cut me loose because a winner don’t quit on themselves”
Here’s to your excellence today and every day,
Despina xo
#BeExcellent About Despina Karatzias, InstituteOfExcellence.com
You are so busy wearing so many hats in your business that I have made helping you my business. InstituteOfExcellence.com has come to be on the foundation of serving and supporting the experience makers of the tourism industry. Simple, easy to digest and affordable, step by step inspired training solutions delivered as group workshops, one on one or online focusing on tourism, digital and social media marketing and fostering smart collaborations through partnership marketing initiatives.
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