At 18, I founded a live events company.
With dreams of producing worldwide energizing experiences, I named it Global Adrenaline.
With no experience, why was I capable of building a global company?
Jim Collins in “Built to Last” talks of exceptional companies having Big Hairy Audacious Goals (BHAG).
The moon mission in the 60s was a BHAG.
A global live events company was my BHAG.
However crazy, it was magnetic.
It brought my team together. We didn’t question it.
It was our North Star, and it worked.
We went from banquet halls to concert halls and from local DJs to Grammy winners.
While significant accomplishments, at some point, reality set in.
I wasn’t going global.
The North Star faded, and I stopped thinking big.
The team felt it. Long-time employees left, revenue plateaued.
The company didn’t make it.
A colleague recently asked how big I want my new venture to be.
Honestly, I hadn’t given thought beyond launching.
But the question made me realize I need a BAHG again.
I haven’t figured it out yet.
But exploring possibilities is exhilarating.
Our firms are planning for 2021 now.
Many of us are thinking about New Year’s resolutions.
I encourage you to think moonshots.
Think 5, 10, and 25 years out.
I encourage you to think of Big Hairy Audacious Goals.