Author: Henry Murphy

When I wrote my last blog post, “No Views,” it was inspired by a similar thought process. Yes, I am posting to share information now, but I also have to think about the future. I need to consider those who might not see it because they aren’t on social media daily, my target audience hasn’t fully emerged, or perhaps the algorithm isn’t in my favor. None of these things really matter. The real reason, or let’s say part of the reason, why you’re doing this is to be findable.

The other reason is that it’s just good practice. It’s a way to continually improve. Being findable is just the cherry on top. Sooner or later, it will pay off.

Think about this: when you start running ads for your offerings, one of the first things people will do is check for social proof. They want to know you are real. If you’re selling something, they want to see that you’re a legitimate organization. The social proof—the consistent effort you’ve put in—will show them that you are. If they see you consistently posting two or three times a week, or even daily, it reassures them. They will see you as someone they can learn from, someone they can know, like, and trust. And once they do, they’re more likely to buy from you.

So here’s what I’m saying: keep going, regardless, so you can stay findable. Because one day, someone will come looking for you, and all the content and work you’ve put in will matter. You need to know this before you even start. There will be days when you look at your posts and see no views, no comments, and it will make your heart sink. You might question if it makes sense to continue. You might even ask yourself, “Why am I doing this?”

But you know why. You’ve already defined your why. If you haven’t, make sure you define it today. Don’t let another day go by without knowing your why. Because your why will get you through.

So keep posting, so you can stay findable.

God Bless The Entrepreneur.

I’ve been posting on social media daily because I want to be a key person of influence in my industry, which is e-commerce. My content is either focused on teaching aspects of e-commerce or discussing the intersection of faith and entrepreneurship.

Imagine posting every single day and genuinely loving the content you’re creating. You see growth because you’re behind the camera every day, picturing your target audience on the other side. On TikTok, I noticed my averages increase from 200 to 500, to 700, with some posts hitting 1500 views occasionally. I can envision reaching 5000, 10000, or even 20000 views per post.

But then there’s YouTube. Here, my views are scattered. Some videos get 5000 views, others 300, 800, or 200, but many have zero views. I posted consistently for four to five days, and the result was zero views.

So, my point is this: Would you keep going when you have no views? When it’s zero, when nobody is dialed in, when nobody is paying attention? Will you stay persistent? If you don’t stay persistent when nobody is watching, it might be a sign that you’re not serious enough about what you say you want, period.

If you’re in the same position, posting every day and getting no views, I want to encourage and challenge you to keep going. Your “why,” the reason behind what you’re doing, is crucial. When you have those days, weeks, or even months with no views, your why will be the thing that keeps you going.

God Bless The Entrepreneur.

The fact that we can have, on the low end, an average of 60,000 thoughts per day is astonishing. I am reminded that God says His thoughts towards us, specifically the children of God, are as numerous as the grains of sand. Wow! And those thoughts are good thoughts towards us. Imagine if we began to focus these thoughts in our lives, to ensure that we are not just aimlessly moving through life but are taking our thoughts, focusing them, and taking action on the ones we choose to concentrate on. With 60,000 thoughts running through our brains every day, it’s easy to be scattered and unfocused.

This is why I always stress the importance of submitting our will and life to God and letting Him direct our steps. This is resounding for me, and you will hear me say this over and over again. If we are carried away by our thoughts without any focus, we will just go through life aimlessly, never focusing on what we are supposed to be doing.

There are so many things trying to grab our attention that focus is mandatory. This also means we must be mindful of what we put into our minds. What we read, what we consume on social media, what we watch on TV—all of this should have some type of purpose. Now, I’m not saying you shouldn’t have any leisure time or downtime, but even then, what you put into your mind is crucial because your thought process ultimately controls your actions, and the actions you take ultimately control your life.

So, we need focus.

God Bless The Entrepreneur.

Entrepreneurship is more than just a career choice; it is a privilege, a calling, and a duty. It demands our utmost dedication and passion. I believe with all my heart that being an entrepreneur requires diligence, a keen thought process, and an unwavering commitment to innovation. Entrepreneurs must be risk-takers, go-getters, and innovators, constantly submitting their plans and wills to God.

The Bible says, “He who gives to the poor lends to God.” This speaks volumes about the responsibility we have as entrepreneurs. With empty hands, we cannot help others. We must fill our hands with hard work, creativity, and purpose so that we can be giving, reaching out to other people who are made in the image of God.

As we submit our will to God and allow Him to direct our steps, our desires align with His. This alignment transforms our dreams and goals into God-given missions. But this requires more than just prayer; it requires action. Laziness has no place in entrepreneurship. We must be diligent, trust the process, and push through adversity.

Adversity shapes us. It molds us into the person capable of achieving the dreams God has placed in our hearts. Without becoming the person we are meant to be, we cannot build true wealth. Wealth is not just financial; it’s the ability to create, give, and inspire.

To sum it up, we must become who we are supposed to be to build the wealth we are meant to have. Empty hands can do nothing. Fill them with purpose, diligence, and trust in God’s plan, and you will be able to give and build a legacy.

God Bless The Entrepreneur.

In the realm of achievement, setting goals is pivotal, but the true magic happens when those goals have a defined expiration date. Let’s dissect the essence of goal setting and the importance of incorporating an expiration date into the equation.

At its core, goal setting is the art of crafting specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound objectives. It’s the compass guiding individuals and organizations towards accomplishments within a designated timeframe.

An expiration date is akin to a deadline, marking the point after which a product, document, or agreement loses its validity. Translating this concept to goals introduces a sense of urgency, elevating the stakes in the pursuit of success.

A goal in isolation is commendable, but its potency multiplies when accompanied by an expiration date and the unwavering discipline needed to navigate the journey. Much like the discipline required to meet a daily deadline, achieving goals demands consistent effort and focus.

Consider the analogy of buying milk – we know it has an expiration date, compelling us to consume it within a specific timeframe. Likewise, goals demand our attention and dedication; otherwise, the investment made in setting them becomes wasted potential.

Illustrating this concept, two friends embarked on a clothing business journey. While both had aspirations, Jacob set a clear goal with an expiration date, driving him to approach every endeavor with heightened intensity. Marc, lacking a specific timeframe, adopted a more casual approach.

Jacob’s success wasn’t solely attributed to his goal; it was fueled by the daily discipline he maintained. His focused mindset and strategic moves set him apart, consistently yielding better results.

As you navigate life’s journey, don’t wander aimlessly. Embrace the power of setting goals with expiration dates. Investments in goals are investments in the enrichment of your life and the lives of others.

In conclusion, goals with expiration dates and daily discipline are the catalysts for achievement. So, let’s not merely exist – let’s set goals, imbue them with a sense of urgency, and watch the transformative impact unfold.

Now, my wife and I were having a very intriguing conversation. We always have great talks. She thinks I’m crazy because I’ll be writing stuff down while she’s talking. She says more prolific things than she will ever realize. We were talking about your starting point. She was telling me about an exercise where everybody started on the same line. Depending on what was afforded to them, they were able to take a step forward.

Imagine if someone had one parent with a great education, they would take one step forward. If they had two parents with a great education, they would take another step. If they lived in a good neighborhood, they would take a step forward. If their parents had stable jobs, they would take another step forward. I think you get the picture—we could go on for days.

There are a lot, and I mean a lot, of people who don’t have any of these advantages, so they remain at the starting point while others move ahead. I’m not here to debate whether it’s fair or not because life is real, and everybody starts from where they start from. That’s the point of this blog: your starting point is your starting point. Don’t look at others when you are getting started—just get started.

I know people who have come out of neighborhoods full of gang violence and death all around them, and they still emerged victorious. I know people who were put into group homes and spent time in juvenile detention and still came out successful. I know people who were sexually assaulted when they were younger but still came out victorious. I’m not saying that wherever you are in life that it will be easy because easy is not real life.

It’s going to take effort, grit, and growth from everything around you, whether negative or positive. You know what the law of polarity says—there’s always another side. If your situation is negative, then just know that there is a positive. Keep your eye on that positive.

I started my journey as an entrepreneur at 38 years old, and although I have a decade-plus of experience, I really feel like I’m just getting started. This feels so new to me. I just want to encourage you—no matter your starting point, keep going. I promise you, you will inspire others as you go beyond your starting point.

God Bless The Entrepreneur.

Yes, I said learn or die. It’s really that crucial when it comes to learning every day to be a better entrepreneur. The goal is to be a better version of yourself. Also, the more you learn, the more you can share. I learned this lesson the hard way as an entrepreneur because I ran out of steam. I ran out of gas, and the car was sputtering. Seriously, I got to a point where I felt like I had nothing left, but let me tell you where this mentality came from.

When I was younger, I was a young hustler. Although I was working, I hustled on the side. I learned two valuable things during this time. As a restaurant manager, I learned systems, how to deal with people, the cost of sales, and basically how to run a business. I learned similar lessons while hustling, but I also picked up skills in negotiation and dealing with people outside of the restaurant business.

These skill sets changed my life forever. When it was time to become an entrepreneur, I was ready. Everything I had learned served me well, and I was able to create businesses from the ground up, with almost all of them generating six figures or more. I thought that was pretty amazing considering I had no formal education beyond my GED. Everything changed for me when I started reading every single day. My calendar says “Grow: YouTube plus Audible.” That’s how it is on my calendar every single day. I learn something every day so that my mindset is always growing. I would rather be further in my knowledge and let what I’m doing catch up to that, than to be where I was before—reaching a point and not having the mindset to take it to another level.

Let me tell you how important it is: An entrepreneur not learning every day is the equivalent of not breathing every day. It’s absolutely necessary. Don’t let a day go by without learning, growing, and evolving.

God Bless The Entrepreneur.

Posting on social media can be a little scary and intimidating. It takes practice to talk to the camera. One of the ways I got around this is to imagine the people I’m talking to on the other side.

When I think about that, I become bold and speak directly to them as if they were standing right in front of me. Now, you don’t get to this point by haphazardly doing it. You have to practice and put in the work. I think we take for granted that social media is free; it doesn’t cost us anything, and the pool of people is unlimited.

I keep two goals in mind: one is that every time I create content, I get better at it. One of the most important things is to be findable. This means when someone comes looking for me and the things I have created, they can find me on every platform. And yes, I said every platform. This can be daunting, and as of this writing, I haven’t tapped back into Snapchat yet, but I am on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, X, and TikTok. I post there every single day.

Don’t underestimate the rabbit hole. What do I mean? Have you ever found someone new on social media and, after liking one post, you go down a rabbit hole to learn more about them? That’s the idea you have to keep in mind when you create. You have to be consistent because once they find you, I guarantee they will go down that rabbit hole. So continue to bring value to the marketplace.

I heard it said like this before: “Get over yourself.” I was like, “Whoa, hold up, partner. That’s kind of harsh.” But as I sat with it, it made sense. I have to care about my personal development, and I have to care about my brand. This is the world we live in now, and if I refuse to use these free platforms, I am shooting myself in the foot. Do yourself a favor—put in the work so that you can be findable.

God Bless The Entrepreneur.

I am an entrepreneur, but I am a believer first. I love entrepreneurship because I feel with all my heart that it is the calling God has placed on my life. I love developing new skill sets, learning, teaching, and working on my mindset.

Honestly, I have a ton of ambition and I have to make sure that I am submitting my plans to God so He can direct my steps. I wholeheartedly believe that as we submit our plans and desires to God, He grants us the desires of our hearts—provided they align with His will.

God has given me a measure of faith just as He has given you. I am a big dreamer, and I have been able to accomplish a lot as an entrepreneur in my decade-plus of experience. One of the achievements I am proud of is starting at home, moving to a small office, acquiring multiple offices in that building, and eventually moving into our first standalone building. We then moved to a space I had only dreamed of, equipped with nine offices, including a print shop, warehouse, showroom, lounge room, game room, podcast room, kitchen, and a room for teaching other entrepreneurs.

Now, being in California and starting over has been difficult, but I know the pivot came from God. After spending two years in Los Angeles, God began to press upon my heart to dream bigger. My next goal is so big that only God can do it. I won’t share everything on my list, but just know that my previous accomplishments pale in comparison. Make your dreams so big that only God can do it and ensure that in your pursuit, you are serving others and aligning with His will.

God Bless The Entrepreneur.

In the realm of entrepreneurship, the journey often unfolds as a series of pivots. It’s a narrative of constant growth, a realization that settling or seeking comfort might not be the end goal. This journey, anchored in submitting oneself to a sovereign purpose, demands a commitment to sovereignly rule over the tasks we are created to undertake. As I reflect on my entrepreneurial path, I’ve come to recognize that God, in His infinite wisdom, consistently urges us to expand our thinking, encouraging us to push the boundaries of our own capabilities.

Declarations carry weight only when paired with dedicated action. Claiming to be a writer isn’t merely about putting words on paper; it’s a testament to the time, dedication, and self-investment poured into the craft. My journey began with a humble commitment of one blog a month, evolving into a weekly routine, and eventually reaching four blogs a week. Building systems proved instrumental in this progression, illustrating that with discipline and dedication, growth is not only achievable but inevitable.

Similar principles apply to my pursuit of public speaking. While I may not have secured bookings at this juncture, I recognize the value of proactive engagement. Instead of waiting for opportunities to come knocking, I leverage social media to share my insights, going live to discuss various topics. This proactive approach, akin to my writing journey, signifies a commitment to living out declarations, even before external validation. It’s a testament to the belief that the work put into our aspirations is a direct reflection of the commitment we have towards them.

So, I challenge you – declare your ambitions boldly, but let your actions echo even louder. The path to success isn’t a straight line; it’s a journey of consistent effort, constant refinement, and unwavering commitment. As you embark on your own endeavors, remember that declarations are not mere statements but commitments to a journey of growth, where every step forward is a testament to the faithfulness of your actions.