Author: Henry Murphy

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.

I made so many mistakes as an entrepreneur that I feel obligated to share my lessons, both the good and the bad. It baffles me to think that in the end, what I needed was a coach. To make it worse, I wasn’t reading about other entrepreneurs, so I missed opportunities to learn. Learning is essential on this entrepreneurial journey. I’ve become a coach so that I can help others get past many of the pain points I have experienced. I tell stories like these so that people don’t miss the opportunities that I missed. This was a very great day, and I was so proud of that day and so proud of my team, but it was afterwards that I considered what it cost me. It doesn’t have to apply the lesson.

So, is it possible to make $10,000 in a day yet lose $500,000? 🧐 If somebody had told me that, I’d be like, “Boy, you crazy. Boy, you lying. Ain’t no way you can make $10,000 in a day and lose $500,000.” Why? Because the math is not mathing, but actually it is. I made $10,000 in a day at an event, but I did not get anyone’s information. I was so happy that the sales were rolling in. Do you know how much that Shopify register had to go off for you to make $10,000 in a day? That thing was like, ding, ding, ding, ding, going crazy. But I wasn’t future-proofing and thinking that this could be a lifetime customer that I could take on a journey. Those $10,000 worth of sales cost me $500,000 because I did not capture the client information.

Situations like these are why I started my podcast and The Ground Up Academy. You know the old saying, a wise person learns from their mistakes. A wiser person learns from others’ mistakes.

If you took a risk and lost on the business investment, congratulations, you found out what not to do. However, don’t throw the baby out with the bathwater. Extract all of the lessons, then go back at it again and again and again.

It’s amazing that we expect our children to walk after a while and we also expect for them to fail repeatedly as they are trying to learn. We can learn a lot from children because we also see the same thing when they are tying their shoes. Be honest, we all become masters at those two things—we don’t think about walking and we don’t think about tying shoes anymore. If we are honest, we probably don’t even remember that we did it this morning. The same goes for any skill set that you are trying to learn, and the same goes for business. You don’t understand business when you get started, and honestly, it’s a journey. You will make a lot of mistakes, but mistakes just show you how not to do it until you find the way to do it. We cannot let fear stop us from trying. I always commend people who try, fail, and then try again.

God gave us a powerful gift when He gave us imagination because imagination allows us to dream. We all have things we desire to do. The real sin is not trying. So I just want to encourage you that when you do fail—because you will, as that is normal—get up again and again until mastery takes place. There are blessings beyond belief on the other side of mastery.

Only fools don’t prepare for the famine. Now, what do I mean?

Back when we were generating $70,000 a month at Unapologetic, business was booming. We were investing heavily into our growth—doing more photoshoots, upgrading the building, and pouring our profits back into the business. It seemed like the right move. However, we overlooked a crucial biblical principle: saving a fifth of our earnings.

In the Bible, Joseph was tasked with preparing Egypt for a coming famine. Under Pharaoh’s guidance, he collected one-fifth of the produce during seven years of plenty. When the famine struck, Egypt was not only able to sustain itself but also provide for surrounding nations. This wise preparation not only saved countless lives but also strengthened Egypt’s position in the region.

This principle of setting aside 20%—the “one-fifth”—is something I emphasize at The Ground Up Academy. It’s vital to put up that 20% for a rainy day. Why? Because business will fluctuate, and only those who prepare will weather the storm.

We learned this the hard way. By not saving, we left ourselves vulnerable to unexpected downturns. The biblical principle of saving a fifth of your income can change your life. It’s not just about surviving tough times but thriving and being prepared for whatever comes your way.

In summary, don’t be a fool. Prepare for the famine. Save diligently, invest wisely, and ensure that you have reserves for the lean seasons. This foresight can mean the difference between collapse and continued success.

As an entrepreneur, but a believer first, I want to share something that’s at the core of my journey. You might wonder why I emphasize this, why it’s my tagline, and why I’m so passionate about it. It’s because God is the source of our strength and success. He grants us the power to prosper, blesses the work of our hands, and bestows upon us the creativity that fuels our endeavors.

Of course, discipline and effort are essential—we need to put in the work. But, my friends, remember this: every day, let your focus be on your relationship with God. Begin your day by asking Him to fill you with His Holy Spirit, to grant you wisdom, and to meet your needs. Often, we fall into the trap of thinking we’re making things happen on our own. The truth is, our achievements are not just our doing. All blessings flow from Him, and nothing happens unless heaven allows it.

Never forget that, bro.