Build- perhaps the most difficult and time consuming pillar of the Engler Experience. Most people have passion; everyone can aspire to something, however, it takes the best of the best to have the courage and grit that is required to build an enterprise. To “build” takes the best partnerships of mankind, the most effort, and more strategic planning than any other endeavor in the world of entrepreneurship.

Take a moment to compare the pillar of build to the endeavor of climbing Mt. Everest- the most challenging and respected climb in the entire world. Base camp of Everest is located at 17,000 feet above sea level, higher than anywhere in the continental United States; most likely higher than anywhere you have ever been. This base camp is the ideation process of entrepreneurship. By aspiring to and planning your venture, you are already reaching higher than 99% of the people in this world.

On the Nepalese side of Everest, there are four major camps that are located above base camp. Camp one, at 21,300 feet, is the stage of researching and consulting with your mentors about your business venture. Sherpas, the mentors of the journey that most climbers cannot survive without, almost always guide those who attempt Everest. Find your Sherpa in your journey of entrepreneurship, and do not be afraid to rely on them when you hit your breaking point.

By the time you hit camp two of Everest, you’ve got an adequate feeling of the journey ahead of you. You’ve got a plan laid out, which comforts you at times, but you are more excited and intimidated at the same time than you have been in your entire life. Brace yourself, because the next parts of your journey will get rocky.

You continue your climb upwards against the odds of human nature and ability. At camp three, the only thought in your mind is to turn around now before you risk it all. Camp three is desolate, many climbers do not make it this far, and those who do are not who you expected. You expect the most confident and able climbers to make it this far- but what you cannot measure is the willpower and grit that is needed to get this far. Now, you’ve got your time, your reputation, and your own money on the line after you leave camp three. There is no turning back now.

Camp four: the most desolate gathering of human beings in the world. These individuals are different in nature- they have one goal in mind and will not stop until they reach it or fall while trying. Camp four of Everest is on the verge of the Death Zone at 26,000 feet, where the air is so thin that you will slowly die without supplemental oxygen. For the entrepreneur, this oxygen is your team, your financial support, and your inner fire to reach the summit. Without all of these resources, your journey will not be a success.

Past camp four, your journey into your business launch is literally “fly or die”. You’ve got limited time, limited supplies, and the only thing pushing you forward is that flame inside of you that is reaching for the top. There are two major “steps” on the route to the top of Everest after camp four. These steps are sheer rock shelves that are seemingly insurmountable, and can be compared to the risk of going all-in on your business launch. You must plan your route with exact precision, but be ready to pivot in any situation. These rock shelves are equipped with mounted ropes and ladders to assist you- but you better know how to use them. These ropes and ladders are your mentors, your funds, and your resources, but without an inner drive to overcome these obstacles, these resources will not be enough. Be prepared, because climbing these steps will be the most difficult and risky moments of your life.

So here you are, a thousand feet from the top. You are absolutely exhausted, on the verge of breaking down, and are questioning everything you have done to get this far. The only thing in front of you is a narrow, winding ledge of rock and ice, and that fire in your belly is the only reason you push forward against all odds. Choose each step carefully, do not rush yourself but do not idle in place, and you will reach the summit.

You’ve now accomplished what is seemingly impossible. You are at the summit of Mt. Everest, the highest place on the planet that only few have accomplished. Many have failed next to you along the way; many have given up and turned around. This is your business, and no one knows it better than you. But make no mistake in understanding that your climb is not over yet…

GRIT!

“Striving for success without hard work is like trying to harvest where you haven’t planted.” ~ David Bly

     This quotation has been a model for me and is now something I carry throughout my life. I stumbled across this quote my senior year of high school when a teacher assigned us to find a quote that we could use to explain ourselves. I chose this one. When we want to make an impact on someone’s life, it is important to make sure our intentions match up and are compatible. Then we can better see how our own experiences can be integrated into theirs to form one new team that can work together towards a goal. This idea plays into the word that has so much meaning and power, GRIT.  Grit is courage and resolve, the idea of strength of character.

        My experience with grit is portrayed through the purpose of the backbone. The human body has 206 bones at adulthood that all serve a significant purpose and are used at different times of activity. For example, the human jaw, the mandible, is what allows us to talk and communicate our thoughts and ideas. Our carpals, bones in the hands and wrists, help us to have the strength to swing a hammer or conduct an orchestra. But one of the strongest and most important parts of the body, and the one that connects the central nervous system, is the thoracic vertebrae or the backbone. The backbone is composed of 33 individual bones, each of which serves a unique and different purpose. This is true grit. It is the ability to work together and share true passion.

        Entrepreneurship is a shared passion. An entrepreneur is someone who will go above and beyond to make a difference in something they have a passion for. We all have a vested interest in making a difference, so why not share a passion? God created the body to be able to form together and work together. When we partner together, we can create grit. We are able to put a backbone into an idea and make it become a reality. Being able to go above and beyond for a project and making it a passion and never giving up on it is why the University of Nebraska’s Engler Entrepreneurship program is breeding success. The program is nurturing entrepreneurs and building enterprises that encompass true grit--all with the idea of making a difference.

Intentionality has always been a word that I honestly never stopped to think about. You can intentionally do something, but what if you were to go out of your way every day and be intentional about your goals, with people, and with your time.

Engler has taught me that in order to build and establish your dreams, you must never rely on something to simply. . . happen. Enterprises do not just bloom out of an idea without being shadowed by pure passion.

So what does this have to do with intentionality?

Freshman year, Tom Field said something in my entrepreneurship course that I will never forget. He told us that being realistic is the most commonly traveled path to mediocrity. After thinking about what this meant to me, I decided to purposefully build a network of people who not only pushed me, but invested into what I loved doing.

For me, it took Tom’s words to understand the value of intentionally or purposefully reaching likeminded people. Going out of your way to deliberately increase interaction and purpose behind these interactions.

The Engler community has exhibited this purposeful interaction with conversations and will forever impact the way that I view talking with people. Potential partners, potential investors, or potential clients; every interaction should hold to this idea of intentionality.

Passion  -  You’ve got to have that fire in your belly…

            Passion is an interesting animal; it can drive people crazy. Passion can defy all logic. Passion can even destroy an empire, nation, or company. However passion can provide immense openings for success and wealth building. It can also give courage and strength to those who need it most. But perhaps the most valuable thing passion can do is create.

            To have passion is to create opportunity. To follow passion is to act upon a burning fire within you; something that you yourself can’t even explain fully. Passion is hard to understand and even harder to define. This pillar of our program comes in many different shapes, sizes, forms. But one thing is for sure: Passion is alive within the people who recognize it.

            When individuals make decisions to follow their passion, they are making a choice to invest in themselves. When a group makes the decision to follow its’ passion, the members are making a choice to invest in a greater cause (one that’s often bigger and better than the group itself). Passion has the ability to make individuals and groups do just that; believe in something greater than the norm.

            PASSION – An undeniable (sometimes undefinable) fire within one’s self to align with a certain idea, concept, or action. Passion creates opportunity, becomes alive within us, and forces us to believe in a cause greater than we can ever imagine. So don’t try and define or capture passion, for it's already within you. Identify your fire – then set the world ablaze!