11 Keys to Great Success in Life and Business: Key #11 Know Your “Big Why”

I believe with all my heart that “how” doesn’t matter until you know “why.” The truth is that most folks reading this already know “how” to double their sales and income. The reason they don’t is because they don’t know “why.”

Once we know “why” we do what we do, then the rest is far more simple.

Recently, I found myself feeling a little bored. I worried that driving Proforma from $500 million to its first billion dollar year might not be as much fun as it was growing from zero to $500 million. So I hired an executive consultant to help.

In our first meeting she said that we needed to work on my “big why.” I questioned her. I told her I wanted to know “how.” How to get re-energized.  How to get laser focused. She reminded me that “how” doesn’t matter until we know “why.”

Further, she told me that my “big why” was not about money and success. She said that money and success may be a byproduct of my “big why,” but not the focus. I didn’t completely understand, but I trusted her.

So we worked on my “big why.” We had a few meetings and I spent about six hours of private reflection on understanding my “big why.” Why I get up in the morning. Why I was able to grow Proforma to $500 million. And why I would enjoy growing Proforma to its first billion dollar year.

Here’s my “big why”: “I am determined to inspire the relentless pursuit of big dreams, amazing lives and a beautiful world.”  That’s who I am down to my toenails. Even if I lost everything, it would still me the essence of who I am.

Now, in touch with my “big why,” I am more excited and focused than ever to drive Proforma to $1 billion and beyond… because I know that in doing so I am truly helping thousands of people pursue their dreams, live amazing lives and make our world a little more beautiful.

I have enjoyed sharing these 11 Keys to Great Success with you. I hope that in some small way they may help you to pursue your dreams, live an amazing life and make your world more beautiful.

Previously, in our “11 Keys to Success” series we discussed:
Key 1: “Add Value”
Key 2: “Find Passion”
Key 3: “Be Extraordinary”
Key 4: “Start Now”
Key 5: “Find Great Mentors”
Key 6: “’Can’t’ is a Four-Letter Word”
Key 7: “Be Accountable”
Key 8: “Major in the Majors”
Key 9: “Understand Accounting and Finance”
Key 10: “Grow Your Sales Skills”
_________________________________________________________________________

Read past articles in Greg’s Million Dollar Mindset at Promo Marketing Magazine online.

AboutGreg Muzzillo, Founder of Proforma

Greg Muzzillo started Proforma as an industry distributor in 1978. The company grew quickly and in the early 1980s Proforma was recognized for three consecutive years on Inc. magazine’s list of the 500 fastest growing companies in North America. In the late 1980’s Proforma introduced its membership program to enable distributors to retain their business ownership and independence, and to share in sales and marketing resources, purchasing power with industry suppliers, one back office including all billing, accounting, vendor payments, cash flow, computer systems and more. Today Proforma has more than 750 members with over $500 million in sales. Proforma has over 100 members in its Million Dollar Club and more than 40 members in its Multi-Million Dollar Club (With sales ranging from $2 million to over $26 million). In 2014, eight Proforma members were named to Inc. magazine’s Inc. 5000 List of the 5000 Fastest Growing Companies.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *