10 Rules You Need to Break in Business to be Successful

"Rules are made to be broken." It's a famous quote from the movie Scarface, and after being an entrepreneur for more than two decades, I've come to believe it couldn't be more accurate. Imagine for one second if Steve Jobs never had any rules about what he should or shouldn't do, Apple would have never been born. The same could be said for Bill Gates with Microsoft, Richard Branson with Virgin Airlines, and even Walt Disney when he started his empire. These are not just business success stories; they're inspirational tales of how these people found their way in life by doing things differently than everyone else.

So you want to start your own business? That's great! You're about to embark on a life-changing journey that will undoubtedly shape the way you think, see and experience everything. But before you get started, there are some rules (or should I say "beliefs") that you need to break to succeed.

Just because something's been done one way for years or even decades doesn't mean you have to do it the same way. The next time someone says "you can't," challenge them and think of a better idea than what they just proposed. They'll be so surprised at your creativity that they might change their mind and let you do it anyway.

Breaking rules is all about doing things differently.

In business, you will face obstacles and challenges designed to stop you from succeeding. It's a rule of thumb in life: the bigger your dreams get, the more people who want to see you fail. So don't give up on yourself just because something didn't work out right this time. If you can't break one rule, then break two instead (but not all of them - just the ones that are getting in your way).

After more than 20 years in business, here are 10 rules I've had to learn to break to up-level, breakthrough, and achieve lasting success:

• Rule 1: Follow the rules.
  No, there is no rule book; that's the thing! It's all up to you. You can do whatever you want in your business (it's yours) and still be wildly successful. It's great to have a few rules to get you started, but once you get the hang of them, use your creativity to play with them, bend or even break them.

• Rule 2: Choose a strategy and stick with it.
  No, strategies are great, but choosing the wrong one can lead straight to bankruptcy and failure in business. You're always one choice away from an entirely new business. Remember that, especially when things get tough. It's not because you decided on a strategy that you have to stick with. Examining, assessing, and pivoting to a better approach is an essential quality to be successful in business.

• Rule 3: The customer is always right.
  No, this couldn't be further from the truth. The customer is usually wrong. It's your job to figure out what they need, not what they want, which are two very different things. Also, the time is gone that customers could treat you like sh*t just because they spent some money on your business. Money doesn't buy your customer a wildcard to be an asshole; it only buys them your products or services.

• Rule 4: Hire for knowledge.
  No, this is not a great rule because people can always learn new things, but you can't change someone's (shitty) character or mindset. Don't hire for knowledge; hire for attitude, value system, and how someone stands in the world. Hiring for attitude will benefit you, your company, and your team in the long run.

• Rule 5: Protect your ideas.
  No, if you never speak about your ideas to anyone, you'll never know if they'll work or get support to work them out. I believe the more you talk about your ideas, the more they're shaped and the easier it becomes to turn them into a business or project. Also, do you realize how hard it is to turn an idea into a business? This quote says that "5% is inspiration and 95% is perspiration". Remember this next time you're questioning whether or not to share what you've been thinking about starting. Of course, if you need to, have them sign an NDA first. But do share.

• Rule 6: You need a business degree.
  No, as a multi-passionate creative, you have everything you need inside of yourself already, so let's get started! An MBA or business degree might kill your creativity and make you less innovative. There are so many great books, courses, and even YouTube mentors around these days. Everything you need to know to become a successful entrepreneur is just a mouse click away. Don't spend your precious money (that you could invest in your idea) and years of your life stuck in a classroom before starting. You go out there and do it.

• Rule 7: Always ask yourself: "What would a successful business person do?"
  Again, no, clearly, this is a rule that needs breaking. Don't ask yourself what someone else with an entirely different business would do. Instead, always ask yourself: "What would a rebel do?" What would someone do that breaks the rules and does business their way? That is the right question to ask - and act upon. Also, I wrote a book for multi-passionate creatives where I talk more about how to be a rebel. You can preorder the Dutch copy here.

• Rule 8: Don't follow your heart; follow the plan.
  This is a tricky one. There may be many reasons not to follow your heart or speak up about what you're doing, but you should still do it. Your heart knows what is good for you. At the same time, I'm sorry to break it to you; you need a plan. Without one, you're navigating blind on your entrepreneurial journey. Never a good idea.

• Rule 9: There's a right way to do business and a wrong way.
  No, there's no right and wrong way of doing things anymore. Of course, there are good decisions and bad ones, like good ideas and not-so-great ones. But there isn't "the only way" of doing things. As you've seen from the rules we broke above, you can (and should) do business in your way and be the rebel.

• Rule 10: There are no rules in business.
  After everything I shared with you above, I want to debunk this rule. Indeed, there aren't that many rules in business, but you shouldn't take that as a wild pass to do whatever it takes to win. Yes, you'll never be able to achieve greatness if you're not willing to break some rules, but never forget that you're in business to serve people, have a great life and hopefully make the world around you a little bit better too.

Breaking rules is a habit for success, so allow yourself to be creative and free-thinking with every step you take. Just because it's been done before doesn't mean you have to do it the same way, so break those rules and be a rebel! Follow your path, and don't let anyone tell you what to do.

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Ambitious and creative? Entrepreneurship might be a good fit for you.

Admit it, you’re a passionate, life long learner person. You’re thorough, and a bit of a perfectionist at times. Now, what does that have to do with entrepreneurship?

You’re open to new experiences and you’re never bored learning something new. You’re conscientious too. After all, you want to read and review a report or email at least three times before sending (guilty :)), help others on different teams when you already have four projects on the go, or clean every nook in the house and run 5 errands in one day before calling it quits. You’re ambitious and creative.

But these qualities can work for you or against you. If you feel like you’re hitting a dead end where you are in your life and career right now, here’s something to ponder…

From my coaching experience, more often than not, my clients have a hidden itch and talent for entrepreneurship – actually most of them eventually follow that path. They work with me and uncover what their deepest dreams and goals are. Let’s see if that’s what you want to do also…

1. Was that child curiously leader-driven?

Revisit your younger self, when you were your most passionate and imaginative. What were you doing in unrestrained happiness? Check out the photo albums and speak with family and friends. Was that child hustling and trying to sell things to unsuspecting family members? (Guilty) Was that child in charge, curious and a little, okay, quite bossy? (Yep, that too!) Did you have a stronger feeling of wanting to problem solve or fix everything when you were younger? 

2. Do you have an idea?

You probably have an endless supply of ideas and hundreds of notes in your phone. (Hello multi-passionate mind!) Things you quash or forget easily because, well, you’re busy! Go back and review those notes. Go back to certain years in your life when you had an aha! moment. Go back to those conferences, events or people you learned from that left you in awe. What ideas are you brewing now?

3. What does your dream life look like?

You might keep a journal, a mood board, or a vision board on Pinterest of all you want to do in your life. If you have none of those, now’s the time to do so. Grab some magazines, or just put on your favorite playlist and meditate. Centre yourself on what you’ve been thinking about. 

If money and resources were not an issue, what would you do?

4. Who inspires you?

When getting to know your entrepreneurial spirit, listening is more important than speaking. Listen to yourself and to others. If you’re networking, pause and get to know everyone, and find out from the people around you, what entrepreneurship is like and what their favorite part is. Hey, maybe you’ll end up with a mentor! What entrepreneurs are you instantly feeling connected with? Are their success stories inspiring you to start your own thing?

5. What’s holding you back?

When was the last time you faced uncertainty, but you were in control? That’s kind of like considering being your own boss. You learn the skills as you go, yes (hello, Google), but you also have to get inspired by your inner child, ideas, dreams and professional desires. What types of problems or issues get your juices flowing? Is it fashion, accessories, education, injustice, animals, housing affordability – what’s a problem you face that you would love to fix?

Many preliminary and seemingly impossible daydreams have lead to a lot of creative – and successful businesses today.

Answering these questions got you excited, and inspired to start your own project but you feel stuck where you are, and not quite ready to take a leap (even to start with a little side hustle)? Self-doubt and fear might be holding you back from expressing your true entrepreneurial nature. As will the “stuff” you carry (we all do) that you keep pushing in front of you.

Reflect and review the activities above and get back to me to tell me all about what came up for you in your free coaching session.

It’s never too late to step into the entrepreneurial life.

Admitting you’re bored or uninspired is the first step! Get off the couch after work (and on the weekends), change out of your PJs and start getting inspired. If you journal and seize the moments outlined above you will soon uncover if entrepreneurship is for you and how. I promise!