Upping Your Hustle Game.

…And yes, upping is a real word. A verb to be specific. Just to be clear! Lol.

Now that that’s been cleared up, let me tell you what I was doing over the weekend.

Buying books.

Yup! Hard cover, crispy, new smelling books. Made of paper. The real stuff.

I have never been a fervent reader. I wont lie. I read a few Mills and Boons books back in thigh school, just to fit in… A Nancy Drew here and there, a Hardy Boys book, again, so I could be one of the boys… but that was mostly it. I guess a book has been associated with exams and cramming over my 8-4-4 years, that just the thought of reading turns me off. I bet I’m not the only one here. Even if it’s a good book, I’d rather watch the movie. But that is the old me. I am turning over a new leaf. So back to what I was saying…

How then can we up our game when it comes to our hustle?

1. Ask for feedback.

We normally get scared to ask this because we don’t want our clients to tell us anything negative. However it is through the feedback- both positive and negative- that we are able to improve and have confidence in what we are doing, that it actually works!

This week, I have purposed to seek feedback from my clients. Let’s do it together! Regardless of how “big” or “small” your hustle is.

2. Read.

Remember the books I told you I bought this passed weekend? They are to help me up my hustle game. Books on how to communicate better, on being a better manager, getting the most out of your hustle… these books come in handy. Also look at the newspapers. What has been written about your sector? Are there any imminent changes? These changes will affect your hustle one way or the other and you need to be prepared for them.

3. Ask Around.

There comes a time we feel we know so much about our hustle because we live, eat, sleep it. That cultivates a know-it-all attitude which gets us to a comfortable zone and that my friend is very dangerous. I have been doing radio for 9 years now and just when I think I know so much, I learn something new. This challenges me to always be on my toes.

So ask around! What are others doing in the same field that is helping them prosper? How can you implement something similar to up your hustle game?

4. Online research.

Google is our friend. I keep saying this. There is a lot we can research on online about our different hustles from here in Kenya and even internationally. From there, it’s just to implement what works for us! So let’s use that key to up our hustle game. It’s free!

5. Conferences.

I get invited to entrepreneur conferences from time to time and though I do not attend all, (would love to but cant 🙁 ) I have cultivated a behavior to be on the look out for them and attend some.

Hearing the mistakes other hustlers have made helps you avoid them all together. Not only that, those conferences are an ideal opportunity for you to be motivated and network; and we all know that determines our net worth.

That concludes my tips for today on how to up our hustle game. Don’t feel the need to apply all of them right away, you’ll only feel overwhelmed. Start off small, no pressure!

           What good entrepreneurship books have you read? Don’t be shy, comment below. 

Love. Live. Learn.

Mwalimu Rachel.