The Magic of an Easy Ask

Learning this simple - no - easy lesson took me fifty years.

An easy ask, more often than not, produces an easy yes. I know it's obvious, but it needs to be said. What does an easy ask have to do with entrepreneurship?

The short answer is everything.

Lend a hand.

We all need help occasionally, and starting a business is no exception. We all bring fears along with us, and these fears often impede our progress.

Think of our fears as blockers to our breakthroughs. These fears can be oppressive and come in many forms, but several are consistent for many of us.

Of course, we can learn all the skills necessary to succeed independently, but in many cases, asking for help is far faster and much more effective.

Again, let's focus on the easy ask versus the problematic ask. What's the difference?

My past business inquiries were complex, and they needed to be revised.

• I would ask for funding.

• I would ask for someone to buy my enterprise products. As a side note, they could have been better, which makes this a giant ask.

• I would ask for time. I once asked a very successful business owner if we would be willing to serve as mentors for x hours per month, and he immediately ran for the exits.

• I would ask for a partnership that required a heavy lift.

I would ask and hear a no or muttering that sounded like maybe and was not a yes.

The point is that these big and complex asks were challenging to say yes to. Still worse, I thought the chase for the elusive yes was routine.

It's not normal.

I've made it my business here at the Map is Not Me to have only easy asks, and to date, I am still waiting to hear an outright no. The rest were happy to say yes or provide an alternative solution. Amazing.

Ok, let's get specific.

What kind of questions am I talking about here?

• Ask a subject matter expert for advice on a social commenting strategy. I asked Alex Boyd, the founder of Aware (a tool specifically designed to tackle this problem), and was blown away by his generosity of time and knowledge. I am also a loyal user, making my LinkedIn game much more efficient and effective. Click here to sign up if you're interested in it.

• Sit with old friends to review ideas and test. Put yourself out there. I am so surprised by the support I have received for this project and from so many. I had not spoken to some in years and just met some. In all cases, I am a better business person for their support and knowledge.

• Talk to new friends with similar interests and build a rapport based on mutual respect and collaboration. I am beginning to lose count of all the new friends and colleagues who inspire me daily and up my game as a business person.

• Send a message to someone you respect and ask for a simple partnership model that makes sense for both parties and is not a time commitment. I reached out to one of the larger Generative AI companies for an idea to help experienced workers comfortably learn emerging technology in a conversational and relatable way. Guess what? They said yes.

I’m still processing this latest easy yes, but it’s very big deal for anyone interested in learning new skills in a safe space with support to ensure you reach your goals.

More will follow soon. It's very cool and exciting, though. Please send me an email to signup for the Prelaunch. Send me an email and just add ‘Prelaunch’ to the subject line.

There are so many more easy asks, but you get the idea. Your business cannot thrive in your head and likely cannot survive. I suspect many of those 50% of business closures in the first years result from living in one's head, not progressing enough, and then falling into the trap of the problematic ask.

Let's do this differently. Take your ideas out and into the open with friends, colleagues, and peers. Take a chance and have your first easy ask. The first easy yes will prompt the second easy ask, which has compounding effects and will help launch your business and grow it long into the future.

Feel free to schedule time with me for that first easy ask. I can't promise I have the answer, but I promise I will help figure it out with you until we find it. Book time with me here. I know I don't need to say it, but I will. I don't charge for this. We're building a community of people charging ahead toward the same place, and I am happy to be by your side.

Until next time,

Todd

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