This realization finally came to me several years ago as a business partner, Ron Porter, and I were writing a book titled Bootstrap Business: A Step-by-Step Business Survival Guide. As we wrote this book, we decided to start a business in order to test, prove, and illustrate for our readers the principles we were writing about. As I had done with several other successful startups, we each anteed up $2,500 for a staggering total of $5,000 in capital. That was it. We could have brought more money to the table, but we were out to prove that we could bootstrap a business with limited financial capital and turn it into at least a million-dollar asset.
With no idea of what this business was going to be, but with our working capital in place, the first thing that we did was assess our resources. We had $5,000 in cash, several contacts in New York, some solid business and technology experience, and combined expertise in web development. We then ran what we called the “Porter Model” on various possibilities we had identified, ultimately deciding to create an online entrepreneurs’ social network.
We started down our chosen path by developing and then revising the website, www.bootstrapbusiness.org. But we very quickly realized that it would take a lot more money than $5,000 to reach our goal. So we immediately detoured and accepted some search engine optimization (SEO) consulting engagements with several large east coast corporations. Why? We had to chase cash.
As soon as we were turning a profit with our consulting, we veered in the other direction by hiring software engineers to do contract labor for several of our new clients. In doing so, we were adding resources to our business. And, serendipitously, we now had at our disposal developers who could work on our original website as well.
We then made another course change and started doing web link building. This is how we were able to start scaling our business as we created several supportive viral websites.
Before we went to press with Bootstrap Business, we were able to claim victory with the company we had named CastleWave. This little test case that we started with $5,000 cash ended up being profitable every single month. It grew to become a multi-million dollar business, it won many awards in the community, and we sold it to a publicly traded company.
Midway through the development of CastleWave, Ron and I were sitting at our whiteboard, plotting the paths we were taking toward our target. Originally, in keeping with the mindset I came out of business school with, we had outlined our starting point and our end goal. It was essentially a straight line. Somewhere along that line, however, we realized we needed a million to a million and a half dollars to hit our goal. Seeing that our original course was just not possible, we started drawing a sequential series of steps that needed to occur.
As we stepped back, we realized there was a big “Z” on the board. More specifically, there were three distinct targets we needed to hit in order to meet our first series of goals. First, we had to get to cash. Second, we had to add resources. And, third, we needed to scale our business. Each of these steps required an entirely different mindset from the step before.
Even after having been subjected to Vish’s scolding years before, this was my moment of full clarity, as I realized that—just like skiing down a ski slope—getting to our goals requires a deliberate set of zigzags. This was the moment when the ZigZag Principle was formally defined.
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While working in corporate America after graduating from business school, I experienced some significant successes (Vish’s periodic rants notwithstanding). And, since striking out on my own, I have founded or co-founded thirty-two businesses. Of these ventures, eleven have been ugly failures, eight have enjoyed moderate success, two are in progress, and eleven have become multi-million dollar wins. And yet, even after Vish’s object lesson, it took me a long time to be willing to pause at the bottom of the mountain, look back up to the top, and see the epiphany that had been eluding me. When I was finally willing to take the time to look back, I saw that my most significant accomplishments—whether working for someone else or for myself—did not come when I had charged directly toward my goal. Rather, they came when I had zigged and zagged my way to success.
I realized that the diversions and detours I had often found so frustrating had actually created more stable and solid businesses and outcomes. On the other hand—and without exception—each time I raced directly at a target with high velocity I failed.
When I graduated some twenty years ago with my MBA, my mindset was the exact opposite of what I shared with my son that day. I was certain the way to excel in business and in life was by sheer determination. I truly believed that my success would come by setting my sights on a goal and then going straight for it. With that as my strategy, I plowed toward my goals no matter what was in my way. In fact, I plowed through things that had no business being plowed through.
I clearly remember the person who first challenged me on my approach. His name was Vish. Vish was always railing on me. He was a brutal boss, and he took every occasion to tell me what I was doing was wrong. He could drive me, a grown businessman, to tears.
One day, Vish came into my office and said, “Rich, let me show you what your problem is!” (This was how many of my conversations with Vish started, but this time our exchange was eye-opening.) He walked over to my door and deliberately locked and then unlocked it. When it was unlocked, he swung it open and said, “This is a door that actually opens. You do not always have to try to bust the door down. All you have to do is unlock it and then turn the doorknob.”
As I thought about what he was saying, I realized how many times I had chosen not to use the doorknob in my career and in other parts of my life. I just tried to plow through whatever door was between me and my goal—locked or unlocked. In so doing, I was living contrary to a law of nature. Nature did not intend for me to walk through closed doors anymore than it expected my son to point his skis straight downhill and go.
Dear Friends, Colleagues, and Dedicated Followers:
I still can’t believe that an esteemed publisher like McGraw Hill is publishing my book!
However, Saturday I officially pre-launched the book before a crowd of 200+ serious entrepreneurs, business owners, and colleagues who embraced the principle and even pre-ordered the book. (Check out the pictures and other highlights from the event on my Rich Christiansen Facebook page.) Now the whirlwind officially begins.
I’m so excited about Zig Zag Principle, and I believe in this concept so strongly, that I want to share Zig Zag Principle with everyone. Today that’s most easily done via blog. So yes, I’m posting the book, in its entirety, on my blog. Every few days I’ll post a bit so you can read along and come to understand fundamentally what I’m passionate about. It starts today–read the intro of the book below.
Zig Zag Principle is the best I have to offer. I hope you enjoy reading the book, as much as I delighted in writing it.
Enjoy,
Rich
Deliberate Detours
Not long ago, I took my fourteen-year-old son skiing for only his third time. In getting off the lift, we accidentally took a wrong turn and ended up with nowhere to go but down a difficult black diamond run. As we stood at the top of this cliff, this inexperienced skiier looked down in shear horror and exclaimed: “I am going to die!”
In an attempt to calm his understandable fears, I explained that he didn’t need to head straight down the mountainside, that even an expert skiier would survey the drop and decide to zigzag down the steep slope. I instructed him not to look at the bottom of the run, but to focus on skiing to a point across the hill and, once there, to turn and ski back across the slope to another pre-selected point.
As a concerned father, I knew my son’s chances of getting to the bottom without breaking his leg or neck were far greater with this approach than if he just barreled straight down the mountain. No question, it took us a while to make our way down, but as he stood at the bottom of the run and looked back up to where he started, he realized the full import of what he had accomplished—and the lesson he had learned.
Let me introduce you to Tenzing Norbu Sherpa. He represents true joy in life.
Tenzing hails from the mountains of Nepal, specifically from a tiny village called Khumjung at about 14,000 feet in elevation. The way Tenzing is living his life illustrates a perfect example of zigzagging. He grew up in the Himalayas, went to school in Kathmandu, and has set some crazy-big goals in life.
I want everyone to know how proud I am of Tenzing for the hard work he’s putting forth. This story is a beautiful example of determination. As most of you know my life’s passion right now is helping to educate young men and young women throughout the world.
Take a moment to watch my interview with Tenzing. You’ll find inspiration by listening to one young man share his hopes, dreams, and goals for bettering the world. Know that he’s committed to these goals. He states each one with resolve. He’s focused on helping to change the world. I believe Tenzing will indeed make the world a better place.
I encourage each of you to look for opportunities to support, help, and encourage the “Tenzings” of the world—the people who will have real, significant impact. Watch this young man, he’s going to change the world!
I’ve never been a fan of beating around the bush, and I don’t like multitasking. So let me say it like it is folks–multitasking is stupid and it doesn’t work!
Perhaps that sounds a little more Napoleon Dynamite, and a little less, seasoned entrepreneur than you’d expect, right? But this was a hard lesson that was learned by a group of young men I affectionately refer to as the “Linker Boys”. I love mentoring this group of brilliant kids. Sometimes it’s a bit heartbreaking to watch them learn a hard lesson. But this time, I’m confident they will never forget that…multitasking is stupid and it doesn’t work.
Last week I was asked to speak at a conference as one of the speakers. When we got there and throughout the entire day, something felt really awkward to me.
The height of the awkwardness came when an internationally renowned speaker took the stage and gave a perfectly polished and smooth speech that energized the entire audience. While listening to his message I kept thinking—“Something doesn’t feel right.”
He then asked us to do an exercise where we drew a “T” on a piece of paper. On the left side we listed all the mundane things that we are just going through the motions to accomplish—things like balancing the books, doing the dishes, feeding the dog, and any other mundane tasks we face. Then for the right side he asked, “What is the ultimate thing in your life that you want to do? What is the ultimate thing that needs to be done in the next year? Write that on the right side.”
He then got the crowd ecstatic when he said, “What you have to do is ignore all the things on the left side. Stop doing them. Find a way to get someone else to do them. Hire someone else to do them. Only do the one thing on the right.”
The emotion went wild. It felt very awkward for me. You see, I believe in setting big goals—big hairy, crazy goals. But you know what? If we only do that, we lose the most important things in our life. We have to divert around obstacles, we can’t race directly toward our goals or else we lose the most important things and miss the ultimate goal anyway.
Look at the scenario this speaker was talking about. If you have young children, for example, try not helping your spouse change the diapers. Don’t do any of the dishes. Ignore the finances in your business. Remember you don’t want to do these mundane tasks—you just want to chase that big crazy dream.
If you do this what will happen? The result will be that you are going to fail. Most of the time we just can’t afford not to do the mundane things. That is why so many small businesses fail. If you sprint directly to that big, ultimate goal then a lot of times you just end up failing.
I am a dreamer. I am a believer. We all have to be dreamers and believers. We have to set those big hairy crazy goals. But I am here to tell you that we get to the destination most effectively when we zig zag to the goal. We add meaningful rewards for achievements. We work hard. We divert around the obstacles when we can. And yes, we sometimes do things we don’t want to do, including changing diapers and other seemingly mundane tasks.
God’s plan for us is bigger than our plan. If we set the goal out there, the universe will indeed give us the opportunities. It will take hard work and it will often involve zig zagging and diverting to that goal. Go forward! Set the big goal and zig zag your way to success.
Several weeks ago a friend and I went to the Master’s Golf Tournament in Augusta Georgia. Of course this is such an amazing experience no one wants to leave the course, so by noon and after lunch we were both doing a little rain dance. We had to go to the restroom.
Ellis Taylor and I made our way to the restroom at the middle of the course, and much to our dismay found a line. Not just any line, but a HUGE line! We’re talking a line that is probably 500 people.
I though “oh, my heavens, this is going to take an hour.” The person in front of me saw my concern and said, “don’t worry about the line, it goes super fast and you are going to enjoy this experience.” I took a step back from the guy thinking, “this guy is a nut job, who enjoys waiting in line for a restroom.”
I got lost in conversation with Ellis and could not believe it when, five minutes later we were at the front of the line. I was absolutely shocked by what I saw. As we entered the restroom, here’s this super high spirited, hyper-charged guy with a hat and funny hair poking out dancing and yelling, “come on in, this way, this way.” He scurried us in pointing and directing to the back until we were literally jumping along. As we got to the back there is another crazy dancer with the voice of either a boxing announcer or an auctioneer, yelling and pointing to the various urinals as patrons approached. “Two in the back. Two in the corner.” Jumping up and down he yells, “zipper on the wall, zipper on the wall.” Then to the next group prancing around he yells as if he just won the lottery, “full house and two on the side,” pointing at the urinals. We were so excited by his “zipper on the wall” and “full house” we were just hippity-hopping, hippity-hopping right along.
I almost felt like I was at a circus and these guys were peddling peanuts and popcorn and cotton candy. It was downright engaging to the point that everyone did their business under direction of these auctioneers very quickly. As quickly as we were done a 3rd guy shooed us out in a fun kind of way.
As I got through that I was feeling all happy inside. “Wow, that was really pretty cool,” I said to Ellis. And then I thought, “wait a minute. What is sexy about going to the restroom?” Then it hit me . . . if your business or what you are offering does not have a lot of curb appeal—even if it is boring — if you get crazy excited about it and sell it strong people are still going to buy into it just out of the raw energy.
That’s what those kids at the Master’s were doing. They were using fancy words and saying, “zipper on the wall, in the corner, full house in the back, three on the side and two in the corner,” and they were literally making up words and having a blast with it. They sold it so strong that everyone was hopping right along.
Moral of the story: What ever you are doing in your business, sell it strong!
Dear Friends and Associates,
As many of you know, this past year I was approached by McGraw Hill (one of the top business book publishers in the world) regarding writing the follow-on book to Bootstrap Business. I am so excited today to announce that the manuscript for The Zig Zag Principle is complete and being submitted this week. The book is scheduled to hit the book stores in September 2011. I am indeed very excited about this, but at the same time very nervous. Never in my life did I dream that I would have this opportunity. I have never considered myself an author or a speaker, yet the message is so important I feel compelled to present it. Indeed this is the best that I have to offer. I believe that the information in this book will change your life and the way you live it.
Below is a short 2 minute video from me sharing a personal message and details of Zig Zag. I hope you enjoy it.
I am boldly attempting to make this book a best seller and part of that does require that I aggressively promote and get pre-orders for the book. Although a bit uncomfortable for me, I believe in this so strongly and I am so vested that I would like to invite and encourage you to pre-order the book. If you do this, I will deliver you so much value it is a no-brainer for you. If you pre-order the book, here are four things I would like to offer you:
1) Because I will be publishing parts of the book through my blog, I would welcome any feedback you may have. For any of you that sign up for my blog, I will send you a PDF of the introduction and Chapter 1 of Zig Zag Principle. As well as an electronic copy of the last book that Ron Porter and I wrote titled Bootstrap Business.
2) Send you a personal, signed copy of Zig Zag Principle when it is released in September. The cost for the book is $19.95 + shipping and handling
3) My good friend Garrett B. Gunderson, a New York Times Best Selling author, has been very generous in my support and will provide 2 FREE tickets to Freedom FastTrack Financial Enlightenment on May 13-14th in SLC. This will be where we are formally pre-launching the book. This will be an intense, fun and enlightening seminar on life and wealth strategies. This is a $500 value.
4) If you cannot make the event, pre-order Zig Zag Principle and Garrett will provide his wealth strategies system 7 Steps to Cash Recovery also for free.
Thank you again. I acknowledge that without you my trusted network and strong supporters of Bootstrap Business, this never would have been possible. I sincerely look forward to our next interaction and providing you weekly updates on the Zig Zag Newsletter.
Best Regards,
Rich Christiansen
PS Any corporations that have interest in Zig Zag Principle please contact me directly and we will arrange a special offer for you.
Last week I opened the Kimono and expressed nervous excitement regarding the launch of The Zig Zag Principle. In the coming weeks, in addition to my weekly insights, you will begin receiving short extracts of the book. We are indeed going to provide this to you for free.
What I am going to share with you in Zig Zag will:
1. Increase the probability of success in whatever you are attempting to achieve
2. Take the high pressure levels out of your goal setting which will make your life more enjoyable
3. Give perspective and balance to how you approach goals and objectives
You are going to love love love this concept. I promise it will change the way you look at life and also how you look at business.
If you know anyone who is struggling to find success and balance in their life, I would encourage you to invite them to join this newsletter.
If you missed the announcement last week, anyone who pre-orders the book will get 2 free tickets to Freedom Fast Track’s financial enlightenment event on May 13th and 14th. This is a $495 value that Garrett is providing for FREE for those who support me by pre-ordering the book. (Once you order the book you will recieve the special code. This forum is where we will formally launch the book. In addition to this event you will also receive a free electronic copy of Bootstrap Business and the first two chapters of Zig Zag when you pre-order the book.
As part of this post, you will see a brief interview with Garrett regarding the event. I strongly encourage you to take advantage of this opportunity.
At this conference you will be introduced to The Zig Zag Principle as well as the incredible financial insights of Garrett Gunderson, the author of the New York Times best selling book “Killing Sacred Cows.” You will also see a presentation from Michael Drew on the Pendulum. Michael’s insights are life changing material. You will also hear from Leslie Householder who is the award-winning, best selling author of “The Jackrabbit Factor” as well as Glenn Morshower, Actor & Motivational Speaker and Kristi Frank – Season #1 of NBC’s “The Apprentice”
If you have not pre-ordered the book, I invite you to do so and come and enjoy this great event for Free. You can pre-order Zig Zag Principle by clicking this link.
I am super excited to share with you and look forward to personally visiting with you at the event.
