In a world where success stories often seem like overnight sensations, it’s refreshing to hear the journey of someone who has truly embraced perseverance and resilience. From a blue-collar background to founding a social media platform and later a B2B software company, Scott Kaplan‘s experiences offer valuable insights into personal development, entrepreneurship, and the transformative power of sports. Perseverance and finding joy in one’s work emerge as recurring themes throughout Kaplan’s discussions.

Related: Try This Breathwork Technique to Unlock New Ways of Problem-Solving

He emphasizes the importance of pushing through challenges and setbacks, never losing sight of the ultimate goal. Kaplan’s journey serves as a reminder that success rarely comes without hard work and dedication. By embracing perseverance, individuals can overcome obstacles and achieve their dreams. Time management, self-reflection, and aligning actions with personal values are also key factors in Kaplan’s path to success. He stresses the significance of managing time effectively, prioritizing tasks, and staying focused on the bigger picture.

“I don’t know what a snooze button is,” Kaplan told Jeff on this episode. “Once my brain starts getting going in the morning, it’s like, ‘Let’s go!'”

Kaplan encourages listeners to engage in regular self-reflection, allowing them to assess their progress, identify areas for improvement, and make necessary adjustments. By aligning actions with personal values, individuals can ensure that their work is fulfilling and meaningful. Adaptability and innovation are crucial in the ever-evolving world of business, as Kaplan’s journey exemplifies. From transitioning from radio to founding a social media platform and later a B2B software company, Kaplan demonstrates the importance of embracing change and staying ahead of the curve. By being open to new ideas, technologies, and market trends, entrepreneurs can seize opportunities and drive business growth.

About The Jeff Fenster Show

Serial entrepreneur Jeff Fenster embarks on an extraordinary journey every week, delving into the stories of exceptional individuals who have defied the norms and blazed their own trails to achieve extraordinary success.

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Related: Use This Simple Strategy to Push Through Limitations in Your Life

Hemingway famously wrote that the best way to determine if someone is trustworthy is simply to trust them. In most businesses, particularly in tech, trust has historically been hedged on two main factors: security and compliance. I believe this approach (much like Hemingway’s advice) is not only outdated but also costs companies millions every year.

As a chief trust officer, I’ve worked with dozens of companies in retail, software and even biotech, helping to turn their trustworthiness into a product they can take to market. This approach has led to faster sales and higher customer satisfaction, but it requires an entirely new way of thinking — and operating. And the reality is that most businesses are thinking about trust in the wrong way: It’s not about accumulating checkmarks on an IT or compliance list — it’s about enabling, defending and creating real business value.

At a time when technological, sociological and even geopolitical forces are pushing us to reevaluate authenticity and how to foster trust in a world full of misinformation and deep fakes – I’ve been thinking about this challenge a lot.

Simply put, if trust in your company or product is required to make a sale, you can and must turn it into an intentional product based on evidence of how you run your business. Here’s how to transform trust into a go-to-market product with significant ROI (and why it has never been more important):

Trust is taking a beating

Cyber attacks, data breaches and online fraud have exponentially increased in recent years, but it’s not just cybersecurity that’s causing trust issues. Edelman’s 2024 trust barometer revealed more than two-thirds of respondents believe business leaders are purposely trying to mislead people.

Companies like Meta and Boeing have famously made headlines for devastating customer trust issues in recent years. In the software sector, I’ve seen firsthand how the downstream effects of declining trust can negatively impact companies, whether through costly audits and compliance checks or by chipping away at their long-term valuation.

Whatever your business, thinking about trust as a product can be an invaluable way to streamline sales, boost revenue and support core business metrics. And trust really does matter in the grand scheme of your company’s success: trusted companies have been shown to outperform their peers by 400%.

Building a new trust framework

For most companies, trustworthiness will be scrutinized most during the sales process. But I believe businesses need to start thinking and talking about trust well before they get to this stage. The reality is, that trust has to be a core part of how you run your business, and customers care about that more than you think.

The best place to start is by understanding exactly what your customer needs — and then finding ways to ensure those needs are being served by your organizational practices and operations. Here’s the trust framework I use:

1. Productize your process

Customers care about how your product is made – and they want to hear about how you deal with problems just as much as how you’ll help them succeed (this is especially true in software, where prospective buyers require evidence of safe processes and trustworthy, predictable behavior to give the green light on a purchase).

So how do you do this? Compile evidence of your trustworthiness into relevant trust stories that demonstrate to your customers why they can and should trust how you do what you do — whether it’s a view into your data storage practices, supply chain, or your approach to company governance. By getting ahead of the curve and proactively removing the possibility of trust friction, you can accelerate sales and value generation.

2. Set up a trust shop

While security and compliance traditionally belong to IT, a trust practice must be much more holistic — not to mention championed and adopted by a broad cross-section of company leaders. Every segment of your business — from operations to marketers to the C-suite – should be talking about your trust practices and telling your trust stories.

And, of course, adding a chief trust officer to your team will inevitably accelerate the investment in trust as a core value driver (not to mention demonstrate to others the importance you place on trust as an organization as a whole).

3. Map to C-suite metrics

As with any practice, you need to know whether your trust practice is working. So how do you measure it? Use the same metrics your CFO does, such as impact or influence on customer acquisition costs, churn and sales.

Be sure to align your trust practice to business value metrics that will get management buy-in. I’ve personally seen results that speak directly to executives, such as decreases in time to close deals, increased revenue, and fewer (if any) disruptive audits.

The bottom line: trustworthy companies and products command a premium in the market.

If trust plays a critical role in your business outcomes, then changing the way you think about it — and treating it as a product — can ultimately add tremendous value. But the best measure of success? For most businesses, it’s knowing that, at the end of the day, your customers want to work with you because your company is genuinely trustworthy. And that proof is in your trust product.

If you struggle with confidence and self-esteem, you’re not alone. Over the years, studies have shown that a majority of people — about 85 percent — struggle with self-confidence. Improving self-esteem can have significant long-term benefits. Gaining confidence is a difficult process, but you can seek help from experts or people with valuable life experiences to share. Self-help books have exploded in popularity over the past decade, many of which have the explicit goal of helping readers improve their self-esteem.

These 10 best-selling self-improvement books, spanning three decades, have helped readers take important strides and improve their well-being. Check them out — they might help you, too.

The Six Pillars of Self-Esteem: The Definitive Work on Self-Esteem by the Leading Pioneer in the Field – Nathaniel Branden (1994)

Image credit: Bantam | Entrepreneur

What We Love: This book about confidence is an oldie but goodie. In it, Nathaniel Branden — a pioneer in the self-esteem movement (and former romantic partner of Ayn Rand) — answers four questions: What is self-esteem? Why is it important? What can we do to raise our levels? And what role do others play in influencing our self-esteem? He also addresses six self-esteem cornerstones: the practices of living consciously, self-acceptance, self-responsibility, self-assertiveness, purposefulness and integrity. Branden outlines steps for success in each of these areas, and he cautions that the task of sustaining them falls on each individual.

What Readers Say: One reviewer writes: “As someone who is pretty self-aware but only just now dabbling into my deeper issues (self-esteem being my core struggle), I found this book to be supremely helpful. It offered me a ton of ‘Aha!’ moments on how I relate to myself and others. It puts into perspective that self-esteem isn’t the prize at the end of treatment or work — it’s the actual work you do.” Another says: “I’m a psychotherapist, and I have gotten a lot out of this book personally and have recommended it to a lot of my clients.”

Best Place to Buy: Currently listed at $13.95 on Amazon

The Gifts of Imperfection: Let Go of Who You Think You’re Supposed to Be and Embrace Who You Are – Brené Brown (2010)

Image credit: Hazelden Publishing | Entrepreneur

What We Love: There’s a reason why one of Brené Brown’s speeches ranks among the most popular TED Talks of all time. She’s a research professor and bestselling author, and this book offers guidance on living wholeheartedly, something Brown equates to living your life from a place of worthiness. Through the book’s 10 guideposts — with titles like “Cultivating Authenticity: Letting Go of What People Think” and “Cultivating Creativity: Letting Go of Comparison” — Brown teaches readers to view themselves as “enough,” let go of productivity as self-worth and move away from self-doubt and the need to feel constantly in control.

What Readers Say: One reviewer writes: “I initially avoided this book out of concern that it was one of many under-evidenced self-help titles. Changing my mind on reading this was undoubtedly one of the best decisions I have ever made, and I am a much better person for it … I think I can guarantee that something in this book will profoundly change you.” Another says: “The author talks a lot about how making a major change in your life isn’t something you wake up and do one day, it’s something you practice every single day. And most will struggle with it, but without the struggle, we lose out on so much. I will have far fewer regrets on my deathbed having read this book.”

Best Place to Buy: Currently listed at $5.49 on Amazon

The Happiness Project: Or, Why I Spent a Year Trying to Sing in the Morning, Clean My Closets, Fight Right, Read Aristotle, and Generally Have More Fun – Gretchen Rubin (2011)

Image credit: Harper Paperbacks | Entrepreneur

What We Love: Gretchen Rubin’s writing and analysis put her at the forefront of research on habits, human nature and happiness, and her works have been translated into more than 30 languages. This book, which topped the New York Times bestseller list, was sparked by a simple question she asked herself on a rainy afternoon on a city bus: What do I want from life, anyway? In this book, Rubin outlines her own resolutions for the year she spent working on her own “happiness project.” She focused on a different area each month, like vitality and boosting energy for January, which meant having goals like an earlier bedtime, better exercise and simply acting more energetically. Rubin’s angle here isn’t telling readers to do something — rather, it’s to share her own experience in hopes of inspiring readers to think differently about their own happiness.

What Readers Say: One reviewer writes: “The quirkiness of this 12-month plan for a focus on happiness distinguishes it from other self-help books. It allows for a plan that can be modified to fit any individual.” Another says: “A realistic, genuinely practical (but not easy), lifelong approach to making the constant adjustments we know we need to be our best selves.”

Best Place to Buy: Currently listed at $5.98 on Amazon

You Are a Badass – Jen Sincero (2013)

Image credit: Running Press Adult | Entrepreneur

What We Love: In the first paragraph of her book, Sincero writes, “What little I knew about the self-help/spiritual world I found to be unforgivably cheesy … At the same time, there was all this stuff about my life that I desperately wanted to change and, had I been able to bulldoze through my holier-than-thouism, I could have really used some help around here.” If this hits home, give You Are a Badass — written by a New York Times bestselling author and success coach — a try. In chapters with titles like “Love The One You Is” and “Your Brain Is Your Bitch,” Sincero dives into concepts like self-perception, spirituality, healthy views about money, meditation and purpose, all via accessible language and actionable how-tos.

What Readers Say: One reviewer writes: “Stop what you are doing and get this book … This was the last book I read in 2017. The timing of it was perfect, because it helped me to formulate my goals and resolutions for 2018. This book helped me come up with my theme for the year: ‘Love yourself.'” Another says: “Her writing style does not feel like a self-help book at all. It’s like having real-talk with a self-loving, educated girlfriend.”

Best Place to Buy: Currently listed at $8.89 on Amazon

The Confidence Code: The Science and Art of Self-Assurance — What Women Should Know – Katty Kay and Claire Shipman (2014)

Image credit: HarperBusiness | Entrepreneur

What We Love: In this book, broadcast journalists Katty Kay and Claire Shipman draw practical advice from their own life experiences, as well as those of other prominent women in media, business and politics. They combine these ideas with research in genetics, behavior, cognition and gender to arrive at self-esteem advice for women of all ages. “The newest research shows that we can literally change our brains in ways that affect our thoughts and behavior at any age,” the authors write. “A substantial part of the confidence code is … our choice. With diligent effort, we can all choose to expand our confidence. But we will get there only if we stop trying to be perfect and start being prepared to fail.”

What Readers Say: One reviewer writes: “I was expecting a touchy-feely book about how girls should have more confidence and drop everything to pursue their dreams, but I was incredibly pleasantly surprised at how scientific this book is.” Another says: “This book mentioned so many things that I used to do myself … I could see how I’m stacking the deck against myself without even knowing it. I read it before a salary negotiation, and as a result, I upped my initial asking number (and they gave it to me)!”

Best Place to Buy: Currently listed at $10.99 on Amazon

Year of Yes: How to Dance It Out, Stand in the Sun and Be Your Own Person – Shonda Rhimes (2015)

Image credit: Simon & Schuster | Entrepreneur

What We Love: Shonda Rhimes might have had three shows on television, but she didn’t have it all — especially when it came to confidence. Six words her sister said at a 2013 Thanksgiving dinner changed her life: “You never say yes to anything.” Rhimes realized she consistently said no to public appearances, interviews and events for one simple reason: fear. Self-esteem, unhappiness with weight and social anxiety all prompted her to decline invitations. And although it terrified her, she decided to change that in the hope that embracing new things would lead her closer to happiness. In this book, she chronicles the year she spent saying yes to every single thing that scared her — and inspires readers to do the same.

What Readers Say: One reviewer writes, “She’s funny. Like laughing-out-loud-in-public funny. Like people changing seats on the bus because you’re smiling and snickering to yourself funny. Like spitting up coffee and pastry on the Kindle screen funny … In addition to being funny, she’s pitch-perfect in her capacity to convey authenticity, vulnerability and confidence all within the same paragraph.” Another says: “I felt overwhelmed by my responsibilities: work, school, mom, wife, trying to be everything to everyone … By the end of the first chapter, I was ready to start saying yes to more things in life.”

Best Place to Buy: Currently listed at $10.42 on Amazon

Unfu*k Yourself: Get Out of Your Head and into Your Life – Gary John Bishop (2016)

Image credit: HarperOne | Entrepreneur

What We Love: If you’re stuck in your head when it comes to self-confidence — and you respond well to tough love — look no further than Gary John Bishop’s book. “Here’s what you’ve forgotten: You’re a fu*king miracle of a being,” he writes. The author also serves up a fresh wake-up call for those who believe they’re not in control of all aspects of their life, transparently reminding readers that other people and circumstances aren’t what’s standing in their way — it’s their own negative self-talk. In that vein, Bishop also provides strategies to boost self-esteem, as well as “assertions” for readers to repeat until they believe. For example, “I am not my thoughts; I am what I do.”

What Readers Say: One reviewer writes, “With the help of Gary’s words, I realize that I am my hero and, ultimately, this is really good news for me. I was so busy waiting for things to get better that I wasn’t in action about living a happy life … I feel like I am finally awake after an extended nap.” Another says: “One of the best books I’ve read. He doesn’t just talk about changing your life but he lays out clear steps to make it happen. Must read!”

Best Place to Buy: Currently listed at $14.99 on Amazon

The Mountain Is You: Transforming Self-Sabotage Into Self-Mastery – Brianna Wiest (2020)

What We Love: Brianna Wiest, the bestselling author and columnist, does not hold back. In The Mountain Is You, she makes it clear that becoming the best version of yourself requires sacrifice, including jettisoning the things that are holding you back. “Your new life is going to cost you your old one,” she writes. “It’s going to cost you your comfort zone and your sense of direction. It’s going to cost relationships and friends … The people who are meant for you are going to meet you on the other side.” She dives into the complexity of self-sabotage, why people do it and how hard it is to break out of one’s comfort zone. In doing so, she makes a compelling argument that people’s biggest obstacle is often themselves.

What Readers Say: One reviewer writes: “This book is a treasure trove of wisdom, offering profound insights and practical guidance to overcome self-destructive patterns and embrace personal development and growth.” Another says: “I read this book while I was in my first six months of a 12-step addiction program, getting out of a toxic relationship, changing jobs, coming to terms with my poor choices over 20 years. Now, I look back a year later and wonder how I ever survived. Briana’s writing is so beautiful. I tell my friends, ‘She gently gives you the hard truth,’ and that is what I needed.”

Best Place to Buy: Currently listed at $17.99 on Amazon

Do Hard Things: Why We Get Resilience Wrong and the Surprising Science of Real Toughness – Steve Magness (2022)

What We Love: With a background as an elite running coach and exercise scientist, Steve Magness has studied human performance — and the things that hold us back — for decades. While many of the lessons are derived from athletics, Magness offers guidance that can help anyone struggling with life’s obstacles, whether those emerge in a relationship, job, the battlefield or elsewhere. Magness offers four core pillars to resilience: “Ditch the Facade and Embrace Reality,” “Listen to Your Body,” “Respond Instead of React” and “Transcend Discomfort.” Readers will build confidence and learn to embrace resiliency by following those pillars.

What Readers Say: One reviewer writes: “I have read a lot of powerful books about mental toughness, and this was by far the best one I’ve read. His approach to mental toughness is different than most, yet it is logical and really makes sense. I liked the exercises given to help develop the mental skills described. Not only do the lessons apply to sports, but also to business and real life.” Another says: “It offers perspectives that can help coaches, parents, athletes, creatives or really anyone who strives. What I love most about it is that it reminds you of how much you actually love doing hard things … Magness doesn’t tell us why, but rather, he helps us understand why the process of doing hard things is more rewarding than having done them.”

Best Place to Buy: Currently listed at $15.99 on Amazon

Wherever You Go, There You Are: Mindfulness Meditation in Everyday Life, 30th Anniversary Edition – Jon Kabat-Zinn (2023)

What We Love: When it was originally published in 1994, Wherever You Go, There You Are served as a groundbreaking text for those interested in mindfulness. Author Jon Kabat-Zinn, who founded the Center for Mindfulness at the University of Massachusetts, offers a scientific understanding of how meditation can help people overcome stress and ultimately improve their awareness skills. “Mindfulness practice means that we commit fully in each moment to be present; inviting ourselves to interface with this moment in full awareness,” Kabat-Zinn writes. The new edition contains not only a new introduction but also updated research that Kabat-Zinn has collected over the past three decades.

What Readers Say: One reviewer writes: “I read this book back in the 1990s and just re-read it as my interest in learning about and practicing mindfulness has been high recently … It’s written from a mostly secular/scientific point of view, though Kabat-Zinn does reference the Buddhist roots of mindfulness.” Another says: “Kabat-Zinn speaks in a no-nonsense tone about mindfulness. In this book, he guides us to gain direct experience — taking baby steps at first, larger steps later — to gain a personal understanding of mindfulness.”

Best Place to Buy: Currently listed at $10.98 on Amazon.

Business travel is inherently risky because driving poses certain innate hazards. If you’re a business leader sending yourself, team members, or employees out on the road, the least you can do is equip them with the tools they need to operate as safely as possible and get out of a jam if they happen to run into one.

A great tool that’s designed to help fix flat tires, this HOTO Air Pump Pro Portable Air Compressor and Tire Inflator, is on sale for just $79.99 (reg. $119). Promised to be 85% faster than competitors, this four-preset air pump is made to be able to fill a tire in at most five minutes.

Running on a 12V pump motor, this fast-working pump features a powerful battery life that can charge as many as 15 under-inflated tires within a single charge. When you’re filling up, the pump also prevents you from overdoing things with its worry-free automatic stop that ceases operations when the proper inflation is met.

This fantastic tire pump can serve as a great safety tool for business travelers. It can also promote exercise and recreation when used to pump up sports balls and bike tires.

The versatility and quality of this small, compact device have added up to make it a hit amongst users and critics alike. It’s even earned a coveted nomination from MoMa Design.

Don’t forget that for a limited time only, this HOTO Air Pump Pro Portable Air Compressor and Tire Inflator is on sale for just $79.99 (reg. $119).

StackSocial prices subject to change.

Many entrepreneurs value being able to choose where and when they work. However, you must maintain maximum connectivity to optimize your remote workflow, and the 8-in-1 Tablet Docking Stand was designed to do exactly that. It’s on sale for just $54.99, which is lower than Amazon pricing.

This docking stand is compatible with laptops and tablets and has all the ports you need. With 5Gbps data transfer speeds, working remotely won’t slow you down. Plus, high-powered devices up to 100W can be fast-charged with a Power Delivery port. A regular SD and microSD slot also make storing and accessing your media on memory cards easy.

The stand has three USB 3.0 ports, so you can connect a variety of peripherals, including a mouse, keyboard, external hard drives, and more. You’ll also be able to expand your visuals by connecting to the stand’s HDMI port. There’s even a 3.5mm audio jack, so you can listen to your favorite music, podcasts, and audiobooks with wired speakers or headphones.

This docking stand also makes working with tablets and extra monitors much more comfortable. Its height can be adjusted to help you maintain a healthy posture, up to 70°. The tablet holder is also adjustable and can be tilted up to 180°. This can all benefit your daily ergonomics, which can help you be more productive (according to Forbes).

The docking station easily folds up for packing or storage. It has a tiny footprint and weighs less than a pound, yet its aluminum alloy construction is sturdy and durable. There are non-slip silicone strips on the bottom of the stand to hold it steady and keep it from sliding around.

Get the 8-in-1 Tablet Docking Stand today while it’s available at a price lower than you’ll find on Amazon, just $54.99 (reg. $69).

StackSocial prices subject to change.

Sometimes entrepreneurs need to supplement their income with some side work to keep the dream alive. Other times, you flat out just need to find a job to pay the bills. Regardless of your inspiration, you don’t have to fall victim to the overly tedious, repetitive requirements of today’s job-seeking market.

To help automate and streamline your outreach, you can get a Canyon Pro Plan lifetime subscription on sale for only $89.99 (reg. $684).

This AI resume builder allows users to build optimal CVs that help them find their dream jobs. Within the platform, you can use the platform’s AI to manage, write, and edit your resumes, and you can customize them by doing those things yourself. You can always enhance a resume with AI and use it to improve your resume score.

Among Canyon Pro’s many attractive features, its autofill feature makes the repetitive and often frustrating task of filling out the same questionnaires over and over again while looking for a job a thing of the past. Using it is as simple as installing a free Chrome extension into your internet browser.

Some of Canyon Pro’s other helpful features include its unlimited AI mock interview practices and the ability to save and track job applications, making monitoring your progress easy. Canyon Pro is also designed to build ATS-friendly resumes so you can break through the noise.

Don’t forget that for a limited time only, you can get a Canyon Pro Plan lifetime subscription while it’s on sale for only $89.99 (reg. $684).

StackSocial prices subject to change.

The life of an entrepreneur is often a scattered and busy one. For those times when you can take in some entertainment or education in the form of a podcast, you don’t want to be fumbling around looking for which page on which app has the episode you’re looking for.

For business leaders who take their time seriously, organizational tools help maximize every minute, and this is a tool designed to do just that with your audio content. This lifetime membership to the Player FM Podcast Player Premium Plan is on sale for just $39.99 (reg. $120) for a limited time only.

You can use this top independent podcast player to listen to over 50 million podcast episodes from different platforms and devices. You can search, discover, save, and listen to these podcasts with your iPhone, Android, online, and even with Apple CarPlay.

In addition to these base-level perks of organizing your audio content with Player FM, this Premium Plan membership comes with a ton more. With it, you can listen to content offline that you download beforehand, create playlists and set bookmarks, create personalized searches, and sync your favorite podcasts with your cloud accounts and other devices.

Player FM is a hit among users and critics alike. It’s been raved about on Tested, GigaOM, and LifeHacker, which explained that “The app guides you to smart, interesting podcasts based on category, channel, or even specific topics.

Don’t forget that you can get this lifetime membership to the Player FM Podcast Player Premium Plan on sale for just $39.99 (reg. $120) for a limited time only.

StackSocial prices subject to change.

Sometimes, the office gets a little quiet. We know there are more than a few examples of teams out there that work a little bit better and happier when they have some occasional tunes to groove to. And if your office lacks a proper delivery system for said tunes, then we have just the deal for you.

To help wake everybody up, you can get a TREBLAB HD-360 Portable Bluetooth Speaker on sale for just $99.99 (reg. $159) for a limited time only.

You can count on reaching for this thing whenever you need it because the powerful battery can deliver a full 20 hours of playtime (from fully charged) before needing to be plugged back in. The powerful speaker has a peak power of 90W and offers a full 360-degree surround sound despite its singular, portable design.

Its Bluetooth 5.0 technology makes connecting to your favorite devices easy. There’s nothing worse than getting everyone excited for a happy hour or dance party only to have them wait while you try and pair your phone with the speaker. That shouldn’t happen with this TREBLAB.

For teams that enjoy the occasional outing, the speaker comes with an IPX4 waterproof design, so it should be able to withstand the elements. It also has a built-in mic, which lets you take calls on it, turning your TREBLAB into its own independent conference call service.

Don’t miss your chance to get a TREBLAB HD-360 Portable Bluetooth Speaker while it’s on sale for just $99.99 (reg. $159) for a limited time only.

StackSocial prices subject to change.

No matter how gifted or driven you are, starting a business is hard, taxing work. In 2021, I left my 21-year career in finance and became a success coach, leadership consultant and author. I’d heard the statistic that 90% of all small businesses fail, but I thought starting my business would somehow be miraculously easy — it wasn’t. Here are four things I’ve since learned.

1. Self-discipline is harder than you think

Owning a business means you’re the boss. There are no assignments to turn in and no deadlines to meet. No one writes a performance review for you. However, this can be very difficult for some — and I had to learn this unexpected lesson the hard way.

I’ve always been highly organized and structured. For the last decade of my professional career, everything I did was scheduled and calendared in advance. Things were different when I struck out on my own. Conference calls and meetings weren’t on a recurring cadence, and that caused big gaps in my calendar. At first, it was hard to get in a rhythm. I began noticing I wasn’t leveraging my time well. I was sleeping in. If I said I’d check email for 10 minutes, it often turned into an hour. I realized I was allowing myself to become distracted throughout the day because my day wasn’t full of all the same hard stops that had previously existed.

I begin setting a schedule for myself. The only way I was able to write two books in my first two years was by scheduling time to write. At the start of each week, I write down the week’s most important priorities and set goals for myself. I list what actions I’ll need to take to achieve those goals. I schedule them on my calendar. Then, I stick to it. This takes willpower, but if you don’t do it, you’ll find yourself wasting time.

What gets measured gets done, so I also set goals and KPIs for myself. It’s easy to lose motivation when you’re not graded against a scoreboard — so I created my own. I set goals for how many hours, pages or words I’d write each week. I set goals for how many people I’d respond to and how many prospective calls I’d make. When my books hit the market, I tracked sales, revenue and income. On social media platforms, I set some KPIs for my engagement rates. Figuring out what metrics you’re going to watch is critical for success.

Related: 10 Things I’ve Learned In 10 Years of Running My Own Business

2. Pick the right clients and partners

Not everyone is going to be a fit for your services and products, and you’re not going to be a fit for everyone else’s needs, either. One mistake I made in my first year was taking on anyone who would have me as a client or a partner. I’ve since parted ways with my business coach, two vendors and two clients. People who suck your energy or drain your time with nonsense shouldn’t be on your calendar.

In the case of my “fired” clients, they resisted all my suggestions and were hesitant to take my advice. I eventually realized neither of us was getting much from the relationship. It feels good to hold space on my calendar for only those who are aligned in their thinking and want to achieve great things. Initially, because I was just starting out, I was afraid to let go of the income. If someone was willing to pay me, I was willing to take their money. That isn’t the case anymore. Great businesses only work with great clients.

When it comes to vendors, I now shop around. Early on, I hired the first coach, web designer and publishing team I found. Some of those decisions were mistakes. I’ve since decided to broaden my search process when hunting for the right vendor. I do my homework and ask for referrals. In other cases, I like to see examples of prior work. When vendors can’t produce that (or seem annoyed that I’m even asking), I know I’m not dealing with the right partner.

3. It can get lonely sometimes; find ways to add human interaction into your day

Before going solo, I was always part of a team. During most of my career, I interacted with a few hundred people at work. That all changed when I became a private coach and consultant — suddenly, it was just me. When you’re an employee, you’re often constantly involved in conversations with others. When I went independent, there were several hours a day I wasn’t. Right away, I felt a twinge of loneliness. I didn’t have an endless reserve of people with whom I could share ideas.

I now make a point to schedule lunch with clients, prospective clients or colleagues a couple of times a week. I also have found great joy in sharing what I call “Transformation Tuesday” videos with my network and regularly engaging on a few social media platforms with like-minded people. When I’m sharing videos and articles on leadership or mindset, it puts me into conversations with others about things that are important to me. That helps me overcome these solitary feelings. If your job is primarily done solo and you’re feeling a bit lonely, find ways to connect with others regularly.

Related: I Started My Business In My Mom’s Basement at the Age of 17. Here are 5 Rules I Wish I Had Known, But Had to Learn the Hard Way

4. Building a network of your peers is imperative

Initially, I was hesitant to meet other authors and coaches. To some degree, I saw them as competition. I’ve since had a complete change of heart. Last year, I was introduced to another coach who does exactly what I do. When we met, we’d both published our first books. Since then, we’ve written the forewords for each other’s second books! It’s been an honor and a joy to support each other like that. For my third book, I want to work with a publisher. I recently joined a group of authors, agents and publishers and went to one of their events. I couldn’t believe the camaraderie and value I found there. I met other authors who are facing (but overcoming) the same challenges I face. I also met a plethora of agents and publishers who might help me. There’s power in numbers. We are stronger together. Networking with others who are doing exactly what you’re doing (and doing it well) can only help you, not hinder you.

I wish I’d known these four things on my first day as an entrepreneur, but I’m also grateful I know them now. Implementing them will only make you and your business stronger; I guarantee it.

Most people think reading body language is as simple as looking at a smile, twitch of the eye or raise of an eyebrow. They know, from experience, that observing a gesture or movement can help them immeasurably assess the intent of the decision-maker across the boardroom table from them. It’s what we’re taught, right?

Actually, it’s wrong.

Picture a vital investor or partner meeting. At the head of the table sits Ms. Johnson, a potential partner whose alliance could elevate your company to new heights. As you lay out your proposal, she briefly touches her necklace. A sign of doubt, you assume. Yet, her posture remains upright, her gaze unbroken, and her lips pressed in contemplation – all signs that she is very determined and has a strong opinion.

This mosaic of gestures – the necklace touch, the steady eyes, the poised posture – is the essence of clusters in body language. Focusing on a singular gesture might have caused a misstep in your interpretation and, thus, your presentation or negotiation strategy. However, understanding the collective message of these cues provides invaluable insights into Ms. Johnson’s mindset. Body language “clusters” are indispensable in business communication.

Individual gestures — when taken out of context — can mislead. However, when multiple nonverbal gestures come together at once or within a short span (and the time frame they appear makes all the difference), they divulge a more comprehensive narrative about a person’s internal dialogue, decision-making process, or sentiment.

For an entrepreneur looking to grow their business, this nuanced understanding can be the difference between sealing a partnership and walking away from a lost opportunity.

Let’s examine ways to read body language in clusters to understand what someone is thinking or feeling more accurately. These insights are derived from my multifaceted career of over 35-plus years spent in thousands of hours of meetings, observing pitches and presenting.

Related: One Negotiation Expert Shares the 4 Body Language Cues Every Entrepreneur Should Recognize

1. Holistic observation

Instead of narrowing your focus to a single gesture, strive to comprehend the person’s overall demeanor. If a colleague looks away but maintains an open stance, their distraction might be external rather than a reflection on the discussion. It’s your job to look beyond the single gesture and see what else is happening with that person (or group of people). Is the gesture in isolation? It rarely is. But that one clue might be the most obvious, so your attention is focused there. You need to be more holistic in your observation and try to unearth whatever other signals are being sent your way.

2. Situational context

A clenched fist in a relaxed setting differs vastly from the same gesture in a heated boardroom discussion — one might indicate anger. In contrast, another may indicate impatience or a desire to interject. Always calibrate your reading to the environment and know any other circumstances driving the behavior. The gesture isn’t isolated from other gestures, but it also isn’t isolated from the environment and the occurring conversation. Make sure to calibrate all these elements as you determine the meaning of the clues.

3. Establish a baseline

Recognize people’s habitual behaviors. A naturally animated person’s gestures may not carry the same weight as those of a reserved individual. Try to discern deviations from their norm (as best you can if you’ve only just met someone), as the most critical messages often lie therein. You can do this at the start of a meeting during the “chitchat” phase. Try to force yourself to notice someone’s behavior when the subject is something other than the meeting’s topic. That’s what will give you insight into their baseline behavior and demeanor.

4. Differentiate between emotion and cognition

Body language clusters can illuminate both feelings and thoughts. Crossed arms with a frown may portray physical discomfort. However, the same crossed arms with a nod could signal agreement despite possible reservations. It’s your job to observe the person (or people) and then try to detect whether the signal they’re sending is an emotional reaction to something just said or if it results from a thought that was triggered. Knowing which one drives body language clues will help you decide how to pivot your presentation to your advantage. The only way to learn is to start silently asking yourself, “are they reacting emotionally or logically?” while in meetings. The mindful awareness alone will help you get better and better at figuring it out.

Related: Body Language Is Powerful — Make Any of These 4 Mistakes, and You’re Silently Sabotaging Your Interactions

5. Engage in deliberate observation

Dedicate time in your interactions to solely observe. In your next important meeting, set aside some brief moments to study collections of non-verbal cues. This intentional practice will help you hone your skill, ensuring it becomes second nature when it matters most. You can even practice this daily – at the coffee shop or grocery store. Observation is a skill that’s honed only when you give it the nurturing it needs and deserves.

For the seasoned entrepreneur, non-verbal communication is replete with insights that can shift your approach to negotiations and presentations. Body language clusters are one of the high-level tools that transform fleeting observations into a deeper understanding of human behavior and decision-making.

As you prepare for key meetings and business interactions, remember that while a single gesture may offer a glimpse into someone’s mind, clusters unveil the complete narrative. It’s within these patterns that the true essence of communication and successful outcomes lie. Consider and practice the concepts above to equip yourself with the first steps needed to notice clusters, and then let every interaction be a testament to the mastery you’re developing.