Written by Samkele Mchunu
Sanjay Soni, a seasoned entrepreneur with years of experience in the business industry, shares his advice on what aspiring entrepreneurs should look out for when starting their own businesses. With many new ventures failing within their first year, it’s important to be aware of potential challenges and pitfalls.
According to Soni, one key factor is preparation – just like training for a marathon. Soni shares his personal experience of entering the Cape Town Marathon without proper preparation last year. He suffered from cramping early on and was forced to walk half of the race as a result. He emphasizes that having a solid game plan around nutrition can make all the difference between success and failure, whether you’re running an endurance event or launching your own startup company.
Entrepreneurs also need resilience and persistence, according to Soni. Just like sticking through to the finish line despite exhaustion during races, he says entrepreneurs must build up mental stamina over time so they don’t let rejection discourage them but rather persevere. Business owners would do well by learning this trait before diving into such ventures – knowing how not to give up if things don’t go successfully at once. “Running 21km teaches you some valuable life lessons,” remarks Mr. Soni, who is inspired by adventure sports. “Equally relevant are these tips I am passing along today,” he said.
Aspiring business owners can benefit greatly from taking note of Mr. Soni’s words. By doing so, they’ll be equipped to tackle any hurdles while keeping their eyes fixed firmly on where they eventually want to reach – running a thriving entrepreneurial sprint. So smile, relax, and start planning!
From Sanjay Soni’s personal experience, there are several valuable lessons that individuals in business can learn:
- Importance of Planning: Just as preparation was crucial for the marathon, having a structured plan is essential in business. Setting clear objectives and devising a focused plan towards achieving them increases the likelihood of success.
- Expect and Prepare for Obstacles: Obstacles are inevitable in both marathon running and entrepreneurship. Being prepared to adapt and having alternative plans in place can help navigate through challenges effectively.
- Age is Just a Number: Age should not limit one’s ambitions or pursuits. Setting achievable goals and working hard towards them regardless of age is key to success.
- Harness the Power of Support: Support from others, whether it’s strangers cheering during a race or mentors in business, can be invaluable. Building a supportive network and being part of a community can provide motivation and encouragement.
- Collaboration is Key: Just as the author and their partner complement each other’s strengths in training, finding the right partners or co-founders can enhance productivity and results in business.
- Define and Celebrate Victories: Identifying personal and professional victories and celebrating them is important for morale and motivation. It’s essential to acknowledge and appreciate the hard work and dedication that led to success.
- Believe in Yourself and Your Team: Self-assurance and trust in oneself and one’s team are essential for overcoming challenges and achieving goals. Maintaining belief in your abilities, even in the face of setbacks, is crucial.
- Don’t Be Afraid to Ask: Asking for help or opportunities, as the author did when requesting entry to the race, can lead to unexpected opportunities. Being proactive and seeking support when needed can open doors to success.
By applying these principles, individuals starting their own businesses can increase their chances of success and navigate the journey with resilience and determination.
This is How Sanjay Soni Shared His Marathon Journey
In a determined effort to redeem ourselves this year, my partner and I established an attainable target of successfully completing the race with enhanced training. To achieve that objective, we committed to a structured workout routine along with nutritional supplementation. The program commenced in early January consisting of weekly intense training sessions, gym exercises, as well as maintaining our dietary requirements.
Our preparation led us to the Two Oceans half marathon, which coincidentally fell on my birthday. What better way to reward oneself than by setting a target, ensuring that we put in maximal effort towards achieving it, and eventually reaping the fruits of our labor? Progressing forward till race day, taking part in this event is always an exceptional experience! It was already our fifth time participating; however, perhaps one of our finest performances so far. Even though crossing the finish line took a few minutes longer than we had aimed for (reaching 2:15), successfully accomplishing both objectives made it worth every moment spent preparing.
After a few weeks had passed, I took time to contemplate the events leading up to race day as well as the actual competition. During this period of reflection, there were several valuable lessons that I gained which I would like to share with you. It is my sincerest hope that some of these principles will strike a chord and apply seamlessly into your own individual journey whether it be personal, professional, or entrepreneurial in nature.
Putting a plan in place is crucial. When preparing for the Two Oceans marathon, we committed to 12 weeks of disciplined training consisting of road running, gym workouts, and mindful eating – all with weekly progress checks as our main objective. Our aim was to improve overall fitness levels that would allow us to complete the half marathon effortlessly. Applying this strategy not only applies to being an entrepreneur but also in life; you’d be surprised at what can be accomplished by devising a focused plan towards achieving your goals.
Be prepared for obstacles along your journey. Prior to the Two Oceans race, I suffered a minor injury (a roadblock of sorts). This forced us to lower our expectations on race day and be mindful of preventing further aggravation during the event – which unfortunately happened 7 kilometers into it. Mentally ready, Plan B was put into motion: slow down, concentrate on each kilometer at a time, and stay focused on finishing strong – with success achieved! To overcome hindrances that may arise en route to achieving our goals requires preparing ahead by having alternative plans A, B, C,… and so forth in place should they ever be needed; knowing how and when to activate them is key.
Despite being in our 50s, my wife and I continue to act like individuals three decades younger. Age is simply a number that holds no power over us or our ambitions. It all boils down to setting achievable goals and working hard towards them without losing focus on what we want to achieve in life. Don’t let age deter you from pursuing your dreams – whether it’s starting a new business venture or engaging in physical activities such as running races for the first time! Dispel any negative thoughts about yourself by pushing beyond self-imposed limitations and taking action today!
If you were lucky enough to participate in the Two Oceans, then you’ll understand how incredible it feels to feed off of the crowds. The support from total strangers is unparalleled; they cheer for you and urge you on towards each water station, even shouting your name as a small form of motivation! With hundreds lining most parts of the route, there’s no feeling alone here. It’s an exhilarating experience knowing that these wonderful individuals are rooting for us all! In life, we come across various ‘crowds’ who may not have any particular interest in our personal or professional lives but still show up to motivate and encourage us nonetheless. Have faith during such moments because being part of this crowd could uplift anyone… so why don’t we become one ourselves? Let’s cheer others along!
It’s important to have a companion on your journey, like my wife and I who train together. We complement each other in many ways which boosts our progress. On race days, she excels downhill while I am stronger uphill – this allows us to capitalize on each other’s strengths for better results. Similarly, when advising entrepreneurs, I recommend finding at least one co-founder as it creates a yin-yang effect that makes the business more productive by tapping into both skill sets simultaneously; there is also room for seeking counsel from within their own circle of trust instead of going solo all the time.
The prize was absolutely worth it! We pushed through and finished the race with vigor, even approaching our desired finish time – an achievement we were thrilled to celebrate. The medal (which I happen to collect) serves as a precious tangible reminder of this momentous accomplishment… As for you readers out there, determine what your own personal victory looks like in life; perhaps earning that new client or hitting your sales goal means extra cash bonuses towards financial stability, furthering success on your entrepreneurial path. Or maybe something simpler yet equally valuable such as being mentally present during family gatherings brings immense satisfaction – because ultimately happiness and contentment are priceless rewards following hard work and dedication.
Ultimately, have faith in yourself and your life partner because if you don’t trust in yourselves, who else will? From the start of our journey to Two Oceans, we both possessed a strong self-assurance not only individually but also as a team. Despite obstacles such as injuries, limited time for oneself, and training inadequacies among others – our belief persisted: “We can do this!” Our arduous work was completed; we clocked numerous kilometers running with sound physical health remaining – all that remained to be done was crossing the finish line on race day.
As a final lesson, I want to emphasize the importance of asking questions. It’s something I always say: if you don’t ask, the answer will be no every time. When we decided to enter the race, unfortunately, all spots had already been filled on their website. Despite this setback, I remained hopeful that there were extra entries available and reached out electronically to request support from organizers for our 5th Two Oceans run – which also happened to fall on my birthday! Fingers crossed but not knowing what would happen next – they ended up granting us two entries after some confirmation details were sorted – marking our start towards racing success as told through this retelling now!
