Ronnie Apteker (born 1967) is a South African internet pioneer, writer and film producer.
I am a bit of a workaholic, and I am still not sure what a "weekend" is all about. I love what I do, and I do what I love.
An entrepreneur needs to have values. Values that are wholesome.
The movie industry is brutal. It is dangerous. It is, for most, soul destroying.
I am tough minded, but not hard hearted.
The movie industry is brutal. It is dangerous. It is, for most, soul destroying. Creating art (music, books, films, etc. ) can be beautiful and liberating, but trying to sell art, well, that is the movie business. There are few winners, and lots and lots of losers.
No one looks for pots of gold, it just happens. Sure, some people are born with an incredible financial ability, and some people are natural salesmen, but creating a business, driving a venture, mobilizing an army, is not something you are born to do - it just happens, by accident.
I could actually do a lot more if I didn't have things go wrong. So, what I am trying to do now is stay light on the parasites. If you are not drained by anyone you can do way more.
I battle to fall asleep at night. My mind races every other night. I have always been like this, for as long as I can reminder.
Entrepreneurs need to be positive. Always. Entrepreneurs need to be brave, often. And lastly, entrepreneurs need to be obsessed.
Business, like life, is funny. We all go through difficult times, and we all have to face curve balls and challenges, each and every week. And we need to laugh when things are funny.
I think most entrepreneurs would refer to themselves as "accidental". No one looks for stress and pain. You stumble on to it.
You follow a passion, a dream, a belief, a vision, and before you know it, you are an entrepreneur. Once though, when you start to understand what this means, and what the possibilities are, the accidents then stop, and you become a forever obsessed entrepreneur that doesn't rest, and never stops trying to push the envelope.
Business, like life, is funny. We all go through difficult times, and we all have to face curve balls and challenges, each and every week. And we need to laugh when things are funny. If we take it all too seriously we will go mad.
When someone stands you up for a meeting, sure, you have the right to be disappointed, and perhaps even angry. But you can't take it personally - they probably do it to everyone.
Don't take yourself too seriously - learn to laugh.
The most obvious answer, that you can read in any leadership book is this - learn to say "no" so that you can make time for the important stuff, the stuff that is closest to your heart. And of course, as all entrepreneurs will say, "surround yourself with good people". That is the hardest thing : finding good people.
As all entrepreneurs will say, "surround yourself with good people". That is the hardest thing : finding good people.
There are differences in the businesses themselves, but the fundamentals are the same: give customers a good experience, charge them a reasonable price, listen to them, and treat them with respect.
Today, where you come from seems less and less important, as globalization is the new order. I prefer the old world.
Never invest in ideas, only in people!