Paul Rodliff

Failure is essential to success, every success is born from multiple failures.

 

Paul Rodliff is a local management consultant primarily focusing on small business owners. Paul provides a low cost consulting option for those small business owners who struggle with growing, and managing their business. He has successfully run businesses from 2-100 employees. Aside from helping small businesses Paul Rodliff is known in his community for his charitable work. He regularly donates to multiple charities as well as volunteering at his local food bank. Paul is the father of 3 children.

Where did the idea for your company come from?

I have always loved helping others. I have been blessed with a good knowledge of how companies should be run in order to be successful. With that knowledge I have been able to form a business around consulting small business owners. These companies have ranged anywhere from 2 employees all the way up to 100.

What does your typical day look like and how do you make it productive?

My typical day consists of getting out of day and doing a few morning exercises. After which I would get ready and go into the office. Email comes first, it is important to engage with the people I am working with. I usually have a few meetings and make a few phone calls before going home to spend time with my family. The most important part of my routine is the morning exercises, without them I would not be productive.

How do you bring ideas to life?

I love thinking about how companies work. The very process of cause and effect excites me. I like to bounce ideas off of the company owners and come up with ideas as a team. After which we can generally implement them to great success.

What’s one trend that excites you?

Since the early days of automation, leading companies and people with bold ideas have found ways to enhance our way of life by driving down the cost of the products we use and improving on their safety. Today, we find ourselves in perhaps the most challenging of times as we decide how far we should integrate automation and technology into our daily lives. From the skies to the roads below, the singular question for this generation will be how far do we let automation and technology take over the controls of the plane we are flying, the truck or car we drive? Imagine that Amazon truck loaded and ready for a 1000 mile drive. Can’t you see that truck going 24 hours, non stop, controlled by an on-board, fully automated, guidance system? Why would the elderly have to give up their driver’s license if they could simply tell the car in their garage where they want to go?

What is one habit of yours that makes you more productive as an entrepreneur?

Goal setting. That simple habit can help anyone achieve success in their lives. Simple set a goal and take the necessary steps to achieve said goal and you will find that you are a thousand times more productive then you would be otherwise.

What advice would you give your younger self?

As a dad and youth soccer, baseball, and basketball coach, let me give you some advice. From experience and regret. I was too tough on my own kids. Because I didn’t want to be seen as favoring my child, I pushed them too hard and held them to such a high standard that it almost ruined my relationship with them. So, you young parents out there – take my advice and enjoy those years by letting your child reach his or her potential without the undue burden of being an overwhelming dad, or mom, coach.

Tell us something that’s true that almost nobody agrees with you on.

It’s almost amusing how most investors know in their hearts that performance over time will be equally as good by throwing a dart at a board of options, as it is by individual stock picking. Every study as shown that. Yet, we all want to think we’re smarter. We all trade stories on the golf course, or out with friends, about this stock or that one. And of course, we cherry pick our winners, and neglect to mention our duds. So, my advice is to forget the broker, forget the adviser, get out the dart board and sit back and relax.

As an entrepreneur, what is the one thing you do over and over and recommend everyone else do?

Setting achievable goals. It is easy to say I will make a million dollars this year, but without the proper planning and consistency, that will never happen.

What is one strategy that has helped you grow your business?

Bouncing ideas off of other entrepreneurs. You can come up with thousands of ideas but without having some feedback before implementing those ideas, you are bound to fail. We do not have all the answers and we often need help to form the best decision.

What is one failure you had as an entrepreneur, and how did you overcome it?

I have had many ideas for businesses that have failed. It is not an exact science. The way to overcome them is to pick yourself up and learn from that mistake. You now know what what work for that specific business and in the future can create an even better idea.

What is one business idea that you’re willing to give away to our readers?

There is a big market in Artificial Intelligence. Anyone getting into that field and starting a business around self-driving vehicles (not just cars) will make quite a bit of money.

What is the best $100 you recently spent? What and why?

I recently bought tickets to a show my family wanted to see. It was the best money I have spent because they really enjoyed it and we were able to spend time together.

What is one piece of software or a web service that helps you be productive?

I love to the google suite of products specifically the calendar. I love how it will automatically schedule events and send me reminders of my meetings.

What is the one book that you recommend our community should read and why?

If you’re a dog lover, read A Dog’s Purpose. It will prepare you for that day when you say goodbye to your best friend. A beautifully written book, that takes us through one dog’s life, and multiple reincarnations, as he brings what’s missing in the lives of his varied owners. It will make you realize, when your dog is gone, how wonderfully they fit into that phase of your own life.

What is your favorite quote?

“Success is not final; failure is not fatal: It is the courage to continue that counts.”

Winston S. Churchill

Key Learnings:

• Set Achievable Goals, these goals are your guide and will help you be more productive.
• Failure is essential to success, every success is born from multiple failures.
• Bounce ideas off of people you trust, you cannot come up with every idea on your own.

Connect: