Last year I had so much responding to the, um …., “well intentioned yet misled” souls who didn’t appreciate pirates as role models, that I wanted to do it up even bigger this year.
To do so, I had to bring in a Top Gun, so to speak. So today’s guest blogger will be Kirsty Dunphey.
Her article is just what we all need to get us ready to “piratize” our markets.
10 Reasons A Pirate Should Be Your Entrepreneurial Role Model
Did you know that each year September 19 is International Talk Like a Pirate Day ! In honour of Johnny Depp, ITLAP Day, and the frivolities that go along with it, let’s talk about why you should forgo traditional entrepreneurial role models for the mighty pirate !
The English word pirate is derived ultimately from the Greek word peira meaning “attempt, experience”, or more implicitly “to find luck on the sea“. Let’s see how much we can improve your entrepreneurial experience and find you some luck in the sea of business opportunities !
1- Get a parrot on your shoulder
The parrot on your shoulder can represent two things: 1) Your conscience. Every entrepreneur has moments in time where the easier option does not always represent the right option. Remember the parrot on your shoulder is there to guide you. 2) Your mentor. The voice of guidance from someone who’s been there and done it. Get the right parrot (or mentor) and you’ll skyrocket to greater heights.
2- The eye patch
An entrepreneur needs to have selective vision. They need to be able to block out distractions and zone in on opportunities. Develop your own figurative eye patch by honing in on what you want to focus on – and making the rest walk the plank.
3- The funky pirate wear and the eye liner
An entrepreneur stands out from the crowd. Whether it’s John McGrath, Sydney real estate agent extraordinaire pioneering the no tie business look or Sergey Brin, google co-founder, wearing jeans and a t-shirt while giving a keynote to 10,000 people, entrepreneurs don’t feel the need to conform to outdated business standards. Most wildly successful entrepreneurs are there because they don’t conform in their businesses. They’re edgy and they try new things in their businesses, which quite often spills over into their outerwear and can make them easy to identify.
4- Any weather – Any time
A pirate’s ship and crew carry them through the roughest storms making them mobile, flexible and able to deal with a multitude of circumstances – just like the ultimate entrepreneur.
5- Live and die by the team
No pirate ever managed to crew an entire ship on their own and no successful entrepreneur ever got there without their own crew of motivated, engaged, talented individuals. In the boardroom as on the ocean – the undeserving leader will face a mutiny.
6- The bicorne hat
The entrepreneur needs to be a master of wearing many hats – even if they look as ridiculous as the Napoleon-esque bicorne hat ! As an entrepreneur you’ll need to be motivator, innovator, initial implementer and so much more.
7- The peg leg
The pirate manages to swashbuckle all over the world on slippery decks, in rising oceans and with a peg leg no less ! As entrepreneurs we all have our own disabilities. Perhaps you don’t have a formal education, perhaps you were poor growing up, perhaps your technology skills aren’t up to scratch. Be like a pirate and get over it ! Whatever your peg leg is, compensate for it and move on !
8- The hook
If there’s one thing we all associate with pirates it’s a hook. As an entrepreneur you’ll need to be able to develop an amazing hook. You’ll need a hook to get people on board with your idea, you’ll need a hook to get investors or the bank interested, you’ll need a hook to get your customers frothing at the mouth for your product or service. If Johnny Depp was the hook for Pirates of the Caribbean – do you have a hook of that calibre for your entrepreneurial passion?
9- The treasure chest
Pirates are single minded in their search for treasure. They know what their treasure is and they have a map on how to get there. What is treasure for you? Is it the chest of gold, is it seeing your product in the market, is it having a crew who love coming to work each day? Know your treasure chest – your goal, and then set about developing a map for how to get there.
10- They just arrrrr
Pirates don’t need to define themselves as pirates. You look at them, you know it. Their crew knows it. They know it. Same thing goes for an entrepreneur. Like the passion for the sea – the passion for entrepreneurialism is in your blood. Your heart rate rises at the thought of a new business idea, your brain races and you can’t wait to hoist your colours up the flag pole and set sail on a new adventure.
And for some fun – try out this online English to Pirate translator:
www.talklikeapirateday.com/translate/index
Kirsty Dunphey is an author, speaker and entrepreneur who started her first business at 15, opened her own real estate agency at 21 and retired a self made multi-millionaire at 27. To sign up to Kirsty Dunphey’s weekly email, go to www.kirstydunphey.com
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{ 2 comments… read them below or add one }
Haha, very well said. Great article.
9 and 10 are the best.
Ahoy, Matey!
This is really a great post – it can be applied to every area of one’s life. Your points are excellent.
Personally, I love myself some pirates, especially if their name begins with Johnny and ends with Depp.
I totally agree with the emphasis you place on standing out from the rest, and believing in yourself enough to BE yourself.
Ironically, Johnny Depp did just that when he signed on to play Captain Jack Sparrow. The big shots wanted him to play the character “seriously,” and pretty much didn’t know what to make of his outrageous take on the character. When he brought all of the swagger and flamboyance to the table, apparently they thought he’d lost his mind.
The Depp stood by his interpretation of the character, though, and they finally consented to let the man play the pirate the way he wanted to. Because the actor believed so much in himself and his vision, he went against the majority and made himself and his character box office legends.
The people who had enough sense to put their project in Johnny Depp’s hands ended up with millions in their own. He was the parrot on their shoulder and I’m pretty certain they’re thrilled with the way it all worked out.
I guess you could say they walked away with great booty.