10 Years ago I had a business plan. I believed in it so much, that I took it to others and showed them, looking for affirmation that this plan was the right one to take to market.

The feedback was good. Actually, it was more than good. It was great.

The mentors and entrepreneurs that I showed the plan to liked it so much that they wanted to invest. I gave it a lot of thought as to what I needed to take the business forward and decided that a little investment would help get the business to the first stage of growth, so it would not be a bad idea. 

I chose a passive investor, who acted as a mentor but didn't tell me what to do. To be honest, at times I wish he had.

The business model was strong. In fact, I am proving that today. What wasn't strong is my understanding of how to run a startup. My other business Insomnia Marketing and Communication had been successful from the get-go because the brand was built on my capabilities. 

But with Marketing Eye, I was trying to do something different. I was attempting to change the business from being about me, to being a true brand that stood alone.

At first I failed. The first years business results were not as big as the first year in Insomnia. In fact, nothing like it. Yet I had more money, resources and people.

The mistakes I made were evident:

Oscar nominated film Whiplash  got me thinking about how far people are willing to go to get the best out of themselves and others. 

 Is your best good enough or do you strive for better, for more or even to be the best? How far can you actually push yourself and others?

 It's a Saturday and I am sitting in my friends living room talking business while at the same time reading emails and catching up on the latest in business news.

As we talk I realize that entrepreneurs are no different from celebrities, movie stars, singers, musicians or any other career that is centre stage.

The reality is we all have a bit of neurotic behaviour in us - whether we like it or not.  Some entrepreneurs are more neurotic than others - micro-managing, controlling, double A-Type personalities that find it hard to accept another person's way of doing things, and then others just tip the iceberg.

Many entrepreneurs have a goal, or an idea of where they want to be. They are achievement orientated and often lack discipline, needing to hire the latter in to complement their existing skill base.
 

*Deep sigh*

It's Tuesday, and I have already worked one day of the weekend and one weekday, yet I haven't touched the surface.

Why is it that when you really are passionate about everything you do in life, that something always holds you back? For my life, it's time.

I always say, that time is the most important thing you can get from someone in your life. If you have their time, there is nothing else you will need. But time is harder than you think. With running an international business, having my fingers in quite a few different business pies, dedicating time to charity, trying to get a little bit of training in and developing technology - writing books and painting has definitely been put to the way-side.

Today, as I was making a post on Facebook with one of my marketing blogs, I noticed a headline from one of my friend's wives: "I lied to my child."

Apparently, as I read further, she had lied to her child by saying that she couldn't wait until her 5 year old started school, when really she knew that she would miss her dearly and would prefer for her small, adorable young daughter to continue to stay home.

There are many types of lies, but statistics show we all tell several lies per day, often without realizing it.

Lying is so common, yet for many of us including me, it drives us crazy.