Nick Loper on his Bucket of Crabs Theory

I just got this email from Nick Loper from Side Hustle. I wanted to share this with our subscribers because it is on point regarding ways you can grow your small business. The links below will also let you subscribe to his podcast channel. Enjoy!

http://www.sidehustlenation.com

Hey Mike,  You know the feeling you get when you're surrounded by your friends and family? Or when you're in a big crowd of fans cheering on the same team? It's a sort of happiness, comfort, support, and understanding, right? When you're with your people, there's a collective energy that's hard to describe. Your worries are temporarily out of mind.  Your stresses take a backseat. I've been fortunate enough to experience this feeling several times, including: At my Eagle Scout project. 30 people showed up to volunteer their weekend to dig trenches, plant shrubs, and lay concrete. The support was tremendous, and the project couldn't have been completed without it. And yes, I'm ready for the nerdy Boy Scout jokes. At our wedding. An exceptional crew of family and friends traveled all the way to Mexico to share a weekend of sun, fun, fiesta, and love. It was awesome. At World Domination Summit. Being surrounded by 3000 like-minded peers was pretty euphoric. A friend described it as "almost spiritual." It sounds cultish, but I actually agree. It's an addicting feeling. When was the last time you were with your people? This week? Last month? Last year? Or longer? Do you feel like you're with your people when you go to work? Do your coworkers understand you and your goals? Would they support your side hustle aspirations, or would they crab-barrel you? Have you heard of the bucket of crabs theory? It states that if there are several crabs in a bucket, and one tries to climb out, the others will pull him back down. Not having access to a team of live crabs to test this on, I had to rely on wikipedia. The "crab mentality" is summed up as: "If I can't have it, neither can you." If the crabs worked together, they could escape. But instead, their selfishness and distrust maintains the status quo. It's used as a metaphor to describe human behavior. Let's say the bucket is your job, and you want to leave to try something new. Do your friends and co-workers encourage that leap of faith, or do they try and pull you back down to reality? What's your gut reaction when one of your peers takes a risk and is genuinely happy and successful? I know it isn't the right answer, but a lot of the time for me at least, it's jealousy. We can be better than the crabs. Smarter. More cooperative. More encouraging. If you want to climb out of your "bucket," whatever it may be, don't let the other crabs pull you down. And if you're happy in your bucket but see someone else making a break for it, go ahead and give 'em a boost! You never know, maybe they'll turn around and offer a hand up. If you're looking to join a more supportive "bucket," consider the Side Hustle Nation Inner Circle Mastermind.  A mastermind is an opportunity to get honest and helpful business feedback - without the high price of individual coaching. Ready to Hustle? If you're not already active in a mastermind group and are ready to take positive action on your side hustle in the next 3 months, I'm taking applications for the Side Hustle Nation Inner Circle mastermind. What it is: 3 months of action-packed weekly meetings w/ me and a small (dare I say intimate?) group of fellow side hustlers (limited to 6 members) $97 per month 100% money-back guarantee This is for people who: Feel some entrepreneurial / side hustle loneliness and want to find their people. Are ready to invest in their business growth and personal development. Want to make meaningful progress toward their financial freedom in the next 90 days. If that's you, I encourage you to apply. We'll set up a quick Skype call for introductions and to chat about your goals and challenges, and to see if this is a good fit.  Find your people and make something happen! Hustle on, Nick Loper SideHustleNation.com Facebook.com/SideHustleNation