The secret receipt for business success according to Pauline Nguyen, Connect | Move your Body | Still Your Mind | Breathe | Keep Learning
“Pauline Nguyen – Award Winning Author, highly sought after International Speaker and one of the most grounded Spiritual Entrepreneurs around the globe.” - The Huffington Post
Pauline’s achievements include the award-winning restaurant Red Lantern. Publisher of Secrets of the Red Lantern and Way of the Spiritual Entrepreneur – the 7 Secrets to Becoming Fearless, Stress Free and Unshakeable in Business and in Life, Pauline is recognised as one of Australia’s top 50 influential female entrepreneurs and one of 200 Women Who Will Change the Way You See the World.
We were fortunate to catch a few minutes in Pauline's very busy life to get her top tips for business success!
What advice would you give your entrepreneurial self 20 years ago?
This year, 2021, we celebrate Red Lantern’s 20th Anniversary. In fact, 20 years ago, we were still control freaks, guarding the secret family recipes, running the business ourselves, thinking that no one else could do it like we can (and yes, there is some truth in that last comment). However, what happens when business owners hold on to too much control? They end up having to do all the work themselves!
In the early years, Mark, Luke and I were working 80, 90, 100 hour weeks. We were tired all the time. We had no life. We were sick and tired of being sick and tired. We lost sight of all the reasons why we first wanted to go into business. The advice I would give my entrepreneurial self 20 years ago would go something like this:
“Pauline, you are NOT your business. Don’t be such a control freak! If you micromanage, then your staff become very expensive! Hire those who are technically smarter than you. Relinquish some control now.
“Don’t stop working hard, but you’ve got to work smarter, not harder. Get mentors, teachers, coaches to help you to grow mentally, emotionally and spiritually. Look after yourself. Your self growth and transformation must come before anything else – otherwise, you will miss out on all the heavenly glory of what this delicious life can offer you and the fulfilment in your heart that your true contribution will bring.”
What are the 3 biggest things you have learnt about business post COVID?
For a business owner struggling to get their spark back post COVID, what advice would you give them?
If Covid taught me anything, it taught me that tough times don’t last, but tough people do. That crisis does not change people, crisis reveals them.
In all my businesses we went into action SUPER FAST, as soon as COVID hit. We pivoted.
What does it mean to Pivot? To Pivot is a redirection of energy. We redirected our energy to avoid experiencing states of panic, fear, anxiety and crisis. We redirected our energy into innovation, creation, collaboration – we didn’t want to just survive COVID, we wanted to THRIVE during Covid. This mindset comes from decades of resilience, grit, courage and perseverance, all of which are muscles that must be practised. To stay calm in turmoil becomes a revolutionary act.
For a business owner struggling to get their spark back post-COVID, I would give 3 pieces of advice:
CONNECT with inspiring people who can see things you cannot. Multiple perspectives allow you to transcend any situation. Multiple perspectives equate to multiple solutions.
MOVE YOUR BODY. Stagnation of the body equates to stagnation of thoughts and energy. Change your energy and you will change your life. The more strong, flexible and agile the body, the more strong, flexible and agile the mind. STILL YOUR MIND. Stress, fear, anxiety overwhelm will rob you of your intelligence. It will literally make you stupid. Learn to still the mind either through meditation practices or going out into nature or taking deep rest. A still mind will increase your capacity to think clearly and calmly so that you can come up with the solutions and states of being that will give you your spark back post-COVID. BREATHE!
KEEP LEARNING. You must continually educate yourself and inspire yourself to expansion. If you are not growing, you are dying - full stop!
Red Lantern W: Link
A: 60 Riley Street, Darlinghurst, Sydney 2010
E: Link FB: @RedLanternViet Pauline Nguyen The Spiritual Entrepreneur
W: Link
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