Feedback Form
Home Features Mastermind Forums About Advertise Blog Network Contact Be An Author

Lesson #2: Don’t Take The Shortcut

Mark Cuban Articles
Lesson #2: Don’t Take The Shortcut
Free Download - Lesson #3: Do It Because You Love It
Name: Email:

“There are no shortcuts,” says Cuban. “Everyone tells you how they are going to be ‘special,’ but few do the work to get there. Do the work.”

When Cuban first started his own company, MicroSolutions, that was just about all he did. He sacrificed his personal life, his hobbies and much of his own money in order to get his business on its feet. He didn’t take a vacation for seven years and except for his two motivational favourites, Cuban never even made the time to read a fiction book during those seven years. But for Cuban, there was no other choice. He knew that in order to succeed, he would have to work twice as hard as the next guy.

“It’s called working your ass off,” says Cuban. “The difference is what you are willing to sacrifice. For every writer who wants balance in their life, there is a guy like me who gives up a lot to make their dreams come true.” For Cuban, business was personal and he put everything he had into make his a success.

“You have to work hard, and try to put yourself in a position where if luck strikes, you can see the opportunity and take advantage of it,” says Cuban. “There is always going to be someone out there that knows they have to compensate for maybe having less talent with harder work and preparation.” Cuban ran his businesses with this fear always in mind – that if he didn’t work as hard as he could, somebody else would take it all away from him.

It is this quality that Cuban not only tries to embody himself, but that he looks for in others who he hires. When asked by a reporter what makes a successful employee in one of his companies, Cuban replied, “Focused, hungry to learn and willing to work hard to gain an information advantage with an understanding that the customer owns us.” That is why, when Cuban launched The Benefactor, his reality show that had entrepreneurs competing for $1 million, he made sure that contestants understood he was not looking for special talents. “I’m not looking to find out who is the grossest, funniest, prettiest, smartest, or able to go without food or water the longest,” he said. Rather, Cuban was looking for someone with dedication, who was willing to give every task 110%.

In order to succeed, Cuban stresses the importance of recognizing one’s own strengths and weaknesses. “Make sure you are brutally honest with yourself about who you are,” he says. “You may think you are more talented than the next guy. Which is exactly what the next guy thinks as well.” But, rarely is talent enough, says Cuban. It is only through hard work and total commitment that you will be able to make yourself and your business stand out.

“Work like there is someone working twenty-four hours a day to take it all away from you,” says Cuban. “And play like it’s your last chance to play.”





Lesson 2 Dont Take The Shortcut

Like this article? Share it with your friends

Article Feedback
 Article Feedback No article feedback found.
  Leave Your Feedback
article feedback

Article Feedback

To learn more about the Evan Elite Author Program please contact us.

Famous Entrepreneur Video
Mark Cuban Video - Beyond The Glory - The Mark Cuban Story - Part 1/4
Famous Entrepreneur Video

Mark Cuban Picture Mark Cuban Newsletter
Get our free newsletter to learn more about Mark Cuban and other famous entrepreneurs!

Name:
Email:





Evan Elite Authors
Kim Castle  
Anne Barr  
Leanne Hoagland-Smith  
Evan Elite Authors

Become An Author
Have you written articles that would be of value to entrepreneurs? Become an expert on our site by publishing them! Expose yourself to a wide audience, drive more traffic to your website and get more sales! Click Here for details.
Become An Author

Evan's Latest Video
Modeling the Masters: Learn the true secrets behind Walt Disney's business success factors & grow your company! Video produced by Phanta Media
Evan's Latest Video

Business Opportunities
"Learn straight from Evan how you can Make a Full Time Income (And More) from a Website"

How to Start An Online Business

Click Here To Learn More
Business Opportunities



Evan's Newsletter
Get advice & tips from famous business owners, new articles by entrepreneur experts, my latest website updates, & special sneak peaks at what's to come!
Name:
Email:
Evan`s Newsletter

Free Downloads
10 Areas of Differentiation Icon 10 Areas of Differentiation
3 Networking Skills Icon 3 Networking Skills
Intentional Leadership Integrity Icon Intentional Leadership Integrity
Great Sales Fallacies Icon Great Sales Fallacies
Manage, Click, Learn. 2009 Icon Manage, Click, Learn. 2009
Free Downloads - Complete List

Entrepreneur Tools and Guides
Top 50 Business Plan Blog Posts for 2008
Top 50 Business Plans
Top Business Plan Blogs
 
Top 50 HR Blogs 2009
Top 50 HR Blogs 2009
Top 50 HR Blogs 2009
 
Entrepreneur Tools and Guides

SEO For Africa
SEO For Africa
Adakou Sallah Agoe, Togo,
Adakou Sallah
Agoe, Togo
SEO For Africa

If I Were A Startup...
Razor Suleman, $143k to $5.4 Mil in 5 years
Razor Suleman
$143k to $5.4 Mil in 5 years
Frank Cianciulli, $2.3 to $7.5 Mil in 2 years
Frank Cianciulli
$2.3 to $7.5 Mil in 2 years
If I Were A Startup... - Complete List

Famous Entrepreneurs
George Foreman, George Foreman Grill
George Foreman
George Foreman Grill
Fred Smith, Fedex
Famous Entrepreneurs - Complete List

Entrepreneur Advice
Zig Ziglar, See You At The Top
Zig Ziglar
See You At The Top
Seth Godin, Ideavirus Author
Seth Godin
Ideavirus Author
Entrepreneur Advice - Complete List

Popular Articles
(Premium Authors)


Have A Suggestion?
Toronto Salsa Classes / Toronto Salsa Lessons Email us your ideas on how to make our website more valuable! Thank you Sharon from Toronto Salsa Lessons / Classes for your suggestions to make the newsletter look like the website and profile younger entrepreneurs like Jennifer Lopez and Sean Combs!
Have A Suggestion?

More Evan Carmichael
More Information