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Many factors contribute to success. Some we can control and some we can’t. But there’s one factor that separates the somewhat successful from the highly successful: setting goals and sticking to them. Whatever fortune or misfortune you may encounter, you have to stay laser-focused on achieving your goals if you want to realize your dreams. The place to start is by holding yourself accountable every day for accomplishing the tasks that will bring you closer to your goal.
In this episode, Gail Doby talks with businesswoman, entrepreneur and philanthropist Liz Elting. Co-founder and former CEO of one of the world’s biggest translation services providers, TransPerfect, she has appeared on Forbes’ list of the Richest Self-made Women every year since 2016. She recently published her first book, an instant bestseller, Dream Big and Win.
Gail started the conversation by asking Liz, when she first had the idea for her company, if she ever thought one day it would be worth more than $1 billion. Liz said not in those terms. She knew she wanted it to be the biggest and the best. She had the drive and a strong work ethic her parents had instilled in her. “I’m a big believer in grit, staying in there, working hard, and sacrificing,” she said.
Growing and running a business is hard, Liz noted. To stay positive and motivated, you need to derive pleasure from what you’re doing, such as achieving your goals and your purpose. Surround yourself with a team that’s like-minded and is invested in making the business a success.
In her book, Liz talks about the importance of self-accountability to achieving success and realizing your dreams. Doing always eclipses dreaming, she writes. First, she said, you need to nail down what your goal is. Then, identify the actions you need to take every day, every week and every month to achieve that goal. Finally, make yourself accountable to yourself to take those actions and complete those tasks.
“People can have big goals, but then they get distracted and don’t hold themselves accountable for achieving their goals,” Liz said. She cited a Harvard Business School study that found only three percent of people actually have specific goals, write them down and talk about them with others. Those people, the study found, earn up to ten times as much as the people who do not have and/or act on specific goals.
Gail and Liz touched on several topics during their conversation, including the challenges of being a mother and running a business, how best to manage employees, and the qualities of a great leader. Gail also asked Liz about her foundation and other philanthropic pursuits. For details, listen to the entire podcast.
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Mentioned in This Podcast
To learn more about Liz and her new book, Dream Big and Win: Translating Passion Into Purpose and Creating a Billion-Dollar Business, visit her website at lizelting.com.
For more about the mission and activities of the Elizabeth Elting Foundation, go to the foundation’s website at www.elizabetheltingfoundation.org.