As all signs point to increasing entrepreneurialism worldwide, in the market for self-help, professional coaching and entrepreneurial counsel have both spiked in demand.
Evidence of this is visible in always-quick-to-trend reality TV series like Shark Tank and The Profit. Even CNN recently covered an entrepreneurial cruise that set sail with the likes of Saudi princes, Google executives, and WordPress founders. The rest of the passenger manifest was comprised of countless emerging and would-be entrepreneurs. The topic of this ‘3-hour tour’? Global entrepreneurialism. Presentations aimed at the challenges entrepreneurs face encouraged them to stay the course rather than throw in the towel or stall out due to sheer overload.
Working with entrepreneurs to prevent and overcome pitfalls and stagnation for the last 20 years is Dr. Ken Christian. Dr. Christian confronts that ambiguous middle ground between past successes and future greatness. He says his job is “to pierce the shroud that keeps high achievers from making the most of their talent and opportunities. I get them back on task, with passion, creativity and purpose when their momentum flags.”
Christian framed and toned his professional career with his Max Potential Project, which identifies and removes stall pattern triggers. “I conduct evidence-based programs that help successful achievers make transitions to greater lasting career success and stronger business and personal relationships.”
“When high achievers face defining moments, they sometimes begin to build in excuses for potential failures, such as taking excessive or insufficient risks. These provide excuses, but undercut success,” noted Dr. Christian in a recent interview. “Self-handicapping is a form of self-sabotage that involves limiting or self-defeating choices right at the brink of victory.”
Dr. Christian’s sentiments echo those of sports journalist, columnist, and perennial underdog fan Heywood Broun: “The tragedy of life is not that man loses, but that he almost wins.”
Dr. Christian’s clients look to him for help in not only their professional lives but also their personal lives and relationships. “I was wrestling with a large change in my life: whether or not to sign a recording contract in Paris,” noted Dr. Christian’s client musician Matthew Andrae. “I was conflicted because I thought I would lose control over my music, miss out on my young daughter’s growing up, cease to recognize myself and my self-identity, lose all the gigs that I had worked so hard for in Santa Fe, and lose contact with all my friends, and all because I was thinking about making a change. I was afraid to rock the boat. With Ken’s help, I was able to see that I shape my world, not the other way around. And that I will be ready for success when it comes, even if I don’t feel like that right now; that waiting around for another opportunity like this one (Paris) was simply not an option.”
“Because of the changes I made, I now have a great recording deal, I’m privileged to perform with some of my musical heroes [including Imogen Heap] – all while spending quality time with my family, and pursuing my lifelong dream of completing my degree at Harvard University. I have learned that small changes can make a huge difference and that welcoming change can become a habit.”
For Dr. Christian, this type of Max Potential realization is the true goal, fostering personal growth while initiating movement over hesitation.