3 Key Ways To Make Your Bright Ideas Look Brilliant As An Entrepreneur

Everyone wants to be the boss until the invoice comes in. 

With the rise of social media, it’s easy to see the accolades, the 30 under 30 lists, the stages, the magazine mentions, and think ‘wow being an entrepreneur is amazing.’ But what you don’t see are the little details that go into creating true longevity as a founder. 

One of my favorite quotes is by Robert Collier. He says, “success is the sum of small efforts, repeated day in and day out.” Becoming a business owner with a profitable revenue model is about more than the shine. Sustainability as an entrepreneur comes from creating a company that directly solves a pain point for your customers, building the right team, and investing in your ideas. 

It all starts with an idea. But ideas are a dime a dozen. What makes a founder successful at turning bright ideas into a brilliant reality? After 11 years as a founder/CEO, here are a few key things I’ve learned that can help you achieve more as an entrepreneur. 

The secret to brilliance? It’s simplicity and expertise displayed effortlessly. The way to communicate a complex project or topic simply is by knowing the topic inside and out. Brilliance takes work. Do your research, practice your craft, and study the industry you’re in. Keeping yourself prepared for any opportunity that comes your way is how you generate your own luck and create more moments to demonstrate your brilliance.

Whether your business is B2B or B2C, anyone who is paying you for your product or service is a client. Landing a client that has a major budget to take your business to the next level requires persistence and diligence. As a founder of an independent media company, I often have to go above and beyond to get the attention of the right agencies and brand reps that align with Her Agenda’s capabilities, especially those who have the intention of reaching our audience. We’re not a household name yet, so I have to strategically and diligently reach out to potential clients to let them know we exist. One way I do this often is through lunch and learn presentations at agencies during seasons where they’re about to go into planning mode. These sessions don’t always lead to a direct sell right away, but the goal is to simply build a relationship and eventually work together when and if it makes sense. 

In these moments, first impressions are important. Don’t wing it. Even if the meeting is a casual intro, I like to practice and run through what I plan to share with mentors or my team. In these circumstances, the details truly matter to help the ideas I’m presenting shine through. Attention to detail is essential, especially details that most tend to be overlooked in the digital age like actually printing out the presentation. 

Not only is printing a hard copy going to be useful and memorable, but it can go a step further to create a wow factor if you use quality paper. At Her Agenda, whenever I am closing a deal with a client or introducing our brand, and I have the opportunity to meet with them in person, I pull out a pack of Boise POLARIS® Premium paper. This premium paper line is perfect for important documents and impressing clients because of the smooth finish, thickness and radiant brightness for crisp text and sharp images. With a bright, sturdy paper, you can make the right impression and help make your bright ideas look brilliant.

In addition, using Boise Paper’s premium paper line saves time. If I’m in a jam and need to print an extra presentation at the last minute, I’m confident I can do it in a pinch because Boise has a 99.99% Jam-Free® Performance Guarantee. 

So the next time you’re about to go in front of a big client, are you going to simply do the default and print on plain computer paper, or take your attention to detail above and beyond with Boise POLARIS® Premium paper?

Entrepreneurship is full of extreme highs and lows. In the course of a day, you can experience joy, defeat, imposter syndrome, victory, and loss in the span of a few hours. In those moments of defeat, in the midst of the marathon when you feel like you can’t go on, it helps to remind yourself about who you are! Do this by showcasing your achievements! The same way you go above and beyond for your clients, you should take the same approach for yourself. Pull out a premium Boise Paper product, and print out your wins – praiseworthy emails, a tweet that made you feel seen, or your most recent press mention. With Boise POLARIS® Premium papers, you’ll see your wins more boldly and vividly, with the Colorlok Technology™ the colors pop off the page.

Showcasing your wins for yourself matters, but don’t be afraid to also share those wins with your network. It may feel like you’re bragging but if it’s facts, then you’re simply stating what’s true about you. You’re great, and the world should know.

“Put your wins out there” is something that we as women need to do more often- and get comfortable with – as pointed out in this piece, “Why all women should learn to self-promote like a politician.” The author further points out, “when you talk with other people about what you want to achieve, vague aspirations often start to harden into reality.” And I’d add that when you achieve, it’s important to show your receipts. Remind yourself and showcase your wins to others with quality and style using Boise POLARIS® Premium paper, offering quality you can trust in every sheet.

[Editor’s note: This article is sponsored by Boise Paper. Opinions and thoughts in this article are reflective the author’s experience and insight.]