“I noticed that as things would grow, I’d be afraid, and I would wonder why I was so scared of this amazing opportunity.” ~ Andrew Valyear
Andrew Valyear is a high mountain backcountry adventurer and guide, as well as the founder and president of the award-winning smart home company, Uplynk, his company that turns homes and businesses into high-tech work & living spaces. In this episode, he shares the deepest corners of his journey as an entrepreneur, starting with building computers in the family business at the age of 10, through the high mountain glaciers of British Columbia, and back home again where he found himself…completely stuck.
Those who know Andrew (spoiler alert!) know that if he hasn’t totally overcome his fear-based inertia, he has certainly become highly skilled at managing his way around it and has gone on to build a highly impactful and successful business. Pressed for some of the secrets he has learned along the journey, he notes that self-awareness and self-knowledge are the most important powers any of us can develop. Noticing when things aren’t feeling right and having the ability to pick at that feeling until he knows what action to take to resolve it is what now keeps him from getting stuck or gets him to the next level if he does feel stuck.
Further, (shameless plug alert, but bear with us!) he shares that one of the other best decisions he ever made was to get involved with networking groups and accelerators such as chambers of commerce, and BACD. The Canadian GDP is composed of 40% small businesses and so there are leagues of people invested in your success; take the help.
Mentioned in this episode:
https://www.dent.global/accelerators/ – The accelerator program that Andrew says improved his focus and changed his business forever.
The Inevitable: Understanding the 12 Technological Forces That Will Shape Our Future by Kevin Kelly.
