From Side-Hustler to Front-and-Center CEO: Renzie Richardson’s Advice for Professional Growth

The void between being a startup entrepreneur and a CEO lies in your mind. Who you are and how you are, are linked to what your business is and how your business functions.

My name is Renzie Richardson, and I am the founder and CEO of BHFL Group, a better thinking group that helps industry professionals achieve better business results. I specialize in creating CEOs out of small business owners by figuring out how their mind works and using that information to their advantage.

All businesses are not cookie-cutter. All people are not wired the same. While some prefer to focus on eliminating flaws, I like to focus on your strengths. You can use them in creative ways to achieve all kinds of goals. Tapping into understanding your behavior is the first step. Then, you must leverage your findings to tap into your strengths. I look for a baseline when coaching, and you can do this for yourself.

You need to understand your ‘wiring’ to discern if you have the right talent to take you where you have never been in your career — and if you do not hold those talents within yourself, you must find a mentor to teach them to you. In other words, you must find those skills externally to bring them inward.

For example, some people are highly logical, while others lean much more into their emotions. Knowing this about yourself will help you understand which approach(es) to take.

We are all wired in terms of our preferences, how we think, how our experiences shape our interactions, and how we interact with our surroundings. I recommend reading up on Ned Herman and Dr. David Rock. I love what they have to say about the brain and how we think.

The Four Quadrants

I work in what I call the ‘Four Quadrants.’ They are:

1. Logical — “Just the facts, Jack.” These people are logical and rationa, and can spend a lot of time getting lost in the numbers or solving problems.
2. Emotional — people who are passionate and tend to make decisions based on those emotions or sensing
3. Visionary — people who are innovative and see into the future but might not have the skills or clarity to bring those dreams to fruition.
4. Planner – people who like details and likes to anticipate how future events will play out

However, just because people lean into one or two quadrants over another doesn’t mean they cannot function on those other planes. We can operate in all Four Quadrants, but we all prefer to perform in one over the other three because it is innately how we are wired. We grow by learning how to make our primary quadrant work for us and learning skills and flexing in the other three quadrants.

Next Steps

If you are serious about becoming a successful CEO, master focus and strategy. And make sure to share your vision — even if it feels scary at first. It will get easier with practice!

Speaking of practice, mastering the skill of focus takes a heavy dose of continuous training. Figure out what works best for you. Does having a set schedule or time to start your entrepreneurial work help? Or perhaps a particular type of music or rules about distractions. For many, it is a combination of these.

But don’t worry if your solution looks different from someone else’s. Think about how you function rather than how others think you should function. Some people need to stand while they work and munch on weird snacks, while others prefer to do all their work (including workouts) late into the wee hours of the evening and morning.

As for strategy, answer these questions:

• Where are you now?
• Where do you want to go?
• How are you going to get there?

Write your answers down, and come back to those questions periodically to ensure you are on the right track — or reevaluate if the track has shifted. You can do this daily, weekly, monthly, or quarterly, but I don’t suggest putting it off for longer than that.

Becoming a CEO lies in the brain and heart. From there, you can discover how to do your best work. Look inward to flourish in your external pursuits!

About Renzie Richardson: Renzie Richardson is the Founder and CEO of the BHFL Group and the new 12-Step Signature Coaching Program. She has helped over 500 clients bridge the void from start-up entrepreneur to CEO. Click here to learn more about her signature offer.

Have you read?
How to build a resilient and healthier mindset, and why it matters by Margie Ireland.
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Fight Digital Fatigue with Deep Customer Personalization by Hanif Joshaghani.
Mutual Benefit Conflict Resolution by Rick Brandon.