In fact, noted life and financial coach Tony Robbins once said, “If you want to be successful, find someone who has achieved the results you want and copy what they do, and you’ll achieve the same results.”

It may not be quite as easy as Robbins suggests, as there could certainly be myriad variables on our individual journeys, but the overarching point is still valid. Studying the habits of highly successful people, emulating the parts of their journey that directly apply to your goals and adapting other skills and ideas that fit your personality and plan offers a shortcut to success.

Beehive State buzz

The entrepreneurial spirit is certainly alive and well in Utah.

According to Forbes, over the past decade, Utah has routinely ranked as one of the best states for business. Some factors for that include a friendly regulatory climate that features large growth potential. The state is home to more than 313,500 small-business owners.

In fact, small businesses in Utah account for 99.3% of all private enterprises in the state, and 45.4% of all employees in the state work for small businesses. Additionally, WalletHub released a ranking in January that positioned Utah in the top spot of best states in which to start a business.

Utah County itself is home to Silicon Slopes, a business enclave in the north part of the county and into Salt Lake boasting dozens of high-tech startups. A play off of Silicon Valley in California, Silicon Slopes boasts better transportation options, more affordable housing and a burgeoning, qualified and tech-savvy workforce.

The point of pivot

When it comes to emulating successful entrepreneurs, Utah County resident Tony Child has made a business of it. A longtime banking executive, Child spent decades coaching Utah’s top executives, business owners and athletes. In a lot of those sessions, he noted similar attributes and mindsets in those who were most successful. Taking those and adding his own beliefs and experiences, Child created a program that challenges entrepreneurs to rethink the way they approach daily challenges.

Child has since taken his talents to Lehi, where he founded his own personal motivational coaching and consulting business: Elevated Worldwide. Child now shares his transformational insights for high-performing entrepreneurs around the country.

Child says he routinely asks himself, “What am I doing this week that gets me out of my comfort zone?” He encourages clients to do something each week that forces them to push their envelope and embrace the growth opportunities that come from consistently putting themselves out there.

“There’s huge risk in doing that, but there’s more risk if you don’t,” he said. “Part of being able to think like successful people think is getting familiar with being unfamiliar. When somebody tells me, ‘You’re not normal,’ I say, ‘Thank you!’ I want to surround myself with people that not only recognize what their dreams are but are willing to really go after them.”

Child says he walks clients through the process of recognizing past hurts and beliefs that hold them back in life and relationships, and recognizing their full potential by rediscovering their passion and confidence.

“Most often, this journey isn’t necessarily about learning new things,” Child said. “It is about remembering and connecting with what you’ve long forgotten.”

Child will be bringing his seminal two-day entrepreneurship event, Pivot Point, to Riverside Country Club in Provo this Thursday and Friday. The event is geared toward entrepreneurs and other motivated individuals seeking definitive changes in their professional lives. During the event, Child and the Elevated Worldwide team will work with participants to drive peak performance in every area of their lives by repositioning the way they approach the power of goals, action, reflection, awareness, mind, belief, decisions and paradigms.

“Pivot Point is for those who hunger to unleash improved productivity in ways they haven’t yet recognized,” said Child. “It’s for risk-takers, entrepreneurs and business owners who are ready to take big steps to tap into greater potential while recognizing bigger opportunities and rewards.”

To learn more about Pivot Point or the work Elevated Worldwide is doing, visit keepelevated.com.

Habits of successful entrepreneurs

There are as many worthwhile attributes of successful entrepreneurs as there are varieties of businesses themselves. Still, there are clear commonalities that many of the most prosperous people share.

According to Forbes, there are 10 proven habits of highly successful entrepreneurs:

• Read.
• Get adequate sleep.
• Practice money management.
• Exercise.
• Aggressively create and protect time for relaxing.
• Set big, clear goals.
• Focus on high-value tasks.
• Constantly build powerful networks.
• Create success routines.
• Are always seeking to fail.

Several of those are things anyone can start doing immediately, while others may require more effort, time and vision. Why not pick something from the list and implement it into your schedule today?

Utah provides a fostering environment for those with the entrepreneurial spirit, and there are local resources available for those wanting to further tap into their potential. Studying the habits of successful business owners and deploying them in your own efforts can put you several steps ahead on the road to improvement.

Doug Fox is a project manager at Stage Marketing, a full-service content marketing agency based in Pleasant Grove.