“Without consultation, plans are frustrated, but with many counsellors they succeed.” Proverbs 15:22

For over a year now, I have been part of a health and wellness business. In our company, one of our valued mottos is “Training is everything. Learning is everything.” We are being taught that success is not instant. Before we earn, we need to learn. Before we succeed, we need to plant the seed. And part of planting the seed is getting all the advice and knowledge we can get about the business from people who have already mastered the craft. So every week, our leaders conduct free trainings and mentoring on the ins and outs of the business.

At first, I thought attending and listening to the seminars and trainings would be a waste of time since I thought I already knew everything. I thought that conducting the business was just a breeze and using my stock knowledge was enough. Or so I thought.

God showed me how wrong I was to assume that I can do it on my own. Unfortunately, I learned it the hard way. Because I did not seek a mentor, I was not productive during the first few months of just me doing the business. I didn’t get any commissions and my sales moved slowly. I wasn’t getting new customers or prospects. It was a very humbling time for me.

So I asked God, being the greatest mentor and adviser, to teach me what to do. As I prayed, he reminded me that I do not know everything and that my pride will get me nowhere near success. As said in Proverbs 15:22, “Without consultation, plans are frustrated, but with many counsellors they succeed.” I had plenty of plans in my mind on how to run my business. But because I did not seek advice from God and from people who know it best, my plans failed.

Just like what business writer Caroline Baxter said: “More experienced and qualified people (a mentor) may be able to offer sound and important advice on certain situations. Often, they will share their own failures and bad times and you can draw on this experience to enhance your journey as an entrepreneur.” ( Source: http://www.coxblue.com/why-getting-advice-is-important-for-young-entrepreneurs/)

Sure enough, the moment I started seeking God’s will and consulting a mentor on how to effectively manage my business, I began to see wonderful results! My sales increased, I learned new techniques in prospecting, and I even learned how to set audacious goals. I even got my first commission after I consistently attended the series of trainings. I also remember one of my mentors saying that the moment we stop learning, we stop growing.

If you are into business right now and you think you already know everything, think again. You might be missing out on the secret to your success just because you’re turning a deaf ear to sound advice. An article from Harvard Business Review says that seeking advice helps us solve problems easily and that “…those who are truly open to guidance…develop better solutions to problems than they would have on their own.”(Source: https://hbr.org/2015/01/the-art-of-giving-and-receiving-advice> by David A. Garvin and Joshua D. Margolis )

So admit you don’t know everything. Stop being a know-it-all entrepreneur. Instead, pray to God. Ask him to melt your pride and give you wisdom. Then find the right people who can give you wise counsel about your business. Even great and rich kings in Bible times sought advice. It’s never too late to ask. You just have to choose to ask.