Tom Hanks’ long-term presence in various professions such as acting, producing, writing, directing, and app producer has placed him among the Hollywood elite; While he has maintained his reputation as the kindest man in the city.
Tom Hanks’ ambition was clear from the beginning. When he was only 18 years old, he wrote a letter to the acclaimed director of the day, George Roy Hill, outlining all the ways George Hill could discover his stardom.
This letter, which was both brave and funny, exemplifies the entrepreneurial principles we talk about in their mod: Hanks took a risk. He saw an opportunity to make connections and had a clear picture of what he wanted to achieve (I don’t want to be one of those Hollywood superstars with a huge teenage following, I’m just a boy who became famous in his own time, a has a Porsche and calls Robert Redford “Bob”).
The entrepreneurial spirit that Tom Hanks showed as a teenager has also shown itself throughout his career. In this article, we have compiled a list of the top seven business lessons from his perspective that he mentioned in his interviews:
Entrepreneurship lesson from Tom Hanks
1- Embrace the fear that comes with taking a chance.
Choosing an entrepreneurial path is a scary task compared to choosing a 9-5 employee job. You risk your time, money, and reputation for a dream; It is really scary and stressful. When those risks pay off, part of the pride you’ll feel will come from the scary moments you overcame to achieve success. Entrepreneurs have understood this; Hanks is the same.
Tom Hanks once said, “My job is more interesting than interesting, but more than anything, it’s still scary.” You’re always kind of walking on a razor’s edge… If I hadn’t had the chance to do what I’ve done, I’d be missing out on a lot. That fear makes me feel alive. Unlike anything else in the world, this fear is a wonderful feeling.
2- Don’t let fear make you lazy
The first time you taste success, you feel that it’s time to lie down on the sofa and think about your success. The best entrepreneurs will tell you not to. There’s no guarantee these moments will last, especially if you lose sight of the bigger picture.
As Tom Hanks said in his 1989 interview: “When you’re successful, you get a lot of attention. The movie “Splash” sold 80 million dollars and the movie “Bachelor Party” sold 40 million dollars. You think to yourself that I knew how to do it. But after only two films, you can’t guess anything, unless you are complacent and lazy.”
3- Identify the heroes.
People who have been there before you and achieved success are a great source of inspiration and advice. Find out who inspires you and why. This can help you shape your strategy and goals. Hanks on the person who inspired him. It says: “Robert Duvall. It is enough to cross the street and definitely Jack Nicholson and Robert De Niro. I watch everything Jason Rubazdez does. Steve McQueen; He was a really nice person. Also directors, Stanley Kubrick was a great person for me.
4- Expect that things will not always go smoothly.
The road to success is often stormy (do we need to repeat that Steve Jobs was once fired from Apple?) As an entrepreneur, you will experience ups and downs. Pay attention to the results. Take small steps and try hard.
“Something happened in my high school,” says Hanks. I took a drama unit that set my career path… so I majored in performing arts… and went to Shabbos College; Where there was a great theater department. I started working as a lighting and stage designer. It was after that that I started participating in the Shakespeare Festival. It was really a great opportunity for me.
I went to Sarcamento as a professional actor and then returned to New York with my wife and child. This job was like a fight for my life… It really was… I was unemployed and I was trying to get a role. Two years passed like this. I ended up getting a role in a low-budget film and that’s when I progressed. I played a role on the ABC channel and we went to California.”
5- Know that failure is a learning opportunity.
The first step to knowing what works is knowing what doesn’t! Making mistakes is a big part of the entrepreneurial process and the wrong steps you take in the beginning can lead to your success in the end.
Hanks said: “You learn more from your mistakes than from the things you did right. I worked harder on Turner & Hoch than 80% of my other films.”
6- Be interested and show it.
People are attracted to big ideas as much as they are attracted to passion. You have to believe in your business and let others see your motivation. After all, if you don’t care about what you’re doing, why should investors or customers care?
Hanks knows this very well: “I had lived in New York for a few years and I think I had developed a defence mechanism against filming, and that mechanism was to not care too much about filming.
And that’s why I came to the recording very casually and without interest. This broke everyone’s nerves; Because I had to try to show them that I have a wonderful and unique talent. When you are like this, people will hate you.”
7- Know that myths are not made overnight.
Would you like to build the next powerful social network? It’s possible… but you shouldn’t expect it to happen overnight. Almost 9 out of 10 businesses fail; Even if you own a business that is thriving, there is no guarantee that your next business will be as well. It is better to pay attention to goal setting and realism.
“In this business, jobs are built on longevity,” says Hanks.