What mount Kilimanjaro taught me about been an entrepreneur

What Climbing Mount Kilimanjaro Taught Me About Climbing 'Mount Entrepreneur

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Recently, I watched An American Ascent, a documentary chronicling the first African American expedition to tackle Denali, North America's highest peak. I found the film compelling. Why? Because I love things that people say "you can't do" and because mountains absolutely fascinate me. They represent challenges, aspirations and the spiritual draw of nature.

Related: Climbing a Mountain, Whether Real or Figurative, Requires Calculated Risks

That's why, following the screening, I was delighted to be introduced as a "real mountaineer." My heart leaped -- no, it soared -- because I'd never expected to hear that description of me. But the descrption was accurate: I'd personally experienced the same as those Denali adventurers when I climbed Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania -- Africa's highest peak -- with GAdventures. Yep, the girl who shouldn't have, did!!!

I was from an Indian family, after all, and mountaineering wasn't the kind of thing a girl like me was supposed to do (that's another story). An American Ascent was similarly about breaking the rules and the bravery of seriously stepping out of one's comfort zone.

Now doesn't that sound like the life of entrepreneur? As professional mountaineer Adrian Ballinger has said, "Running a business is a lot like climbing a mountain." So, what lessons can we apply from mountaineering to climbing our own "Mount Entrepreneur"? I can think of eight.

1. Ignite your mission.

True entrepreneurs are about more than the pure desire to succeed. It's not just about "reaching the top of the mountain" for them. Their life has a mission: Design the next best technical product! Find a solution to a problem the world faces! As Peter Diamandis of XPRIZE has said, "If the risk is fully aligned with your purpose and mission, then it's worth considering."

Climbing a mountain has always been on my bucket list. Each time I thought of the milestone birthday coming up, I knew I just wanted to be on a mountain. Being there, that day, or in the process of climbing it was what mattered.

I had desperately wanted to do the things that weren't prescribed for kids from my background; that became my mission and driver. In business, it's the same, I'd never fitted in as a kid; I was awkward and different; I wanted to follow my own path. Today, I have a company that "unleashes the crazy" in people.

Image credit: GAdventures

Its mission: to help the world better understand different thinkers. That same kind of innate desire to be bigger, better stronger is what drove me up the mountain, just as it does in my business life.

That's the entrepreneurial spark: As motivational speaker Simon Sinek has said, "Start with why." Be crystal-clear on your why and be able to describe it in a one-to-two sentence elevator pitch that emotionally ignites you.

Related: How a Near-Death Mountain Climb Launched One of the Adventure World's Best-Known Brands

2. Accept the challenge.

Entrepreneurs accept the challenge to act on an idea. That challenge might take years of work and perseverance to realize, or it might be an overnight success. The fact is they execute on their ideas knowing that even as this journey commences, it starts with the first step. As Richard Branson said, "Dream big by setting yourself seemingly impossible challenges. You then have to catch up with them."

Yes, climbing Kilimanjaro was a challenge: I'm not the fittest person; when I hike, everyone is faster than me. But that stubborn determination was there: I could do this. So, I booked an expedition I couldn't back out on; I'd lose my down payment. Next was my training regime. Every day, I'd climb hills with a backpack laden with weights. It was tough, and I hadn't even gotten to Kili yet. Weeks on end of training followed.

Entrepreneurs need to recognize the right challenge when they find it -- whether to innovate their industry radically or incrementally. They need to be able to pivot when unforeseen opportunities present themselves. So, use your intuition and ask yourself, does this challenge still feel right for me? You don't want to spend years climbing the wrong mountain for you, do you?

3. Think beyond your limitations.

Entrepreneurs deliberately choose to climb steep mountains instead of walking up small hills. We call successful entrepreneurs visionaries because they don't put a limit on how far their thoughts can take them. As Elon Musk said, "We spend too much time on small ideas."

At Kiil's base, I was full of energy and anticipation. Spirits were high and I was just happy to be there. But, as the climbing commenced, I began to feel that I had bitten off more than I could chew. The food tasted bland, I was struggling to keep up with the group and felt I was slowing them down.

The higher we climbed, the more my body rebelled. I hadn't known how the altitude would affect me: Physically, I was running on empty; my energy levels were depleted; I lost my appetite. I was drawing on everything I had just to make it through the day. I felt alone and angry that all the training hadn't paid off.

Yet that stubbornness that gets me through most tough things in life was there: I didn't ask myself, would I make it to the top or not? I didn't waste time thinking about the reasons I couldn't. But I did question myself as to what reserves, physical and mental I could draw on to push past the limits.

Similarly, great entrepreneurs don't limit themselves or their businesses.They ask questions like: If there were no limitations on time or money, what could this venture look like? They see a limitless version of themselves and strive to live it. Do you know the limitless version of you and how that could impact your business?

4. Don't climb looking at the ground.

It's common for entrepreneurs to spend years trudging down the wrong path, only to hit a dead end, look back and see how clear the warning signs were on their journey.

As you climb your entrepreneurial mountain, be sure not do it with your head down. High performers recognize and schedule vital reflection time, enabling themselves to step back from their day-to-day challenges to assess their journey and progress.

Climbing was demanding and I fell further behind the pace of the group every day. I climbed as best I could, took more breaks and kept going. I arrived at each camp often hours after the others; but make it to camp I did. I knew that if I tried to keep pace with everyone, I'd never make it. I had to go at my pace, or it was game over.

Image credit: GAdventures

Keeping a journal about how I felt and what was driving me helped me stay ocused. I came to understand the word grit better than ever. Doing so reminded me that my heart had decided to climb Kili long before my head and body did.

Entrepreneurship too is a difficult journey and we need to think on what is working, what is not and how we are to keep the company alive. Make it a habit to reflect on your actions and decisions. Document your thoughts and feelings as an audio or journal them. Those nuggets of wiseness may be useful in your future [ad]ventures.

Are you able to recognize the lessons from your entrepreneurial journey that may better you or others if you were to share the learns?

5. Doubt -- no doubt.

Sometimes, it's others who doubt your abilities; sometimes, it's you, yourself. In 1975, Junko Tabei became the first woman to summit Everest and then all Seven Summits. She said, "There was never a question in my mind that I wanted to climb that mountain, no matter what other people said." Entrepreneurs too question their skills, capabilities and determination. Don't be discouraged by these entrepreneurial mind games. They are normal.

As my climb progressed, the length of time it took to cover the same ground as the group increased. The guides voiced their doubts whether I could make it in the group's allotted time frame. So, I asked if I could start the final ascent two hours before the others. Yes, the doubts were there, yet hand in hand with them was the pig-headed stubborn determination that has helped me in every major endeavor in life.

Entrepreneurs often use their determination to overcome their doubts. The smart ones don't go it alone, and have strategies and people in place for when the doubts set in. They explore the doubts to understand why the doubt exists.