Introduction

Piers Mummery is Pierso: The Entrepreneurs’ Coach, an accomplished entrepreneur for over 30 years with multiple ventures under his belt. He’s founded, built, bought, sold and shut down businesses in multiple sectors.  

Now, among other things, supports, guides and enables entrepreneurs to achieve their success through powerful coaching. 

What You’ll Hear

• [1:24] About Piers and his business
• [2:10] Why Piers became an entrepreneur
• [3:08] How Piers comes up with business ideas
• [4:12] How Piers stays motivated
• [6:02] How to overcome challenges
• [8:40] How to overcome a dislike of sales
• [16:20] What success looks like
• [20:10] Why some entrepreneurs are more successful than others
• [24:30] The most interesting place Piers has visited
• [28:40] Final comments

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About Piers and His Business

In business for 35 years, Piers has been an entrepreneur for most of that time. He’s been in all kinds of industries, including retail, technology and telecommunications. Now, he shares what he’s learned to help other business owners. 

Why Piers Became an Entrepreneur

Piers says he was always headstrong and opinionated: “I always say, ‘I might be wrong, but I’m not uncertain’. I always wanted to do my own thing, from a very young age. I loved sales and marketing; the risk and excitement of doing things for myself.” 

How Piers Comes up with Business Ideas

The best type of business is something that’s touched you on a personal level, Piers says. There’s a multitude of opportunities in the world, but the businesses that resonate with him are the ones he’s had a connection with. 

This inspires him to come up with ideas for his own businesses. Entrepreneurs are good at spotting opportunities, and it’s about being curious and exploring the ideas you have.

How to Stay Motivated

It depends on the type of business, he says, but when you’re passionate about what you do it’s a lot easier to drive the business forward. Find something that you really care about that touches every fibre of your being, and it won’t feel like work. It’s something you adore doing, whether that’s baking cakes or building technology. 

When you’re not authentically connected to what you’re doing, and it hasn’t come directly from a part of yourself, that’s a lot harder. You have to find resilience, and you have to dig deep to find it. 

The world is full of setbacks, and if entrepreneurship was easy then everybody would do it. You have to believe that you can do it, and be disciplined and focused to develop that resilience. If you love what you do, it becomes natural that you want to make it happen. 

How to Overcome Challenges

First of all, Piers says you have to recognise the issue. Don’t deny the reality. Sh*t happens and you have to go through challenges to get to success. When you accept that you’ll face challenges, you’re better prepared for when things don’t go smoothly. 

From the moment you start your business, the tech fails or you get a paying customer, things can go wrong. That’s what being an entrepreneur is, and that’s why you need that passion. 

It’s a rare trait in entrepreneurs, but it’s about facing reality. Make sure you’re heading in the right direction and you can see the opportunities and the goals. Enjoy what you do and keep the faith.

How to Overcome a Dislike of Sales

A lot of people aren’t comfortable with the idea of selling themselves or their offerings. If you don’t have a natural sales ability, you can still run a successful business. 

Women in particular struggle with this, and Piers says that a theme that comes up a lot with the women he coaches is the idea of not being good enough. This is likely left over from a time when women tended to stay at home rather than being part of the workplace. 

Though, things are changing, and Piers works with female coaching clients on confidence and assertiveness. Once you realise and recognise your contribution, you’re unstoppable. 

Being in lockdown opened up the online world to around 1.5 million mums at home. Previously they’ve been told they couldn’t come back to work because they were expected to be in the office – now they don’t have to. 

Lots of mums have been able to return to work post-lockdown, and bring in to the workplace a lot of the skills they’ve developed at home – patience, teamwork, multi-tasking and organisation. 

Women in the workplace no longer have to be ball-busters in power suits – it’s about being authentic. Be yourself and let that natural authenticity come out. It’s tough in business because we’re often encouraged to wear a veneer and think about how we should do things. 

But putting these boundaries in place doesn’t allow people to operate as themselves. When you’re authentic, vulnerable and honest, it’s much easier. You’re not trying to be someone you’re not.

One positive about the lockdown is that it’s humanised people. We’re all on Zoom and seeing children and pets in the background, and we’re a lot more relaxed. We’re getting to know people and we’re able to be our authentic selves.

What Success Looks Like

Piers says that success is a journey, not a destination. A successful entrepreneur knows that you can’t have everything and you have to compromise sometimes. It could be in your relationships, your health or your finances. 

Success is a sense of fulfilment and happiness, and these are driven by different things at different times of your life. It comes in different guises, and that’s part of the fun of life. A lot of entrepreneurs have the wrong motivation – if you start a business just to make money, you won’t really feel fulfilled. 

It’s a balance of all the different things. Piers says he’s successful in different ways – with his children, his friends, his business, but he’s had failures too. These enable him to appreciate the successes. 

The less judgment you place on things, and the more awareness you bring, the easier the journey is. You’re operating at a higher level of consciousness without putting a label on what success or failure are. 

Why Some Entrepreneurs are More Successful Than Others

There are a number of different factors that make people successful, says Piers. It’s not just one ingredient. Things like taking action, having passion, determination, discipline and going the extra mile. “Why do some people seem more successful? Because they work harder and they’re more driven by their passion.” 

It’s the difference between an athlete and an Olympic athlete – they dig in to go the extra mile. You need fortitude and grit, but you also have to be determined. You have to hustle and work constantly at your business. People won’t just come to you. 

In the world today there is an abundance of information but a scarcity of attention. There are more communication methods, more content and more opportunities than ever before, but are you engaging? Are you learning constantly? 

The Most Interesting Place Piers has Visited

Piers says he’s very fortunate, because he’s lived in South Africa, Hong Kong, Chicago and London, and he’s travelled to a lot of countries around the world. It’s hard to choose one place that’s special, because they’re all special for different reasons.

“For me, it’s a multitude of places – I could pick five or 10 I’d like to go back to. I travelled a lot in the Far East and I’m keen to explore Vietnam and Cambodia and the cultural differences. 

“There’s a lot of shallowness in the West and a depth in the East. It’s part of that spiritual journey and learning about people and the meaning of things. That’s why I love coaching people too. It’s not cheerleading coaching but about cause and effect; what makes people tick.”

Final Comments

Piers says he’s a curious individual and loves hearing people’s stories. He wants to help people; if you’re feeling stuck, challenged or something is going well, tell him. Whether you’re starting a business or you run one, then get in touch. He’s on all social platforms or you can visit www.pierso.co.uk 

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