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What is the most terrified, run-for-your life scared you have ever been? 

For me, it’s Roger the Rooster. The following story is 100% truth.  

Growing up, one of the neighbors, Al, worked at a chicken house. He often brought home mutant chickens. Think 2 heads, 6 wings, 4 legs…yeah for realz, these creatures lived and existed.  

But, the one beast he had that defied logic was Roger The Rooster. Roger’s gift was he never stopped growing. I was a short 8-year-old kid and truthfully Roger was taller by nearly a foot….He had legs like bicycle grips, claws of a velociraptor. A-t-t-i-t-u-d-e? He was Chuck Norris x 10. Even Al feared that Rooster.  

Of course, it happened. Roger got loose. As the littlest kid (slowest runner) I knew I was dead meat. Imagine Jurassic Park and a charging Velociraptor, but real!….I turned, slipped and fell. The last thing I remember is Roger in the air, talons extended, launching toward me.

I did the only thing I could. I swung my toy cap gun at him…as luck (and the finger of God) would have it, I somehow connected. One swing, Roger flopped over. I had slain Roger. I broke out into tears. How was I gonna tell Al I had pistol-whipped his prize rooster? 

Today: 
-The memory of slaying Roger still haunts me 
-I am still leery of chickens, especially roosters. Who’s the real chicken?  
– I prefer process, procedure & evaluative thinking…and no longer pack a cap gun. 
– Luck can change everything 
– Al was a forgiving and kind man 

Follow Kevin Belz on Linkedin for more wisdom, humor, and just good stuff.

I really hate fear! I also really despise complacency.

But, I love 𝙘𝙤𝙣𝙛𝙞𝙙𝙚𝙣𝙘𝙚. Confidence allows us to reach for new goals, tackle new obstacles, and simply means “𝙬𝙚 𝙖𝙧𝙚 𝙘𝙖𝙥𝙖𝙗𝙡𝙚”.

Today, Team RemainSafe is moving into our new manufacturing and production facility so we can triple down on 𝙘𝙤𝙣𝙛𝙞𝙙𝙚𝙣𝙘𝙚.

If you live in the southeast US, December was the deadliest and most active tornado season to date. I met friends over the holidays that talked about waking up their spouse in the middle of the night to get into their basement. I talked to co-workers who visited Kentucky and were devastated by the destruction.

To make an 𝙞𝙣𝙛𝙞𝙣𝙞𝙩𝙚 𝙞𝙢𝙥𝙖𝙘𝙩 on this world, we only need to reach one (1) person… that one person could go on to impact one additional person, and so on and so on…

So, whether you are an entrepreneur setting out on your new endeavor, a school teacher preparing to head back to school, or a 12 year old little girl playing in her first “A” team basketball game as a 6th grader against 8th graders, lead with 𝙘𝙤𝙣𝙛𝙞𝙙𝙚𝙣𝙘𝙚.

RemainSafe is a BlackSmith Ventures portfolio company that acquired the decade old storm shelter company, SteelSafe Shelters.  December 2021 has set the record for the deadliest December in history and our teams are working hard to fill demand.  

RemainSafe offers a wide variety of above ground and below ground storm shelters, tornado shelters, and safe rooms.  For more information, visit us online at www.RemainSafe.com or call (256)-506-9449.  

We are installing shelters throughout the southeast.

The tornados that ravaged through Kentucky, Illinois, Missouri, Tennessee, and Arkansas on Dec 10-11 resulted in the deadliest on record in December. The final count that night had 

𝟲𝟵 Confirmed Tornados
𝟵𝟬 Confirmed Fatalities
𝟮 EF-4 Tornados

RemainSafe is one of our BlackSmith Ventures platform companies and focuses on the design, manufacturing, and installation of FEMA Compliant Safe Rooms, Tornado Shelters, and Panic Rooms.

I want to take a moment to recognize Carol Robertson for working around the clock during this unsettling time. Her heartfelt dedication to those impacted is encouragement to us all. It was so encouraging this week to see here get recognized by one of our new customers (see the note he wrote her in the photos).

To learn more about RemainSafe or any of the Blacksmith Ventures companies scan the QR code in the photos below.

Safe Rooms Save Lives

#BSV
#tornadoshelter
#emergencypreparedness
#stormshelter

In 2021, I began to realize that the industries we serve at #BSV (Clean Energy, Oil & Gas, Logistics, Mining, and Emergency Preparedness) were going through somewhat of a digital transformation.

I started getting more serious about Linkedin in August 2021 as many of our customers moved online (some had been there for a long time and some still haven’t migrated online yet). In that time, I’ve met some amazing people from all over the world.

But, being yourself on social media is a challenge for many.

I think to learn anything new, you have to just practice. I started really “practicing” in August of this year when I decided to post daily content here on Linkedin. It was really hard at first… Over time it got easier… Just remember, perfection doesn’t exist so just go be you. Failure doesn’t exist – learning does.

Entrepreneurs, Business Owners, and Founders:

 – If you are new to social media, starting is the hardest part. I learned by engaging with others, commenting on other’s posts, and then beginning to post.

 – Next step once you get comfortable? Stay consistent, evaluate, modify if needed, pivot if needed, just tell your story, inform, and invite.

My biggest takeaway is to find out where your customer’s hang out and ask yourself how you can provide the most value to them.

Each month, Kevin Belz, ZINEB LAYACHI, and I hop on a “Jam Session” where we talk #entrepreneurship and #founderstories.
Love to have you join us sometime.

As we begin to slow down for the holidays and 2021 comes to an end, I find it empowering to refocus on what we can control, what we can influence, and what we can impact. To get clear, I believe we must start with an open-minded mental state.

One of the greatest qualities of an Entrepreneur, Founder, or Business Owner is the ability to lead with an open mind. Here are the top five (5) attributes an open-mind brings in leadership:

 – Willingness to change, adapt, and pivot rapidly as new information, new opportunities, or new details are learned.

 – Willingness to learn from others (this has been my number 1 take-away from 2021). When you surround yourself with the best and brightest – you experience a level of acceleration like never before.

 – You see “failure” as a learning experience and a necessary component to reaching your maximum potential.

 – You’re able to challenge “limiting” beliefs. The most successful people ask questions and know they aren’t the smartest cookies in the room. This is often hard for us entrepreneurs, but a key ingredient in our success.

 – Being open to others ideas, perspectives, and experiences is a game changer… Surround yourself with others who challenge, accelerate, and motivate you. This can be a Mastermind group, Board of Directors, or simply a peer group.

If you are going to change the world, start by making sure you’re ready to change yourself… Let’s go win the day!

As I write this on December 22, 2021, we find ourselves rapidly approaching the end of one year and the beginning of another. The two weeks around Christmas and New Years are a wonderful time for me to break old habits and create new schedules. The “pressure” of the work week is somewhat “off” and we are allowed to dream, create, relax, but still “do”. You see, the life of an entrepreneur is never really off… The desire to create, conquer, discover, and learn are always present pushing us harder and faster.

Today, I share my “word” for 2022 as I sit here sipping a French Press coffee in my kitchen. Today, was my first time in years that I took an extra 15 minutes to prepare a ‘special’ coffee for my wife. Life is normally too busy so we just throw a cup (any cup) under the Keurig, press go, and run to the next task. Today, was purposefully different. Today, was about the small, but important – and special – moments in life. Today is about Simplicity, Effectiveness, and Acceleration.

During my first entrepreneurial venture, I would informally pick a word that would represent the goal for the year. I’m not sure how or why I got away from that habit, but guessing its because three (3) small kids combined with navigating a rapidly changing world caused enough distraction that I veered off a bit. Well, I’m fixing that now. In 2022, I’m picking a word that I’ll carry with me on the daily journey of Entrepreneurship.

My word for 2022 is “SEA”. I love water and everything it represents. The abundance of the ocean… The vastness of opportunity… The depth and richness of color… The power combined with calmness is incredible to me.

The “S” represents “SIMPLICITY”.

My theory for 2022 is that by simplifying, I’m compounding… Less is more… I don’t mean less work, but I mean vetting each and every decision around whether this adds a layer of complexity or simplicity.

The “E” represents “EFFECTIVENESS”.

The definition of effectiveness is the degree to which something is successful in producing a desired result; success. My theory here is that if I gauge each task, activity, meeting, or endeavor against my goals for 2022, I’ll be able to vet its effectiveness toward reaching that goal.

The “A” represents “ACCELERATION”.

As an entrepreneur, I’m wired to be an accelerator. In fact, my #1 takeaway from 2021 is that the more quality people you surround yourself with the faster you will accelerate your business, life, and goals. I’m the CEO and cofounder of BlackSmith Ventures. We are a premier holding company founded to help founders, entrepreneurs, and business owners scale, grow, and thrive in their “real” American business. We assembled a board of directors that offer a unique experience and skill set in entrepreneurship, growth, operations, and equally important – how to exit a business. I am excited to leverage others wisdom in 2022 to see just how fast we can accelerate our goals by surrounding ourselves with others who share and support one another.

I wish you a Merry Christmas and prosperous 2022. To all my entrepreneur, founder, and business owner friends, I invite you to find your 2022 “SEA”.

Andy Smith

CEO of BlackSmith Ventures

“Scan the QR code for more information on #BSV or myself.

The entrepreneur and solopreneur win through speed, execution, and creativity… That’s our super power. But what happens when you don’t feel creative or you feel stuck? 

Let me introduce you to the power of “community”.

This year, I’ve been purposeful about growing my network – growing my community. Why…? Because we can get trapped in seeing the world, our lives, our path through our own eyes and our own experiences… This creates a lens…

Here is a few points I’ve learned this year on the power of “community”:

 – Social media is a wonderful way to meet amazing people all over the world, but it requires you to be present and vulnerable. It requires you to be tactical and insightful. But that’s hard…

𝘼𝙘𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣 𝙎𝙩𝙚𝙥: Post something right now. Anything… Walk away… Job well done… Show back up tomorrow and post again… Just be you…and watch what happens.

 – When you meet the right people, you accelerate and you grow. Guess what? So does your business. As your network grows, you grow.

𝘼𝙘𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣 𝙎𝙩𝙚𝙥: Stay calm… It only takes one (1) new connection to totally change your mindset, your path, maybe even your life. So, keep your eyes and ears open no matter where you are.

 – The most amazing people I’ve met this year (the ones that are still beside me), keep trying to out give me. They have this internal desire to leave a lasting impact on this world. When you get these kinds of people around you BOOM

𝘼𝙘𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣 𝙎𝙩𝙚𝙥: Select the right people to surround yourself with… Usually, that little voice inside will let you know pretty quick if a connection is right for you…

Key Take Away?
Relationships are a two way street… Nurture, grow, and respect those around you and watch your creativity and business soar…

Social Media has become a critical part of our existence and its very hard to be great at it…  Staying on brand, staying on point, staying on topic, being authentic, etc, etc.  

Jordan Triplett handles our RemainSafe social media and engages with clients on Facebook, Instagram, etc.    We decided weeks ago to meet for 1-2 hours each Monday to plan, discuss, create, (be creative).   

But, we are very different.  She’s a creative and I’m an engineer.    

The formula works, though, so we thought we’d make a quick video on how we cope with working together given our different styles, approaches, and personalities… which has actually grown us both and creates a superpower.    

Here are Jordan’s top 3 ideas for working with others…  

 – Stay openminded to new and different ideas, approaches, thoughts.  

 – Eliminate ego (accept feedback)  

 – Willingness to change, adapt, and pivot (grow)  

 – Be comfortable and confident in your convictions and know that your opinion matters (she didn’t say this one, but its built within her sole).  

Just a short message of encouragement today Entrepreneurs, Business Owners, and Founders.  Let’s Go win the day.  #BSV #founders #entrepreneurship

Are you a ‘busy’ entrepreneur?
Are you feeling less creative these days?
Here are the three (3) things I do to get creative 

 and win back my mindset…

We all know the moment or moments, right? You’re stuck, you’re stressed, you are so busy you can’t even think about stepping away.

I felt like this Friday afternoon. Super “busy” week, lots of unknowns, lots of possible directions, limited clarity, Christmas holiday season, eager to go faster, blah blah blah…

 STOP 

 – SHUT IT DOWN
Turn off the computer, walk away, leave everything right where it is… I promise you it will be there when you get back.

 – DO SOMETHING ACTIVE
Go for a walk, do 10 pushups, exercise (my current routine is Beachbody 645), run – anything that gets you out of your environment and heart pumping..

 – CHANGE YOUR SCENERY
Get away (even if that just means to a new part of the office or house). Do something to change your ‘view’.

As an entrepreneur, founder, or businesses owner your customers and your team need the “BEST” you – not “MORE” of you.

So, back to Friday afternoon… I’ve spent the last 24 hours…

 watching my daughter dance at her annual Christmas performance and get recognized for her leadership

 celebrating my friend and co-worker Carol Robertson as she celebrated a milestone birthday

 spending some alone time with my youngest and we actually watched a recent speech by Marc Nudelberg and talked about those lessons. Amazing to talk shop with a 9 year old – BOOM.

 dinner with my wife and the same 9 year old knucklehead who makes weird faces during a picture

 learning that there is actually a gun on the market that shoots toilet paper spit balls that travel 30 feet (9+ meters).

Let’s go FREAKING WIN THIS WEEK, this day, and the very next moment my friend…

#BSV
#entrepreneurship
#leadership