Rules of Life and Business: Lessons from Bob Parsons

If you are an entrepreneur looking to start your own business venture, success stories are a great way to learn process improvements and get inspired.

Executive Chairman and Founder of GoDaddy.com, Bob Parsons, is no stranger to success. GoDaddy.com took the Internet world by storm with his infamous (and sometimes too racy for network broadcast) Super Bowl advertising campaigns. GoDaddy.com is the world’s largest Internet domain name registrar and website host. Entrepreneurs can learn from Parsons’ success:

Exposure

Parsons likes to live outside of his comfort zone, or at least the comfort zone of broadcast network executives. Fox pulled a Super Bowl ad scheduled to air in 2008 titled “Exposure.” It stars GoDaddy Girl, and famed female NASCAR driver, Danica Patrick along with a loveable stuffed toy beaver. After a rumored 12 previous submissions to the Fox Network, approval for the ad was believed to be obtained. The executives at Fox later reversed their approval, deeming the ad too controversial for primetime viewing.

Parsons ran a commercial urging Super Bowl viewers to visit GoDaddy.com to watch the original ad instead. Over 1.5 million people watched “Exposure” during that Super Bowl and over 1.5 million visited the site, according to a GoDaddy press release.

Move Forward

He may have some unconventional ideas, but GoDaddy CEO Bob Parsons built his empire just like everyone else: through old-fashion hard work. It’s no surprise, then, that he encourages entrepreneurs to persevere, noting that when you’re ready to quit, you’ve never been closer to success. Parsons instructs professionals to focus, take each day as it comes and move forward no matter what’s behind you. Looking into the future can often be overwhelming. However, if you stay focused on the task at hand, incremental steps will get you to your desired destination. It may sound like boilerplate advice, but when it comes from Bob Parsons’ mouth, aspiring entrepreneurs listen.

Be Hasty

When it comes to your worries and concerns, not only should you accept those possibilities, you should embrace them. Tough situations breed growth, and seldom are the worst possible consequences as bad as you imagine. Take on the hurdles that will inevitably appear before you.

Evolve

You don’t make it as a professional, and particularly as an entrepreneur, by staying the same. Parsons learned this long ago, and he’s evolved with the burgeoning Internet industry as it changed. Part of this evolution process includes a never-ending commitment to improving and not being afraid to take your business to the next level.

“The moment you stop improving your organization it starts to die,” Parsons said.

Compete

If you don’t play to win, you’ll get knocked out of the game. That means keeping one eye on the competition. No matter how valuable your product or service is, if somebody does it better/cheaper, you’ll be looking up in the standings. Add their strengths to yours for a formidable force.

Be a Problem Solver

The world is filled with problem causers. Parsons decided to take up the mantle as a problem solver. These linchpins flock to situations that aren’t running smoothly. Problem solvers sacrifice day-to-day comfort for the good of the business, and they put their necks on the line regularly. If you’re willing to roll your sleeves up and get your hands dirty, good things will follow.