Recent news headlines about “traffic jams” on Mount Everest and related perils got me to reflecting on my own experiences — both as a mountain climber and entrepreneur. This year, a shortened weather window of just two days caused a severe bottle neck near the summit of the mountain, forcing the nearly 750 climbers into a race for their lives. While the consequences of business decision-making under pressure are rarely fraught with the same dire consequences that 11 people faced on Mount Everest in May, the critical steps involved in the planning, preparation, and execution of a major undertaking, like mountain climbing, are comparable to reaching your business goals.
Over the past decade I’ve transitioned from building my own brands to helping many businesses increase their sales and growth. Over this same period of time, I’ve pushed myself to take on new personal goals in mountaineering and other sports, reaching beyond my comfort zone by taking greater risks. The more I experience mountaineering first hand, the more parallels I see between planning and executing a successful climb and building a successful business. Here are eight lessons I use to enhance my approach in helping clients — the same lessons I have applied to reaching the summit on top of some of the world’s highest peaks.
Eight Lessons we can learn from climbing mountains
1 – State the goal
The way up to the top of the mountain is always longer than you think. Don’t fool yourself, the moment will arrive when what seemed so near is still very far. ~ Paulo Coelo
Climbing any mountain starts with setting the goal to do it. For my fiftieth birthday, I decided I was going to climb Denali, the highest mountain in North America. There is no other mountain in the world like it. It is bigger than the great peaks of the Himalaya and Karakoram. Its far northern position not only makes it bitterly cold, but the atmosphere is thinner than at similar elevations in temperate or tropical latitudes because of its sub-polar latitude. Because of the “expedition style” used to climb Denali, many people use it as a training ground for climbing Mount Everest. For me, climbing Denali felt like a reachable goal because it was relatively local. It also felt like a stretch goal, with a (very) long-list of prerequisites, including glacier rescue training and glacier travel. I knew this was no small undertaking, but I’d been climbing for years, and I was ready for a steeper challenge. Importantly, the goal itself — summiting the mountain — was inspirational enough for me to raise my game.
Similarly, in business, goal-setting is key. When I started Trillium Health Products, the parent company that created both the Juiceman and Breadman brands, my goal was to hit $100 Million in sales in five years. While this was an ambitious goal, my desire to reach that high-water mark was fueled by my belief in our products and an even bigger desire to see more people adopt a healthy lifestyle. I knew this wasn’t going to be an easy “climb,” but I was convinced my goal was worth pursuing. And while we didn’t reach the $100 Million-mark in five years, we sold the company in four years after reaching $75 Million in sales.
2 – Do your homework
Everybody wants to reach the peak, but there is no growth on the top of the mountain. It is in the valley that we slog through the lush grass and rich soil, learning and becoming what enables us to summit life’s next peak. ~ Andy Andrews
In business, a goal is little more than an aspiration if you don’t have a plan. When I first met Jay Kordich, the personality behind the Juiceman brand, he was selling juice machines out of the back of his van. Jay’s boundless charisma and energy inspired me to build a company around the healthy lifestyle he was promoting through juicing. His passion for educating people about the health benefits of eating more fruits and vegetables was contagious. But I needed to first educate myself about juicing so that I could develop an authentic plan. I had to do my homework. In addition to researching juice machines and related manufacturing options, I recruited experts from Bastyr University in Seattle, a pioneer in natural medicine. In-depth research was key to the success of Trillium Health Products and it guided us in launching a new way to approach marketing and brand development.
I similarly plunged into research on how best to successfully climb Denali. I started by reading more than a dozen books about the 20,000-foot behemoth. My favorite is Desire and Ice by David Brill. Brill’s search for perspective gave me the reality check I needed to take this journey seriously. His, and other books, also gave me the practical resources I needed to plan ahead.
3 – Set a deadline
Stop staring at mountains. Climb them instead, yes, it’s a harder process, but it will lead you to a better view. ~ Unknown
As I gained a better understanding of the requirements for climbing Denali, including personal fitness, training, and equipment, I set the date for my expedition to Alaska, starting in Talkeetna, a small city north of Anchorage, and the jumping off point for most Denali expeditions. I would be part of a group of nine people plus two guides from Rainier Mountaineering, Inc. (RMI). I had a little more than four months to train for the biggest adventure of my life.
A few years ago, I read an article about the origin of the word “deadline” that really stuck with me. It was penned by Ty Kiisel for Forbes Magazine. Kiisel’s curiosity about deadlines (and consequences of missing them), led him to reports from the American Civil War, where he learned about a line 20’ from a stockade where a “dead-line” was established, “over which no prisoner is allowed to go, day or night, under penalty of being shot.” (1)
As an author and entrepreneur, I am constantly balancing the commitments I have to my editor, publisher, and clients. Deadlines help ensure healthy communication habits. They also keep me accountable and motivate me to finish what I start. Over the years I’ve learned that deadlines not only necessitate action and progress toward a goal, they also hold you accountable.
Similarly, once I booked my flight to Talkeetna, I became astutely focused on my goal of climbing Denali, with a finite amount of time to get ready.
4 – Plan as if your life depends on it
Only those who will risk going too far can possibly find out how far they can go. ~ T.S. Eliot
Once I’d set the date, it was time to start the planning and preparation. This was divided into two parts: (1) the gear I’d need for the trip, and (2) my fitness and training program in preparation for the climb.
In July, the temperatures on Denali range from over 70 degrees to well below zero, with wind gusts exceeding 50 mph. Temperatures can swing 40 to 50 degrees from sunny patch to shade, trudging through snow the entire time. I learned that the excitement started even before we began climbing thanks to the treacherous flight path from the Talkeetna to the Kahiltna Glacier. Getting there was its own adventure, navigating through tight places like One Shot Pass, named so because it is so narrow the pilot only gets one shot.
Once off the plane, reality struck hard, with the realization that there truly was no margin for error. Everything I needed to sustain myself for the entire 2-3 week expedition had to be stored in my pack. There are no stores or gear shops in the drop-off zone. The 80+ pounds of gear and supplies is your lifeline for the duration—up and back. Poor preparation and planning can cost you your everything.
In business, good strategic planning and preparation can make the difference between success and failure. When we built Trillium Health Products, a company that grew to $75 Million in sales in less than four years, the management team would meet every 60 days, away from the office, for the purpose of reviewing our progress and mapping out the next 60 days. While we had a long-range plan to guide us, the company’s rapid growth necessitated regular conversations about where we’d been and where we were going. Our commitment to these planning meetings was critical to the success of the company.
5 – Work as a team
It is not the mountain we conquer, but ourselves. ~ Sir Edmund Hillary
There is rarely a business model in existence where someone before you hasn’t done what you hope to do. I am a big believer in learning from other people’s experience, whether through reading, attending seminars, or partnering with a mentor (or all of the above). The lessons I’ve learned from those with more experience than I have helped me avoid costly mistakes time and time again. I am frequently invited to speak with mastermind groups around the country. These offer a combination of brainstorming, education, peer accountability, and support to sharpen your business and personal skills. They are designed to help you and the members achieve success, and they work because the team dynamic is powerful and persuasive. In these groups, members challenge each other to set strong goals and offer a support network to be successful.
In high-altitude mountaineering, climbers are roped together for safety. If one person slips and falls, others can dig in their ice axes in hopes of stopping the slide. Using an axe becomes even more important when you are roped to together across a glacier. Not only do you need the skills to stop your own fall, but you need to be alert to the others on your rope team and are ready to dig when needed. It goes without saying that being a good teammate, knowing the right skills, and working well together can mean the difference between life and death.
A great example of this was after we had reached the summit. We were at 19,000’ on our way down from Denali Pass. The slope was steep and the group was hooked into a fixed line to minimize risk. As we were cautiously making our way across the exposed route, the crampon of one of our team members suddenly broke. A crampon is a traction device that you strap to each boot, with fang-like cleats that grip the ice to keep you from losing your footing. Moving forward without it would have been treacherous. Fortunately, another teammate had a spare set and a dangerous situation was averted.
6 – Avoid the unexpected
Mountains are only a problem when they are bigger than you. You should develop yourself so much that you become bigger than the mountains you face. ~ Idowu Koyenikan
In both climbing and in business there are always obstacles that can thwart progress toward your stated goal. During the Denali expedition, our climbing team got hit with a huge snowstorm at Camp 3, eight days into the trek. Fresh snow over a period of several days created a real avalanche danger. Furthermore, while we were waiting out the storm, a climber from another group suffered a heart attack and died. His body was flown off the mountain by helicopter the next day.
In business it is often the problems you don’t anticipate that are the most crippling. Several years ago my direct marketing company was ready to launch a promising new beauty product called Rejuvinque. The product had many five-star reviews from thousands of customers. In addition, we’d filmed numerous testimonials and had powerful before and after shots. All that was left to do was air the new infomercial we’d filmed and ensure our manufacturers were queued up to fulfill record-setting orders. Unbeknownst to us, a major motion picture was set to be released in movie houses across the country the same weekend Rejuvinque was scheduled to launch. The movie featured a deranged killer wearing a mask that looked just like the beauty product we were selling! The timing couldn’t have been worse. Instead of charging forward, we adjusted our timing and put some distance between the horror show and our beauty product. Crisis averted!
7 – Stay focused
Hike more, worry less. ~ Unknown
One of the things I like best about climbing is that it requires complete and total focus. You must be “in the moment.” In this space, where concentration is everything, I find my escape from the distractions of the daily routine. When you are climbing, especially at high altitude, your mind is focused like a laser on where your foot goes next. There is no time for outside distractions. The first time I learned this lesson was when I was crossing Disappointment Cleaver on Mount Rainier. I wanted to take a picture and while I was fumbling with my camera, I lost my footing and nearly fell. I should have been concentrating on the trail ahead. Lesson learned!
While the physical risk of losing focus is not as acute in the workplace, the sharper your focus on a task, the more likely you’ll complete that task successfully.
8 – Celebrate your successes
The best views come after the hardest climb. ~ Unknown
Summit Day on Denali started at 4 a.m. on Tuesday, July 10, 2012. We left High Camp at 5 a.m., after a breakfast of Lipton Tea and instant oatmeal. The first leg is a long traverse across a steep slope, where accidents happen more than anywhere else on the mountain. The thing I remember most about this crossing is the hour-long wait for another climbing group ahead of us. It was agonizing and stressful. Seeing the recent photos of the climbers jammed in line on Everest brought me back to that perilous stretch of time on Denali. But we were fortunate to push through eventually and finally reached the summit of the mountain nine hours after leaving camp. My goal had been reached, but in the words of famous mountaineer Ed Viesturs, “Getting to the top is optional, getting back down is mandatory.” We still had a long slog ahead of us, with a few minor scares along the way. After 19 total hours of climbing that day, we returned to High Camp. It was exhilarating (and totally exhausting). I reached the goal I’d set for myself four months earlier, and I was overjoyed to share the experience with the group of climbers whom I worked so intimately with for 16 days.
There was a similar feeling the day we signed contracts for the sale of Trillium Health Products — a mix of nostalgia for all we’d been through together and elation that we’d accomplished something together. What had begun as an idea for selling juice machines had become a popular household brand that was helping to transform the way people thought about their diet.
Conclusion
I’ve realized that at the top of the mountain, there’s another mountain. ~ Andrew Garfield
My dream of climbing mountains started when I moved to the Pacific Northwest from Tampa Bay, Florida. From my downtown condo in Seattle, I could see Mount Rainier towering above the city scape. I set an intention to climb that mountain days after my cross-country arrival, and the physical presence of the mountain in the background of my everyday life ultimately motivated me to follow through with my goal. In business I am similarly inspired to achieve those goals for which there is a calling — some kind of connection to the people, product, or brand that inspires me to come through.
By practicing the fundamentals of the eight lessons I’ve shared here, I’ve successfully climbed mountains, both literally and figuratively, and I’ve enjoyed the process of getting to the top as much as being there. While we can’t always avoid the obstacles in our path — some with more disastrous consequences than others — we can refine our commitment to goal-setting and research, and we can plan as if our lives (and our business) depend on it. Now, isn’t that worth celebrating?
(1) Kelly, David A (Jr.). “’Origin of the Deadline’” Today I Found Out: Feed Your Brain, 6 January, 2014 http://www.todayifoundout.com/index.php/2014/01/origin-deadline/