When Raising Cane's opened a new restaurant in Miami, it hired local influencers to hype it up. That included two of the city's buzziest names — Hanna and Haley Cavinder, twins who rose to fame while playing basketball for the Miami Hurricanes, and cofounded the TWOgether fitness app and Hustle Beauty brand for athletes.

Recently, we asked the twins what entrepreneur they'd most like to talk with. They circled right back to that chicken restaurant — and said they'd love to meet Raising Cane's billionaire founder, Todd Graves. They'd seen his business from the outside, but they wanted to understand it from the inside. And Graves, who believes that partnerships are the key to success, was eager to meet and learn from them too.

So we brought the three of them together for a conversation. In turn, they drew up a game plan for growth — in business and in sports.

This conversation was part of a new series we call The Playbook, produced in partnership with Sports Illustrated. We pair entrepreneurs with entrepreneurial athletes for career-spanning conversations. Here's an edited version of their conversation; you can watch the full video here.
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Haley Cavinder: When you started Raising Cane's, did people understand what you wanted to build?

Todd Graves: I got turned down by every bank in town, because it was a weird concept back then: Just chicken-finger meals. Other restaurants were adding more items to add more sales. The only model I could think of was In-N-Out Burger — which primarily sells hamburgers — but nobody in Louisiana, where I started, had heard of that.

But I just  believed in myself. I said, "If you can serve a 'craveable' meal consistently, over and over and over, it's going to be a success."
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 So I knew I had to take it into my own hands. I worked in oil refineries, I worked as a boilermaker, I worked in commercial fishing in Alaska — all to make money for this business. The fishermen in Alaska could see me working so hard for this chicken-finger dream, and they'd tell me, "You're going to make it." That was my first encouraging group.

Haley:   Once you got going, what was the hardest part?

Todd:   When we started, we didn't really know what we were doing. We were open seven days a week — and we still are. But back then, the college students I hired wouldn't show up to work. So I'd call friends, call family: "I need you to come help me cover this shift." I didn't do much sleeping. We were open every night until 3:30 a.m.

By the time we got out, it'd be 5:30, and then we had to be back opening at 8:30 every morning.
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Haley:   Jeez.

Todd:   There is not a balance of life at a startup. You have to put 100% into it. It's why I started Cane's when I was y'all's age. I opened up at 24, and at that time I could devote everything. It was that drive, that passion. Look, I profited $30 my first month, and I was thrilled. Because it meant I could pay my people, I could pay my vendors, I could pay rent. That's when I knew this was going to be a success.

The next hard phase was going from one restaurant to two. I didn't know how to build teams. I got as much advice as I could, but it was more about learning through trial and error. I burned through people. I felt bad about that, not knowing what I was doing. Then I learned to get the most out of people and be able to coach 'em and lead 'em to where they became managers.

Now we have 75,000 crew members, and I have a platform to teach them. For most of them, Raising Cane's is their first job. So I tell them: "Work hard. Have fun. Let's deliver quality product. Let's earn our money."

Haley:   Darn, you make a good coach, too!

Hanna Cavinder:   You played football, correct? I feel like that started with the athlete mindset.

Todd:   A hundred percent. I learned leadership through sports. For example, when someone does something wrong in business, leaders might think, Oh, I'll talk to them about that in a couple days. But coaches don't do that! They course-correct right then.

Haley:   In the moment.

Todd:  And the culture is: Everybody's always trying to get better. Mistakes don't mean you're bad. We have a culture where it's okay to make mistakes — but we need to learn from 'em.
How has playing basketball helped you with starting and growing your businesses?

Hanna:   We learned consistency and discipline. You have to show up every single day, regardless of the highs and lows.

Haley:  We also learned how to get the most out of a group of people. When you all have one common goal, it doesn't matter what someone's past is, or where they come from. You just ask: How can we all accomplish this? Also, recognize that we all have different strengths and weaknesses. That's true even for Hanna and I, but we have one goal: to be successful. And you can't fake it. If you feel like your coach is just saying empty things to you, you don't want to show up for them. You need people to think, I want to show up and do this because they really care about me.

Todd:  That's true. The crew's happier. They're working better. It affects quality. It affects everything else.
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Hanna:  Also, we learned how to respond to things outside our control. It's like, "Okay, the coach didn't play me. I can't control that. So what can I control and still have success?"

Todd:   You're years ahead of your time.  I literally tried to control everything and make everything so perfect. One of the biggest lessons
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I learned was: Concentrate on  progress rather than perfection. For example, I wouldn't release my first training manual because I kept thinking, I've got to make it better. But people were like, "Hey, just do version one. Then work on that." That was good advice.

You've built a great community for your businesses. What is your secret sauce for bringing people together?

Haley:   When we started our health and fitness businesses, we thought a lot about having a purpose. And that purpose is to help young girls. That allows us to stay happy and in a good mindset.
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Hanna:   That helps us through hard times, too.

For example, we both had an eating disorder — but we were able to turn it into a positive for other people by making an app to help them eat better. It was like, "We're going to impact a little girl, or somebody who's struggling in life, and that's a win in itself."

Todd:   That's purpose.

Haley:   That's the passion that keeps you going.

Todd:  Look, if you love what you do, you'll do it till the day you die. In business, people often value money and wealth more than purpose. That's why so many great entrepreneurs sell out early on. Then their company is bought by private equity, and it doesn't have the same values. You lose that special founder deal.

People ask me, "Hey, what's your endgame?" I'm gonna grow old and die with this business, and the kids are gonna take it on and keep those values going, and then hopefully their kids, and we'll just keep those values going forever.

Hanna:   There's never an endgame.

Todd:   I love that.



Source: https://www.entrepreneur.com

We hear it all the time: work hard, chip away a little at a time, take the first step. But when the rubber meets the road, do people actually do this? Lately, it seems like procrastination has become a more and more relevant issue. Is it that we are stretched too thin? Adding more to our plate until our schedules are too demanding? Maybe we've gone too far the other way — relying too much on modern technologies for efficiency? Have we lost a certain mental fortitude that previously spurred action because of these conveniences?

Maybe for some. But when it comes to high performers, the ones who still achieve, move forward and make a difference, I've observed a different procrastination challenge: fear of failure. To be clear, fear is not a wholly negative feeling. After all, fear tells us when we are in danger, protects us from unnecessary risks and supports our survival instincts. Fear is useful. However, sometimes we can get our wires crossed, allowing fear to butt in and take the reins when it isn't necessary, resulting in missed opportunities.

As a franchise consultant, I work with many high performing professionals, some who have their productivity on lockdown like a well oiled machine and are able to evaluate fear and make rational decisions despite uncertainty. Alternatively, I have worked with others who don't have these skills in place from the get-go and must learn how to develop them.

So where does fear of failure motivate instead of encouraging procrastination? Below are three key procrastination pitfalls that lean into negative fear.

Perfectionism

I'm sure you've heard the expression "not seeing the forest for the trees." Perfectionists are masters at this. It may seem silly, but the fear of not being perfect in the minutia can limit people in debilitating ways.

It's important to note that small efforts in little ways are important, but there must be a strong awareness of prioritization. If you don't align your efforts with essential results, you can spend all your time and effort creating movement without any actual progress.

How does this perfectionism show up in entrepreneurial pursuits? Maybe you spent hours sending perfectly crafted emails, but if you set up an automation sequence, half of them would have been redundant. Maybe you've designed the perfect landing page, but functionally your website is a mess. Maybe you've spent hours researching processes and creating a manual of standard operating procedures, but training is lacking so there's no way to communicate these valuable tools effectively. You get the picture.

Frequently, these perfectionist errors come from focusing on secondary tasks while systemic problems persist.

Imposter syndrome

So you've started the business, signed the contract, leased a retail space, hired workers and everything on paper is checking out. You're on the hook professionally and financially and you've worked hard to get here. So, why does it feel like you don't measure up? Imposter Syndrome.

It seems counterintuitive, but even those who have every right to feel accomplished can be left feeling like they aren't doing something right. People experiencing imposter syndrome often compare their own perceived shortcomings and insecurities with the perceived successes and strengths of others or their own idealized image of success, leading to feelings of inadequacy and self-doubt. As entrepreneurs, we are all too aware of what we don't know. In fact, being an entrepreneur has a way of holding up a very harsh mirror to your insecurities and areas for improvement.

It can be terrifying to spiral from scenario to scenario imagining all the ways something could go wrong because you haven't honed a certain skill "enough." Maybe you have experience in sales and have a sturdy background in finance, but you've never had to manage employees before. Now, with opening day fast approaching, you're doubting whether you can do this at all because of this singular gap in experience.

The good news? No one who has ever started a business had all the answers from the beginning. If there are things that you need to learn on the fly, you're in good company. Find a peer group you can lock into that is experiencing the same journey.

Self-protection

Now for the kicker. Previously I mentioned how fear is useful in protecting us from danger. And this is true. However, "danger" is relative. It can be easy to psychologically confuse real danger for perceived danger. Don't fall into the trap of mistaking comfort and a lack of change for safety, while considering any form of discomfort and progress as "danger."

Let's be clear: time and effort must be spent determining your individual tolerance level for risk. Likewise, time and effort must be spent honestly evaluating business opportunities before taking a leap – but to get to where you want, you have to actually be willing to leap.

At some point, successful entrepreneurs must trust that their preparations and due diligence have prepared them to succeed despite possible setbacks and challenges. If your goal is to avoid all discomfort, then entrepreneurship is not the right path. But if you can look inward and develop the skills necessary to understand risks and still move forward, then the world is your oyster.

At the end of the day, entrepreneurship is not a one-size-fits-all endeavor, but if you've seriously considered it and continue kick the can down the road, then it's time to analyze whether this procrastination is based on a well-reasoned risk analysis, or if fear of failure is the real culprit.



Source: https://www.entrepreneur.com
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​Starting a small craft business can be rewarding, but it requires careful planning and execution. First, you need to research your market and understand your target audience. This knowledge will help you define your unique selling proposition, setting your products apart from the competition. Next, focus on design and quality, and choose appropriate sales channels to reach your customers effectively. To guarantee success, consider essential financial planning and legal compliance as you move forward.

Research Your Market and Audience

How well do you really know your market and audience? Comprehending your niche is essential for your small craft business.

Start by conducting thorough market research on platforms like Etsy and Amazon Handmade to identify trending products and customer preferences. Create detailed customer personas that capture demographics and purchasing motivations. This will help you tailor your small craft business ideas effectively.

Analyze your competitors to find gaps in the market, noting what makes successful offerings stand out. Engage in niche community groups on social media for insights into customer desires.

Finally, use surveys or feedback forms to gather direct input from potential customers about their preferences, ensuring your handicraft business ideas align with market demands.

Define Your Unique Selling Proposition