How to Foster the Entrepreneurial Mindset to Grow and Scale Your Business Ft. TruCut Mills & Fox Forestry LLC

Tom Fox, owner of TruCut Mills and Fox Forestry LLC is an accomplished entrepreneur who has been in business for about 25 years. In that time, he has learned many lessons and grown his businesses from fledgling operations to powerhouse companies. Today, he has been kind enough to share some of the wisdom that he has gained over the years with the Woodpreneur community.

“Tom is a name [in the wood industry], but he’s also an International Man of Mystery. This man, being a Woodpreneur and a forestry person, does deals in Europe and in Africa. He’s the real deal, which is why I’m linked up with him. What do you think the keys to your success are, and what advice would you give to newer Woodpreneurs?”

• Steve Larosiliere

Don’t be Afraid to Have Really Big Goals

“I will say that, not being afraid to have really big goals, things you can’t see all at once. I faced this with my staff, I faced this sometimes with my family, my parents and my kids. They know my wings are already spread and I’m on my way. Most of the way it’s going up, sometimes it’s going down. 

My goals have been to create a worldwide forest management and forest products company. It’s imprinted in my DNA, I’m working closer towards that. When I get an opportunity, as a lot of your listeners are going to get, opportunity is everywhere, but if you don’t have a definitive goal, you’re gonna get confused with all of that opportunity. 

So my advice is that you’ve got to be a little bit focused with where you want to go, and how you’re going to get there. If you have the ability to focus on that goal, and you can really lock into that goal, then all of these opportunities, they’re either going to make sense to you and you’re going to move closer to them. Or they’re going to roll away from you, and you’re not going to lose sleep about it because it’s not in line with your goal.”

• Tom Fox

Prioritization is a vitally important part of running a business. Not only in the day-to-day tasks that you encounter, but as Tom explains, the overarching goals of your company. It’s not enough to simply push forward without direction, even if opportunities are coming your way. Taking those opportunities needs to align with your future plans and goals every single time.

Don’t Take Things Personally

“The second piece of advice that I have for these guys and for myself is that you have to learn how to not take things personally. Please do not get upset over tiny stuff that really doesn’t matter. You’ve got to maintain an attitude, but the bigger the risk, the harder it is to maintain that attitude. You’ve got to be able to look at the risk in the face, maintain the attitude, identify with it. Is this part of my goal? Is this decision that I’m so scared about, or that I’ve got risk involved with going to take me closer to my goal, or farther away? 

If you can get good at this, and you can start looking at this opportunity that’s always in front of you. You can become almost like a dog in the wind when he puts his nose up, you’re like, ‘Oh my goodness, I think I’m gonna go in this direction and know what’s there.’ Then focus on what you want. Focus on the big picture. Figure out the big picture for you, and focus on it.”

• Tom Fox