In this inspiring episode, Sharon DeKoning dives deep into the mindset and grit it takes to thrive as an entrepreneur. Drawing from her own journey and her previous conversation with Jeff Mulligan, COO of ASTEC Safety, Sharon explores what it really means to outwork the competition. It’s not just about clocking long hours—it’s about doing what others won’t, staying disciplined, and learning constantly. Sharon shares candid insights on the personal and professional sacrifices she’s made along the way, from working seven days a week to missing family events, all in pursuit of building something meaningful.
Sharon also unpacks the broader responsibilities entrepreneurs juggle—from managing cash flow and customer service to branding and social media. She emphasizes the importance of building a supportive, empowered team where collaboration and ownership are front and center. Throughout the episode, she offers practical advice for entrepreneurs to stay sharp, including continuous learning, clear goal setting, and networking. Whether you’re just starting out or scaling a business, this episode is packed with hard-earned lessons, encouragement, and a powerful reminder: success isn’t luck—it’s relentless execution and resilience.
Resources:
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Transcript:
Sharon DeKoning: [00:00:16] Hello everyone. Today’s episode is ‘The Entrepreneur’s Edge: Outworking the Competition’. Welcome back to It’s Time For Success: The Business Insights Podcast. I’m your host, Sharon DeKoning. In a recent episode, I had the privilege of speaking with Jeff Mulligan. Jeff is the COO of ASTEC Safety and a seasoned leader with over 47 years of experience. When Jeff speaks, we listen. It was a remarkable episode and I suggest anyone listen to it as well. One statement Jeff made truly stuck with me during that episode. I asked him, if someone is considering starting their own business, what would you say to them? Jeff’s response, if you want to go into business, are you willing to outwork them? Are you willing to do more than anyone else out there? Looking back, I truly believe I would have said yes to both of those questions before I jumped into this whirlwind we call entrepreneurship. But in reality, I didn’t fully grasp what he meant. Let’s be honest, most entrepreneurs don’t. We don’t have a clue. You can read about it, you can prepare, but you don’t feel the full magnitude of Jeff’s words until you’ve made that leap. I was raised by an entrepreneur, I watched my mother work, I’ve watched other people in the community work long, hard hours. I thought I knew. I worked for those people. Hell, I was an employee. I thought I knew what being an entrepreneur and a business owner entailed, I didn’t, I was wrong.
Sharon DeKoning: [00:01:41] Today, I want to dive into what it truly means to outwork and do more than the competition. These insights are not just from Jeff’s wisdom, they are rooted in my own experiences, my personal struggles, and the lessons I’ve learned the hard way. The outworked mindset, what it actually means. It sounds simple, work harder than the next person. But here’s the truth, outworking isn’t just about grinding out long hours. It’s about going beyond standard expectations, doing what others aren’t willing to do. Are you willing to sacrifice things that are important to you? Are you willing to not sleep? Are you willing to miss your kids’ activities at school? Are you willing to do that? Are you willing to be disciplined? Sometimes you’re just tired. Sometimes you don’t know how to figure things out. Sometimes it’s just absolutely mind draining. Are you willing to push forward and push through those? Strategic effort, it’s not just working longer, it’s working smarter. Again, it goes back to the mind. Sometimes physical work is easier than mind work, and when you’re starting an entrepreneurship or your business journey, sometimes it’s both so you’re draining on two avenues there, but you have to work smarter. You have to do your research, you have to do your digging, you have to learn, you have to listen to podcasts, you have to listen to books. There’s so much that you can learn from and learn from your mistakes, so you have to work smarter.
Sharon DeKoning: [00:03:10] Jeff, with his extensive leadership experience, highlights the importance of execution excellence, ensuring that every hour of effort is focused and intentional. Let’s repeat that, every hour of effort is focused and intentional. This is where many entrepreneurs, myself included, get it wrong. This is my personal reality check. Was I willing to outwork? Absolutely. Please, no big deal. I was raised by an entrepreneur. I grew up in an era where chores were done right the first time, or we simply had to do it again. I thought I had the work ethic, but in hindsight, I had no clue. Here’s my mindset. Once I started my business, my initial mindset got corrected quickly, I should add. Once I start my business, I can work ten hour days no problem. It’s not ten hour days Monday to Friday. It may be ten hour days, seven days a week. And let’s be honest, sometimes it’s 12 to 15 on busy seasons, every business seems to have a season. In reality, that could happen. Are you willing to do that? Here’s my other mindset. ‘I’m the boss, so I could take time off when I want’. Absolutely not, that is not going to happen, especially when you launch your business. Time off is not when you choose, time off is when the jobs are done, your commitments are fulfilled, that is when you get your time off. Those come first.
Sharon DeKoning: [00:04:32] Another mindset, ‘I’ll have life balance because I’m in control’. Absolutely not, not happening. Once you start a business, you are simply consumed. You aren’t just doing the job, you’re not doing just your orders, what your customers want, or taking appointments, whatever those jobs are. That’s not what you’re just doing, these are the things you’re also doing. You’re also doing the bookkeeping, or in reality, figuring out how to do bookkeeping so you can do the bookkeeping. Finding the best suppliers and the best pricing. You have to figure out where to get your goods, your supplies. You have to figure all that out, and you have to figure out what’s the best avenue for not only you, for the time frame or your area, but also the best for your customers. You have to manage cash flow. If you have a cash flow, you have to work on budgets. You can’t donate to everything. Unfortunately, as much as entrepreneurs want to give back, because that’s the way we roll, you have to focus on what you can give back. You have to handle customer service. You have to have the best customer service over any competition, and you have to teach your team to have the best customer service, and you have to handle complaints. Complaints are what we call a growth opportunity, a learning curve. You have to handle complaints with dignity and respect and with a mindset as a ‘thank you, I’m…
