Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in business development but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Amit Patel, Founder of Mythos Group, located in Walnut Creek, CA, USA.

What's your business, and who are your customers?

Mythos Group is a management consulting firm based out of the San Francisco Bay Area. We partner with Fortune 100 and Fortune 500 companies and start-ups all over the globe to make strategic transformation actionable by building long-term relationships and developing innovative business solutions.

We understand that change is inevitable. And that only by meeting your greatest organizational challenges head-on can you meet your business objectives. We are passionate about what we do, and we bring deep subject-matter expertise, industry best practices, leading-edge strategic thinking, and innovative thought leadership to our relationships with our clients.

Passionate, nimble, and focused, our goal is to help leading corporations create and sustain a competitive advantage through organizational transformation and people empowerment. With pragmatic strategies, the right leadership to guide you, and an understanding that transformation is best done over time, your company's progress can be smooth, powerful, and productive.

Tell us about yourself

Like many people, my backstory isn't a linear progression but rather one with a few twists and turns. Shortly after I immigrated to the U.S., I decided to pursue a career in computer science. After graduating from the University of Maryland, I joined a small software developing firm as a computer programmer. After a few years of programming, I realized that my true passions were strategic planning and organizational design and development, so I furthered my studies with a master's degree in management from Johns Hopkins University's Carey Business School.

Subsequently, I enjoyed great success working for marquee management consulting firms before I opened my own boutique management consulting firm. The rest is history. Through Mythos Group, I've been honored to participate in the strategic planning and digital, HR, and organizational transformations of many high-profile clients. After all these years, it is still my passion.

What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?

In addition to helping my clients succeed in their strategic business transformations, one of my biggest accomplishments has been leveraging social media to share my thought leadership. Over the past couple of years, I have collaborated with 15 other Silicon Valley entrepreneurs to publish a book, Turning Ideas Into Impact. Since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, I have inked over 60 articles about the impact of the pandemic on the global supply chain and various industries, including banking, healthcare, higher education, and travel and tourism, to name a few. Being interviewed by Slack (acquired by Salesforce) to share my insights on the "Future of Work" is something I will cherish for a long time.

What's one of the hardest things that come with being a business owner?

One of the hardest things that come with being a business owner is the ability to quickly pivot to economic and business challenges and/or uncertainties. For example, just take a look at the unprecedented disruption caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Those businesses that were able to pivot managed to survive – such as retail businesses swiftly moving to an online model or restaurants using their facilities as ghost kitchens – and those that didn't pivot unfortunately had to be shuttered.

What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?

  1. Have a clear vision. Have a clear idea of what your business is all about – what is your "North Star" or your "Why?" Make sure you know exactly who your targeted clients are and how you intend to engage with them. It's also important to know what your competitive differentiator is and what resources you need (capital, talent, and infrastructure) to launch, sustain and grow your business. Having a clear vision not only involves a lot of up-front planning but also involves continuous evaluation and reevaluation to make sure you're on the right track.
  2. Be resilient. All businesses will have their ups and downs. The key to being successful is to stay focused, don't take no for an answer, and be resilient. We often see companies emerge that appear to be immediately successful – rocketing out of obscurity to take the world by storm. However, as Jeff Bezos put it, "All overnight success takes about 10 years," and in some cases, it may even take 20. It takes grit, determination, and a high level of resilience to work for something for that long, but the payoff is always worth the effort.
  3. Stay engaged. A successful business doesn't happen in a vacuum. Participate in industry events. Develop a network of like-minded colleagues in your domain area. Establish partnerships – folks you can collaborate with during lean times. They say it takes a village to raise a family, but I argue that it takes a village to grow a business as well. Always be open to new relationships and new partnerships, and make sure to nurture these connections in order to sustain them. You never know where the next opportunity may come from, so expanding your business network often means increasing your chances of success.

Where can people find you and your business?

Website: https://mythosgroupinc.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/amitpatelstrategyocm/

If you like what you've read here and have your own story as a solo or small business entrepreneur that you'd like to share, then please answer these interview questions. We'd love to feature your journey on these pages.

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