“I’m not a businessman. I’m a business, man.”

Through the immortal words of Jay Z, we’re reminded of the power of focus. (And, arguably, semantics.)

This has always been one of my favourite quotes, but I was reminded of it yet again, as I was reading through a back issue of Inc. The article was on Etsy.com, and founder Rob Kalin was quoted as saying,

“There’s this really interesting shift that happens when you’re running an Etsy business, where you have to change your approach from ‘I make clothing’ to ‘I’m making a living making a business that makes clothing.”

From 2007-2009, I was walking around saying “I review business books.” Which wasn’t far from the truth. I had a far-fetched business model, and no real focus on growing Actionable (Then Goose Educational Media) into anything more than a hobby. Granted, I had desire to grow it into something big, but there was no action. No focus.

Now, I say, “I run a business that helps professionals apply core messages from leading business books into their lives.” And there’s a power in that. It’s a constant reminder that if I’m not “running a business,” “helping professionals,” or “making business books actionable,” then I’m not focused on the right activities.

Where are you focusing your time and energy?