5 Things Ted Lasso Taught Me About Running My Own Business

First of all, I'm not a TV critic and Apple is not paying me. But I'll leave my PayPal account down below just in case Apple is reading. *wink wink.*

A few months ago, I couldn't resist subscribing to Apple's streaming service. All my friends kept talking about this new show with Jason Sudeikis being a soccer coach.

Soccer (or, as we call it in the rest of the world: real football) and Jason Sudeikis? I'm in!

Ted Lasso is an American football coach who is hired to lead a real football team in the first division of England. What could go wrong?

That's basically it.

Ted is the most wholesome character on television, and he knows how to bring out the best in everyone. Oh, the second season started airing a few weeks ago, but I'm still a little behind.

The first season is great, and besides, it gave me a lot of lessons that I can use in my own business.

1. You can always start from scratch

AFC Richmond is a team that is struggling to avoid relegation. With a few games to go, Ted arrives to prevent disaster. Although for some, it was too late to make changes.

Many times we feel that if we trust an idea, we must stick with it to the end. Consistency is a good thing and it will take us far, but we can always reinvent ourselves.

Don't be afraid to change, correct, improve and restart halfway.

2. Believe

Everyone on the team knew that Coach Lasso knows very little (or almost nothing) about real football, but that wasn't the point.

He didn't come to Richmond to impose great defensive strategies or intellectual offensive plays, he came to make everyone believe.

Before you worry about reading all the books, watching all the documentaries, and learning all the Steve Jobs quotes, you must have the right mindset. The correct tools pointed in the wrong way won't be effective.

First, you know where you want to go, then how you want to go.

3. Put your heart into it, but be realistic

No one expected Ted to lead the team to first place in the league, that wasn't his job. They had to avoid relegation first.

Be ambitious and passionate, but be realistic about the goals you set for yourself. Your business won't reach 7 figures in its first year, it probably won't even be profitable in months.

Hoping too high and expecting immediate results is the first mistake of many entrepreneurs.

4. Screw talent, give me discipline

The team has a couple of very good players, elite ones, in fact. However, they didn't make Richmond a better team. They lacked discipline.

Talent can give you a boost early in your career, but on its own, it means nothing. Growth and improvement come from the hand of hard and constant work.

If you depend on raw talent, you will see how those less skilled but more focused will overtake you.

5. You need a team

We all see Zuckerberg or Gates as lone achievers who gave up everything to be successful.

The truth is, without the right people by their side, it probably would have taken them longer to see results. I know that the title of CEO in your own company is very captivating, but you must surround yourself with a team that brings out the best in you.

And you must be smart and focused to know how to take advantage of it and direct them to the goal.

Alone you'll go faster but accompanied, you will get further.

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