Watching television is usually hit or miss for many viewers. Either you have a favorite show that you must regularly watch every week it airs, or you don’t really have a preference to watch TV at all – you just watch shows such as Wheel of Fortune or Jeopardy.
As an entrepreneur, it’s crucial to your success to try everything and anything that will provide you with knowledge, learning experiences and inspiration. These things will not only help you personally, but they will help you run a better business.
If you’re going to add a new show to your weekly TV schedule, while it may seem like an odd addition, The Bachelor may be just what you need to get your mind on the right path.
The Plot
The ABC hit reality-show The Bachelor first hit the air in 2002. The show, for the most part, is fairly self-explanatory.
The show begins by displaying the eligible bachelor that has been chosen for the season. He (or she, in cases of The Bachelorette) is then introduced to potential romantic partners that will later end up competing for his or her love. The pool of individuals competing for the romance is usually around 25 women or men, but at the end of each show, roses are handed out and the individuals who don’t get a rose are the ones who are eliminated for good.
On the show, the individual searching for love participates in many activities to get to know these men or women so that they can make an educated and smart decision for their own sake. These activities include one-on-one dates; dates with two of the contestants; and towards the end, the bachelor visits the homes of the remaining (usually four) women or men. Once the contestants have been narrowed to just two, the individuals meet with the family of the bachelor and as the last episode concludes, he or she makes a decision as to who gets the ‘final rose’.
Why You Should Watch It
The Bachelor may seem like a show that is purely created for entertainment, but it has a lot of information that can benefit any entrepreneur watching.
One of the most important things you can learn from watching the show is learning how to play by the rules – and learning when you need to step outside of your boundaries and break those rules. The contestants need to pay attention to what is expected of them, but they also need to pay attention to the way that their competition is acting and what they’re doing to succeed. In some cases, their methods of success don’t always pan out to their advantage – so attention to detail is crucial.
As an entrepreneur, you must pay attention to what your investors as well as your customers are looking for. Cutting corners is never the right answer, but stepping outside of the box and taking a risk may be what is going to get you where you need to be.
The show also teaches viewers about healthy competition and communication. Learning how to communicate with different kinds of people will allow you to form alliances and understand what you need to do to win. This is the same practice for building partnerships and gaining customer loyalty.
If you take anything from the show, besides the drama-filled evenings, remember this:
- Take risks, even if it means simply being yourself or doing what you want to do. In the show, women often act one way because they think it’s what the bachelor wants, which isn’t always the case. The same concept is true for business owners – do what you think is good for your company, not what you think everyone else wants you to do.
- Building alliances is good for business, but it’s also important to know when those partnerships need to end. You will want to get along with your competition, but don’t let them overpower your ability to succeed; they will stand on your feet the first chance they get.
Stay open minded. In The Bachelor, it only takes one situation to get you eliminated from the show; the same can happen with your startup. If you stay open minded, tolerant and accepting of others and their ideas, you will be more likely to succeed. If you make a bad impression on your customers or potential investors, your opportunities may disappear faster than they arrived.
