The Road to Success: Idealism and Realism
"The road to success begins at the intersection of Idealism and Realism.” — Stephynie Malik
Idealism is "the act or practice of envisioning things in an ideal and often impractical form."
Realism is "concern for fact or reality and rejection of the impractical and visionary."
Every significant vision, goal, dream, or aspiration I have achieved and every one of the ones I hope to attain in the future will always start at the same place — a perfect semblance of the two states: Realism & Idealism.
Too many people I speak with, counsel, mentor, or coach view Idealism and Realism as opposing forces. I learned long ago that they are complementary, Yin and Yang, where each half is necessary to make the whole. It seems very intuitive, simple, and straightforward to me.
I founded the first of my two companies, MalikCo, in November 2002. I was in Silicon Valley; the economy was tanking, my corporate job was going to vanish, and I was a single working Mom. My parental, financial, and family obligations always have and always will be first. So, what did I decide to do? Perfect timing, right? It sounds like a great time to start a technology consulting company, in 2002, in Silicon Valley, in a downward spiraling economy. It was a big, bold, audacious play, but it worked. The reality of my situation was the motivation I needed to envision the ideal state of launching and leading MY company with help from many terrific people. There was no plan B.
In 2017 I transitioned to the Chairman role at MalikCo to launch SMALIK Enterprises (SME). This vision I had for our new firm was a direct reflection of all I had done right and some I had done wrong with my consulting firm. The point is, I had a vision. A well thought out vision on becoming the best consulting firm for the most favored assets — HUMANS! The scale and scope of my reality, however, had dramatically shifted. I was now married and added three additional children to the crew. Their age ranges created some "scheduling" issues along the way. Perfect timing, right? My husband and children are my world. We figure out how to make this work. We thrive!
I love what I do — meeting the best and the brightest, being honored to guide them through their newest journey or being trusted to be brought in to partner in their business' most crucial moments. I do not take this position lightly. I work with senior executives who want to directly transform their current, non-ideal behaviors into high impact performance behaviors forever impacting themselves and their companies. I work with high wealth, high profile individuals whose bad behaviors and or poor judgment have created a devastating personal, legal, or domestic crisis in their lives. Far too many people, in each category, continue searching for an easy way or a short cut to achieve their ideal outcomes. Your perception is not reality. Perfect! I become their reality, and we partner closely. We close that knowledge gap…together. It ends in one of two ways. We agree to work together or decide we aren't a good fit. Perfect again! I'm never going to waste my time and take your money when I am confident of the impending outcome.
I don't sell "Five, or Four, or Three Simple Steps" to anything online or off. "Simple" in concept is one thing. Execution is everything and the point where things get real. I don't judge anyone who sells or buys this type of content. When I first started my firm, I was hustled, sucked in, sold a bill of goods while defining my online presence. So, I get it! These "coaches" have their lane, and I have mine. Our lanes, however, merge on occasion. People want to hire me because the x number of "Simple Steps" didn't work. The promised lifestyle of "toes in the sand, or your side hustle" or any other lame millennial term simply didn't work. The coach they hired or the $25k course they took didn't deliver the promised results. The "laptop lifestyle" they thought they could enjoy by "optimizing" their business and allowing "assistants," human or virtual, to run it while you are on a beach in Bali didn't materialize. There is no right way to do the wrong thing.
I have nothing but love and empathy for people who dream big and want to transform their world. The journey to success begins with the understanding that the road you're traveling is not going to be straight or free of detours and roadblocks. Your GPS could crash, and you will find you are lost at many points along the way. Your timing is perfect! Stay strong, remain committed, be tenacious and resilient, and have the courage and relentless sense of discipline to trust your roadmap and compass will get you there.
A question, please! What did the road look like when you to achieved success?
