Some of Hollywood's most unforgettable movies and memorable film characters actually have a lot to teach entrepreneurs.

Womble Carlyle Director of Impact Strategies Mark Newberg explores this idea in a new Forbes #StartupLife column titled "Avoiding The 'Squirrel Trap' And Other Hidden Entrepreneurial Lessons From Hollywood." For example:

  • Remember the dog from "Up" who was easily distracted from the task at hand (or paw, as the case may be) by a squirrel? Newberg advises entrepreneurs to take that lesson to heart. "Don't try to chase everything. You'll end up catching nothing," he said.
  • Be precise, like the mathematicians in "Hidden Figures." For entrepreneurs, this means carefully refining and editing the words used to describe your vision.
  • Work hard, like Rocky Balboa. "Despite the much-hyped glamour of hockey-stick growth and fast exits, there's little that's easy in entrepreneurship," Newberg said.
  • Remember the real message of "Field of Dreams." People remember "If you build it, he will come." But what they forget is how much work Kevin Costner's character put in to reach his goal.

Newberg said, "Stay Focused. Be precise. Work hard. Persevere. Nothing about these ideas, applied to entrepreneurship, are at all new. They're almost a tale as old as time. But sometimes it takes a different lens to remember what we already know."

Mark Newberg is Director of Impact Strategies for Womble Carlyle, where he is helping launch an Impact Economy practice and develop an integrated Impact Team that is dedicated to powering commerce in the Impact Economy.

Click here to learn more about Womble Carlyle's Impact Economy Practice.

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