4 Things Entrepreneurs Can Learn From Tony Montana

Now I know what your thinking, its surely implausible to suggest that a budding entrepreneur could learn a thing or two from the fictional Miami drug lord - Tony Montana from the 1983 classic film 'Scarface'. Well for the most part we agree - we do not recommend for a moment that you venture into that dangerous world that revolves around drugs, sex, violence and debauchery. Despite how glamorous Al Pacino's brilliant performance may make it seem to us, meer mortals of society in comparison.

"Everyday day above ground is a good day." Tony Montana, Scarface

However, after rewatching the gangster flick again recently due to having a spare 3 hours on our hands whilst the world is in a very surreal and scary quarantine (stay home, stay safe by the way), we did manage to pull out four quotes directly from the man himself that if interpreted correctly, could be implemented in your business or startup journey to help you achieve sustained success down the road. No seriously, whether you use this guide for advice on holding your own in that tricky business meeting or to seal that previously unattainable new client for your startup, just continue on. Or should we say - say hello to our little friend.. ly business and life hacks.

1. "I always tell the truth, even when I lie"

To start off this list we are heading straight to the staple rule of any entrepreneur worth his grain. Honesty is the best policy (most of the time, anyway). Let's clear that up. Being upfront and honest shows you are a trustworthy individual, a person who can be relied upon when guidance is needed or when opinion is to be obliged. Dishonesty can hurt your business, period. Tony Montana gives his word throughout the film in several scenarios and honestly, he comes across as somebody who can be trusted time and time again. He's a man of his word, and that is an admirable trait which anyone can adopt into their life and business.

2. "In this country, you gotta make the money first. Then when you get the money, you get the power. Then when you get the power, you get the women."

As the old saying goes, failing to prepare is preparing to fail. It's always preferable to have some sort of a plan when you're jumping into a new venture - whether that be a startup business, maybe a new work project for the company you work for. Even just setting goals for yourself to follow in your personal life is a great way to start achieving internal greatness. Tony Montana knew exactly what he had to do to reach the very pinnacle of his chosen profession and he was aggressive in his approach to say the least - which is unfortunate for the many people he eventually crushes on his rise to the summit. Very unfortunate indeed.

3. "Do you wanna be like a sheep? Like all those other people? Baah, baah."

This one takes real courage to get right, but simply put you shouldn't completely follow the crowd. When launching a startup, you should be trying to achieve success with fresh new ideas, a bit of zest and zeel if you will. Don't be a sheep, be a wolf. A wolf Marks out it's own path and gets what it wants - having this mindset will put you on the right path at least. Now we know Montana didn't exactly reinvent the wheel on how to push huge amounts of cocaine around Miami, but he didn't follow the crowd either, and that led to him counting large stacks of hundred dollar bills. Try to differentiate yourself from the off, and we're sure you will in fact take off.

4. "Everyday above ground is a good day."

This last quote jumped out at us, and for good reason too. In business, you will have good days. You will also have bad days, that comes with the terrirorty - but of course you already knew that. If there's one thing we do know, it's that however terrible you may feel right now about something that didn't go as expected or planned (despite you following our advice for preparation in point 2.), tomorrow is a new day, a slate wiped clean. Every problem has a solution and if you put things into perspective for just a short moment, as long as you stay dedicated to your vision and work hard your ass off you will make it through to the promised land. Tony definitely lost sight of how great he had it when he was on top of the heap and ultimately paid the price for his complacency. Don't do a Montana, be greatful for what you have right now.

Well that's about as much good business advice we could find hidden between the lines in this all time classic gangster epic. This is the first post for our new lifestyle blog, so if you enjoyed this then please stay tuned for more content to follow. To wrap this up in true Montana style, who put this thing together? Me!

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