We had the good fortune of connecting with Dan MacFarlane and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Dan, we’d love to hear about how you approach risk and risk-taking
Taking risks is a necessity if you want to progress at anything in life. For me, as a skateboarder I’m always seeking new levels of skill for myself, and naturally it has physical risks. When you’re skateboarding and are about to go for a trick, if you think about falling you’re more likely to fall, and if you think about landing the trick, you’re more likely to land it. The key is to set new goals that you feel are worthy, and to keep a positive mental dialogue as you do the work it takes to execute your goal.

In business there are different risks which have to do with money and trying to trust new people to do business with. If you don’t invest money you can’t grow your business, and if you don’t try to trust new people to work with you may lose major opportunities. My biggest barometer of what to do in business is to trust my instincts. Failure is a part of growing. Some failures can be harder to overcome than others. But ultimately, if you want to increase your success rate, you must increase your failure rate.

Clearly laid plans are a way to limit risk. Take the time to think through what you’re working towards and define it in writing. Failing to prepare is preparing to fail.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
As I was learning and growing I would find role models to look up to, which is normal, but over time I realized it would be best if I focused on what I could contribute differently. When you’re doing what everyone else does, you’re just keeping up with the Joneses. Eventually I learned about Self Actualization where you assess your own talents, skills, abilities, and resources to create something of positive impact that’s never been done before. Through applying this to my life and work, I discovered that when you’re original you have no competition.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
If I had a friend visiting the area, I’d invite them to one of the Houston Skateboards pop up shops, which are always at different venues and have different people present. Many of them are held at the best breweries, skateboarding, and car events in Houston, so you never know who’ll be there. In the past 2 months we’ve had many well known and celebrity guests stop by. It’s always an adventure and I’ll share the fun with whoever wants to come along.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I will name a few with the hopes it helps someone as much as it has helped me:

The Psychology of Success by Brian Tracy taught me many things that I’ve applied to my life, skateboarding, and business. I’ve studied and applied many of his teachings for decades.

Earl Nightingales “The Strangest Secret” is something that I find myself periodically listening to, and it keeps me on track.

Born to Win by Zig Ziglar is a great book and a must read.

School For Startups by Jim Beach is a potentially life changing book about low risk entrepreneurship.

Dale Carnegie Training took me to new levels and I thank them very much.

Website: DanMacFarlane.com

Instagram: @danmacfarlane

Linkedin: Linkedin.com/in/danmacfarlane

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DanMacFarlaneOfficial/

Youtube: Dan MacFarlane Best Of Video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZVPBhKXiBc4&t=17s

Other: HoustonSkateboards.com Facebook.com/HoustonSkateboards @houstonskateboards

Image Credits
Copyright Houston Skateboards

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