"I define strong leadership as one who earns their respect by their consistent actions and ability to bring out the best in their team."
Midori Verity is the CEO of Fuel to Fire Accountability Group for driven entrepreneurs focused on big goals. She’s been an entrepreneur for 3 decades, working with start-ups to Silicon Valley corporations. She’s also a TV show host, author, and award-winning speaker.
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Table of Contents
Thank you so much for doing this with us! Can you tell us a story about what brought you to this specific career path?
Midori Verity: One of the skills I’ve developed from 3 decades of entrepreneurship is being nimble. As a business owner, being punched in the gut and knocked out at the knees (metaphorically, of course), comes with the territory. Luckily, these blows have made me skilled at pivoting my businesses to stay competitive and adapt to industry changes. When COVID hit, I noticed an alarming trend for entrepreneurs. Many colleagues were frozen from anxiety and overwhelmed by fear.
To make matters worse, these entrepreneurs’ stability disappeared as they struggled to keep their businesses afloat and care for their families. You may even be one of these people! The truth of the matter is these challenges happen every day for entrepreneurs, regardless of a global pandemic.
So, coming from a business coaching background, I naturally wanted to jump in and re-ignite these founders. I knew all those years of building resilience, from the entrepreneur sucker punches, could be put to higher use. So, that lead to the launch of Fuel to Fire Accountability Group.
Can you tell us a story about the hard times that you faced when you first started your journey? Did you ever consider giving up?
Midori Verity: Well, I can share the time I wanted to divorce my husband and run for the hills. It’s a tale of ignorance and the myth of super-momism. The first business I had was with my hubby. It grew rapidly and we each we’re doing the jobs of at least three people. Not an intelligent approach! During this time, we had two kids, and my schedule became quite insane – we hadn’t learned the value of systems and the art of delegation, at least not for the first five years. In my deepest heart, I honestly thought if I worked my b.u.t.t off, I would have a wildly successful business. But, at the same time, I knew I needed to win the Best-Mom-In-The-World award.
I’m sure you can see where this is headed! After about ten years, I became extremely burned out and blamed my squeeze for everything. For about six months, I went into a depression, which I hid. Thankfully, I got utterly sick of myself and sought answers. I discovered neuroplasticity and mindset training. Neuroplasticity is the ability of neural networks in the brain to change through growth and reorganization. In ordinary people’s talk, this means we have an insane amount of power to transform and improve how we function. Long story short, this knowledge helped me realize I had control over my future. As a result, I split from the business, which continued to thrive without me.
I bet you’re thinking, ‘whaat, but Midori was so valuable to the company?’! Apparently, I overvalued my contribution. Yes, we did implement systems, and our delegation muscle improved. Therefore, the company didn’t require my day-to-day presence. This marked the beginning of my ‘I’m on my own’ – entrepreneur journey.
What are the most common mistakes you see entrepreneurs make and what would you suggest they do?
Midori Verity: Have you ever met an entrepreneur who seems disconnected or unhappy with their company? Often what’s going on is they aren’t in alignment with the business they founded. When I work with entrepreneurs, we start with an alignment check.
This alignment check includes three components. Your:
- Passion/drive
- Core values
- Zone of Genius
If your business incorporates these elements, you’ll persevere through challenges and be more fired up to do what it takes for success.
Resilience is critical in critical times like the ones we are going through now. How would you define resilience?
Midori Verity: Resilience is choosing to get up after being sucker-punched, learn from the experience, and come back stronger.
What is most important to your organization—mission, vision, or values?
Midori Verity: Our mission and vision are important drivers for all of us at Fuel to Fire.
The Fuel to Fire Mission: Create the most effective and successful goal-centric company for business leaders, in the western world, by 12/31/2022
Vision: Entrepreneurs are reliably and consistently achieving their big goals and therefore living their best lives, and improving their communities.
You are a successful business leader. Which three character traits do you think were most instrumental to your success?
Midori Verity: I would say the three traits most instrumental in my success include…
- An unwavering focus on my goals
- A perseverance muscle
- A success mindset
I’m always clear on where I’m going. When challenges occur, my goals are so strong and align with who I am that I find a solution. Overall, having a success mindset is the foundation of my business approach. I work on focusing on what success looks like, versus wasting energy worrying about failure.
How important do you think it is for a leader to be mindful of his own brand?
Midori Verity: As a CEO of a small company, I’m a direct reflection of my brand. This impression is imperative not only to my clients but also to my team. I must always be congruent with what Fuel to Fire represents; otherwise, the power of our brand and message is diminished.
This goes back to the alignment question from earlier. My drive, core values, and Zone of Genius are deeply rooted in our brand and all elements of Fuel to Fire. Being in alignment makes it easy to reflect my brand because it’s an integral part of my identity.
How would you define “leadership”?
Midori Verity: I define strong leadership as one who earns their respect by their consistent actions and ability to bring out the best in their team.
What advice would you give to our younger readers that want to become entrepreneurs?
Midori Verity: I suggest to young entrepreneurs to find mentors and always strive to do their best. Know where you want to go and make choices that pave the path to get there.
What’s your favorite “business” quote and how has it affected your business decisions?
Midori Verity: “Put your energy into worrying about success. Stop focusing on failure.”
I read this in ‘Leapfrog: The New Revolution for Women Entrepreneurs,’ by Nathalie Molina Niño. Most of us spend a vast amount of time in fear of failure. This quote reminds me to flip the fear and focus on success. That simple switch helps me maintain my momentum.
Jed Morley, VIP Contributor to ValiantCEO and the host of this interview would like to thank Midori Verity for taking the time to do this interview and share her knowledge and experience with our readers.
If you would like to get in touch with Midori Verity or her company, you can do it through her – Linkedin Page
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