Transform Time With Your Team

“No matter how brilliant your mind or strategy, if you’re playing a solo game, you’ll always lose out to a team.”
Reid Hoffman

Larry Walters had an incredible ambition, but his support crew and his strategy were not quite at the same level as his dreams! Sketching out a design that he had been thinking about since childhood, he finally decided to move forward with his dream. Using forty-two helium-filled weather balloons and an aluminum lawn chair, Larry took off from his girlfriend’s backyard in San Pedro, California, on July 2, 1982. He had no radio contact, no spotters, and really no one else to help him. Walters reached 16,000 feet (4,880 meters), drifting into the controlled airspace surrounding Los Angeles International Airport. Commercial pilots reported sighting him to the tower.

Facing freezing temperatures and lower oxygen levels, Walters popped balloons with a BB gun to establish a controlled descent. The Federal Aviation Administration eventually fined him $1500 and charged him with violating controlled airspace, flying without a balloon license, and operating a non-airworthy craft.

He never flew again, but certainly did achieve his fifteen minutes of fame - doing various television interviews afterwards, as well as some public speaking events.

Interestingly, Walters did inspire other would-be ballon pilots who worked to FAA certify their flights. For example, Jonathan Trappe has made more than a dozen flights, including one attempt over the English Channel. He even worked with Disney/Pixar to promote the 2009 movie “Up.” The marketing tour included tethered “armchair” balloon flights for TV personalities in major cities. Trappe later flew that chair 160 miles from Alabama to Georgia — under a cluster of balloons certified by the Greensboro Flight Standards District Office.

Trappe also holds a 2010 Guinness World Record for longest cluster balloon flight of all time - completing a flight of approximately 14 hours, reaching 7,500 feet while covering 109 miles.

Tragically, Larry Walters broke up with his girl friend and eventually committed suicide in 1993, so did not live to see the colorful and exciting evolution of lawn chair balloon flight. While it’s difficult to say in hindsight exactly how Walters’ passion project could have taken a different turn and soared to the next level, moving from lone solopreneur to having a much more robust support crew could have made all the difference!

As we’ve written about previously, the Wright Brothers enlisted the support of their family along with a modest but highly dedicated ground crew and production team in their early days at Kitty Hawk and in their bicycle shop - aka world’s first aircraft factory. Only much later did their efforts lead to a full-fledged company. It never was just the two of them toughing things out all alone.

If you are feverishly putting balloons together on some backyard project, take some time to step back and think about who could help you really takeoff more effectively!

Here are Five Steps to Building Your Robust Support Crew

1. Embrace the Courage to Risk
- Assess Your Vision: Clearly define your ultimate goal. What is the dream that you're chasing with the same fervor Larry Walters had for his flight? This vision will be the foundation of your support crew.

- Embrace Vulnerability: Transitioning from solo to team means being open about what you don't know and where you need help. It's about having the courage to risk exposing your weaknesses to build a stronger unit.

2. Own Your ONE Thing
- Specialize Your Role: Identify the ONE thing you excel at within your project. This specialization becomes your central role as you build a team around complementing skills.

- Delegate Wisely: Understand which tasks or areas of the project can be managed better by others with those expertise, allowing you to focus on your strengths.

3. Celebrate Change and Recognize Progress
- Foster a Growth Mindset: Encourage and celebrate both personal and team growth. Recognizing progress, no matter how small, fuels motivation and cohesion.

- Adapt and Evolve: Be willing to pivot strategies, embrace new ideas, and learn from mistakes. Change is not just inevitable but necessary for growth.

4. Keep Kind Intentions and Engage with Exponential Effort
- Build with Empathy: Create a team culture where everyone feels valued and understood. Kindness and respect are crucial for long-term success. This positive culture is especially critical in the early days where funds will likely be in short supply, and the end goal uncertain.

- Lead by Example: Adopt a Goggins-like mentality of relentless effort and resilience. Your team will mirror this dedication, pushing beyond limits together.

5. Transform Time with Your Team and Expand Horizons:
- Implement Efficient Systems: Utilize tools and systems that enhance productivity and collaboration. This transformation in how time is managed will increase effectiveness and satisfaction.

- Seek Wisdom through Mentorship: Actively pursue learning from those who have successfully made the transition from their backyard to taking flight! Wisdom from experienced mentors can illuminate the path and inspire your team.

Remember, transitioning to a team leader is not just about scaling your business; it's about scaling your impact, your ideas, and your dreams. Harness that energy of Larry Walters’ audacious first flight, but then assemble a great support crew so you can keep soaring to even greater heights!