Promote Yourself & Your Business Newsletter

For business owners and marketing managers

By Rick Grant

February 2025

Thinking Like a StartUp

The concept of beginner's mind—or Shoshin in Japanese—is central to Zen Buddhism and other Eastern practices, and it carries a simple yet profound lesson: approach life with the openness, curiosity, and humility of a beginner, no matter how much you think you already know.

A beginner's mind invites us to return to that state, even when we’ve become “experts” or have had years of experience.

In Zen, there’s a saying:

"In the beginner’s mind, there are many possibilities, but in the expert’s mind, there are few."

That’s a bit of a problem for many RGA Clients because they are bona fide experts in their field. The people they serve require them to be, so it takes effort for them to return to a time when they didn’t know everything.

But there is great power available to the one who can do this.

When you approach life as an expert, your knowledge and assumptions may limit you. You rely on what you think you know, and this can blind you to new possibilities. In contrast, the beginner’s mind allows for spontaneity, creativity, and flexibility. It acknowledges that there’s always more to learn, that wisdom comes not from certainty but from openness.

The risk here is that you may assume that you know why something isn’t working well without fully investigating the problem. Testing an assumption can save us time if it’s actually the cause of the problem. But if we’re wrong it can lead us far down the wrong path.

Here are some practical ways to cultivate Beginner’s Mind

Mindful Observation: Engage with ordinary tasks as if you’re seeing them for the first time—whether it’s eating a meal, washing dishes, or walking in nature. Observe without judgment.
Let Go of Labels: When you interact with people or situations, be aware of the mental labels you attach (e.g., “That person is difficult,” or “I already know how this will go”). Try to experience things without those preconceived notions.
Ask Questions: Instead of seeking answers right away, be curious about the questions themselves. A good question is often more important than a quick answer.
Be Open to Mistakes: In Zen teachings, mistakes are not failures. They are simply opportunities for growth. When you let go of the fear of being wrong, you learn more.

Even in areas where you have mastery, Beginner’s Mind can help you recognize that mastery is not the end of learning but a deeper invitation to return to wonder. When you do it, your business will benefit.

Curiosity Over Certainty

As adults, we often seek certainty to feel in control of our lives. But certainty can be deceptive.

The moment you believe you have “figured it all out,” you stop listening, observing, and questioning. A beginner's mind doesn’t seek to destroy knowledge; instead, it urges you to hold knowledge lightly, making room for curiosity.

A Zen student once asked a master, “What is the most important teaching of Zen?” The master replied, “Not knowing.”

This doesn’t mean ignorance. It means letting go of rigid expectations. Even if you’ve meditated for 20 years or practiced an art form for decades, there’s always room for a new insight when you let go of the need to be right.

Perhaps it’s time for you to revisit your marketing foundation. Pull your team together and get updated answers to these questions:

Are we still serving the same customers? If not, who are we serving now?
Do our customers still suffer from the same pains? Are we solving the right problems?
Are our current offerings doing enough to solve our current customers’ problems? Is it time to go back to the drawing board?
Does our website and social profiles make our brand promise clear? Do people know what we can do for them?
Is our prospecting machine looking for leads in the right place? Are our real customers somewhere else?
Have we updated our sales tools to appeal to our current customers?

If you don’t have a team or if your team is busy elsewhere, you can also call on RGA to walk you through this exercise. We’ll even bring along a few more questions that might make a huge difference in your business this year.