NASA landed another rover on the red planet. The mission and rover, appropriately named Perseverance, shows us not just what’s possible in space, but in any venture when you use the right strategies.

My son and I watched the live stream as the spaceship made its final descent down to Mars. My favorite part was the explosion of celebration when systems came back letting the Control Room, and everyone watching, know that this mission had been a success.

As I watched it all unfold, I couldn’t help but see HUGE parallels between successfully landing a rover and building a business. The lessons were so good, that after we finished watching, I went to my office, pressed record, and made this video.

1. NASA knows how to use Systems & Workflows

I loved watching the systems checklist throughout landing. NASA had step after step after step listed out. For just one maneuver, I saw some 36 steps. They planned so that to the best of their ability they could anticipate everything that was going to happen throughout the entire journey. When we think about our customers’ journey with us, we need to have systems and workflows in place too. That means that, from the very beginning, when they first find you, all the way to when you’re turning them into repeat customer and raving fan, there should be a system in place so that the journey can be duplicated with the highest experience in mind for every single client.

2. Obstacles happen. Plan for them!

NASA spent years planning for what could go wrong. And this is one of the big mistakes that entrepreneurs don’t do. They plan and execute as if everything is going to go just right. And of course, that’s not realistic at all. Something always goes wrong.

Smooth sailing is not the journey of entrepreneurship. When we plan for obstacles, when we look at the goal and then say, “Okay, what could get in my way? What could go wrong?” we are going to improve our chances of success dramatically. And that’s exactly what we saw with this landing. The amount of time that was spent in just looking for the obstacles, looking for what could go wrong, and then making a plan for if it did, is incredible. And it’s something we absolutely should and can do within our own businesses.

3. Utilize a team (there are two types)

I do not know everything. You do not know everything. But you know something and I know something. And when we bring those brains together, magic can happen. So being part of a team, being part of an opportunity where you can learn from other experts, where you can gain additional insight, is huge. And this can happen in two ways.

The first way to utilize a team is by hiring someone who can take work off of your plate. AKA outsourcing.
So if you’re really, really bad at design, find someone who can help you with the design and the brand aspect of your business. If you’re really bad at creating content, find someone who can help you do that. If you’re really bad at being able to organize your time, get an assistant who can help you stay organized.

The second way to utilize a team is by harnessing the brainpower of people who have already been where you want to go! Obviously, I fully believe that the best coaching membership you can join, if you are a womanpreneur who is ready to grow and get rich, is Growth Getters, which is my group coaching membership.

Inside Growth Getters, we get together multiple times per month to engage in group coaching. Plus, we offer one-on-one coaching, monthly trainings to help you elevate your business, access to your own accountability coach, and more… It’s amazing. Definitely check it out.

4. Celebrate your wins! ?

I’m going to admit it. I actually got emotional when I watched everyone in the mission control room start cheering, jumping, hooting and hollering… That genuine excitement. As we watched, I said to each of my kids who were sitting with me, “What would it feel like for you to work so hard for something, to put so much energy and time into it, that when you accomplish the goal it truly was a jump and cheer moment?” We can have those in our business, we should have those moments in our business! Are you taking the time to acknowledge and celebrate what you are accomplishing?

Image Credit: Bill Ingalls/NASA via NY Times

5. Study Your Results

One of the mistakes often made by entrepreneurs … but NASA has absolutely nailed … is that NASA is always studying the data, the metrics, and the results. When you get done with a launch, a promotion, or an email campaign (or any part of your business), study the results.

I schedule in time once a month to study my metrics. This includes insights into engagement, analytics, open rates, and just over all how I felt about different things we’ve worked on in the last 30 days.

Are you scheduling time to check your analytics, study your insights, see which blog posts are performing best or are getting pinned the most on Pinterest? Study your results and you’ll be able to see where you should focus your energy. This is how you can better ensure you’re doing more of the right things in your business.

Those are the five incredible tips that I watched unfold as NASA successfully landed their latest rover, Perseverance on Mars today. Now, heres to the entrepreneurs; it’s our turn to celebrate our own perseverance and big wins!