It takes an insane amount of courage and determination to be an entrepreneur. Our perspective is always eerily optimistic and we don’t always respond well to ‘feedback’. We are so busy fighting for the life of our businesses that sometimes we forget that we are the only ones who signed up for this life willingly. Everyone else has come along for the ride to support us or because they love us. Here’s what we need to remember about being an entrepreneur.
This is our journey
We choose this life and all of the uncertainty, fear and excitement that comes with it. As we pace the floor waiting for that next project or frown over the state of our accounts, we have to remember that we are the only ones who said “yeah, that crazy life. I think I’ll have that”. The people in our life that support our need to be a part of something bigger or something special, are making sacrifices. Every time we come home and head into our office or grab our laptops when we should grab a seat next to them, they sacrifice. Every time we miss a family dinner because of a meeting, they sacrifice. Every vacation we don’t take or ceremony we don’t go to, the people in our life sacrifice. We only get to be entrepreneurs because they sacrifice, so remember to thank them.
Sometimes we don’t get Lucky
Business is about 20% skill and 80% luck. You spin your wheels for as long as it takes and then one day the stars align and you find yourself in the right place at the right time with the right product or service. All day every day we are inundated with images of companies that are overnight successes; our friends and family know that sometimes that overnight success is 10 years in the making. So please cut those friends and family a little slack when they are less than enthusiastic about your career choice. We know it’s a roller coaster, but sometimes we forget about the passengers.
We have a responsibility to try
I’m hoping that I can say this without coming off as preaching, only because I’ve had this message delivered to me. When we make that daunting decision to step out on our own, we have an obligation to try everything to make sure that it works. Sometimes we want to crawl into a cave when we lose a sale, but because we’ve taken this risk we owe everyone. I’m not just talking about the people that we owe money to, I’m talking about our communities, people we’ve inspired. We owe them our best, even when we want to quit.
Being an entrepreneur is one of the hardest professions there is. The risk is extreme, the costs are steep and the hours are brutal. But this thing that we do that comes from the pit of our stomach, it never goes away for us. Even if we have to walk away it’s always there. So be patient with the people you touch, this thing makes us crazy and hard to understand. We feel it, but they can only see the effect it has on us. We aren’t entitled to their support, so if you have it say thank you. And remember that you owe your ability to be an entrepreneur to someone, don’t waste it.
Always appreciate your insights, thank you for excellence Leona.