What I've learned as an Entrepreneur ...
That if you’re feeling frustrated, overwhelmed, excited, nervous, addicted, and on the verge of quitting … that you are doing it right!
The entrepreneurial journey is a relationship you have with your product or service. Like all relationships, it is filled with the same emotions: happiness, sadness, anger, joy, and more. Like so many things in life, you can read all you want to help you navigate it, but in the end it all pales when compared to actually living it. Those that have taken the journey will agree.
Entrepreneur: A person who chooses to work 24 hours a day for themself, to avoid working 8 hours a day for someone else.
Whichever path you business takes, if you're like every entrepreneur I've ever met, you did what you did because you had to chase your dream. Congrats, because that alone sets you apart from the vast majority of people who do not follow their dreams. And it gives you a perspective on running a business, dealing with people, and the importance of taking full responsibility that relatively few have.
As an entrepreneur, you have built, possible sold, or even walked away from your business. This insight and perspective you bring adds incredible value and insights to other business. After working with multiple business owners from sole-preneurs to fortune 100 companies, as well as building and re-inventing my own business, here are the three things that I’ve learned about Entrepreneurs:
Innovation = Success
As an entrepreneur, you already know that innovation isn't about seeing something nobody else does but rather seeing what everyone else sees, but differently. Your gift is that you see opportunity for change in just about everything. It's just the way you're wired. You wonder why everyone else doesn't see the same opportunities for change. Channel this talent but be cautious of shiny object syndrome.
Your Business is Your Baby, but don't expect others to feel the same
Your obsessed - good! Now reflect, when was the last time you were this obsessed about anyone else’s product, service or career?? When was the last time you promoted another’s pursuit of their dream?? If it’s been a while, it may be time to first re-establish your own vested interest and engagement in their dreams before requesting special attention to your own.
Strateg-ery
Most entrepreneurs are not risk takers, at least not in the conventional sense of the word. We don't gamble, we invest in ourselves. Peter Drucker often spoke of how in the mind of the entrepreneur risk is evaluated very differently than traditional risk takers, or gamblers. Gambler’s think of their success as fate and luck, and often blame everyone but themselves, unless they're winning. Entrepreneurs take full responsibility and create strategic plans for their success, as well as their failures. This creates a level of ingenuity and creativity in how you approach most challenges that is well above the norm.
Creator At Heart
If there's one thing about entrepreneurs that predominates their personality and drives their need to build a business it's their inherent need to create - under their own guidelines. Harness this superpower and create your own empire, but know that with this superpower you will be overwhelmed with the inertia of ‘running a business’. The marketing, operations, talent development, finances, etc. Still to your strong suits and let other stick to theirs.
In the end, what separates good entrepreneurs from great ones are the same things that separate good employees from great ones, they are relentless innovators, don’t take things personal, and they see opportunities for continuous change and improvement.
The bottom line is that everything you've learned is just as valuable as ever, if not more so. You are an entrepreneur and that journey will never end.