You're an Entrepreneur If......

I was recently networking at a local event and met two young women who had both started their brand-new businesses in the last five months. You could tell by the look in their eyes that they were both very idealistic and optimistic. I asked the two of them if they knew what the acid test for an entrepreneur is. They said, “No.” I told them that you know you’re an entrepreneur if you wake up each morning and feel simultaneously exhilarated and terrified. Both of them laughed but agreed that I was right.

When you take on a new business, it means that you are working without a safety net. All the decisions that you used to make while working for somebody else gave you a cushion. Chances are that your previous employer had to bear the costs of any mistakes you made. But now, that responsibility falls on your shoulders. And rest assured, you will be making mistakes — just about every day.

But none of this should dissuade you from becoming an entrepreneur. There is no more liberating feeling in the world than knowing that your success will be the result of your own decisions and judgment. The mistakes you make at the beginning will eventually lead to better decision-making, superior judgment, and greater wisdom. These are all valuable tools that will come back to benefit you the longer you stay in business. Naturally, the key is to do enough things right (while you’re still making daily mistakes) so that you can stay in business long enough to benefit from them.

So, what do you do at the beginning when everything is so scary? Recognize that you are in good company. Every day, thousands of new entrepreneurs take the plunge. You’re embarking on a journey that will test your mettle and show you what you are truly made of. As soon as you get that first customer to pay you what you asked, you’ll experience the thrill of knowing that someone else believes in your vision.

I challenge you to see your sleepless nights and chewed fingernails as a badge of honor. We’ve all been there. Consider them a rite of entrepreneurial passage. And just remember, you don’t become a successful entrepreneur by not making mistakes but, rather, by learning from them.

“Opportunists seek for a chance. Entrepreneurs make new chances.”– Toba Beta

Let me hear from you.

This excerpt is taken from my seminar entitled Survive and Thrive in Your Own Business.  I encourage you to click here to register for the exclusive live Zoom presentation of Survive and Thrive in Your Own Business on Thursday, May 23, 2023 from 9 AM to 12 noon Eastern Standard Time.