4 Things I Learned from Becoming an Entrepreneur
STAY CURIOUS
Many people want to work for themselves. But not many people know what to do. The answer is (kinda) simple. Just keep doing things you like. If you have an impulse to take a dance class, do it. If you have love crystals and tarot, start giving your friends readings. Obvs, this does not apply if your hobbies include cooking meth or knitting cat sweaters out of cat hair.
As you keep doing what you enjoy, the path will open up. When I initially started putting silly phrases on cards, it was because I planned on world stationery domination. I just thought the cards were funny and I wanted to see what would happen. The cards took on a life of their own and as they started to sell I realized I had a potential company on my hands.
PUT YOUR EGO ASIDE
Shit is going to hit the fan. Or in my case the bidet (I got one pre-COVID. Talk about a lifesaver). Customers are going to be annoyed. And the buck will stop with you. It sucks, but you have to swallow your pride and deal. If you’re the type to throw a temper tantrum in a store because you’re required to wear a mask, I imagine running a business is going to be difficult for you. Do I get annoyed? Yes. Do I brush it off? Yes, because it’s either that or go back and get a 9–5. This is when my years of listening to my spiritual guru Oprah and daily meditation comes in handy.
IT’S NOT ALL ABOUT THE MONEY
If it was all about the Benjamins (to quote Puff Daddy / P. Diddy / Brother Love), I would have been a lawyer. A corporate one for sure. I like making money, but that can’t be the sole motivation. It’s hard to spend hours toiling after your 9–5 and skip weekends at the beach while growing your company, if you’re only interested in the cash and/or you don’t have an evil boss insisting you work or get fired.
I love butt jokes. Seeing people laugh at one of my products gives me the warm fuzzies. Hearing from a retailer that they sold out almost immediately gives me a thrill. Not only for me but for them too. I had an incredibly dysfunctional upbringing so laughter to me is everything. If I had been able to laugh, I probably would have resorted to alcohol and drugs. Luckily my extreme vanity saved me. Nothing like meth to fuck up the skin.
FAITH IN YOURSELF IS ESSENTIAL
As my sister from another mister (she doesn’t know this yet), Reese Witherspoon once said “I am my own lottery ticket”. You may not be able to count on your vendors, your customers, or someone not to mix exotic animals with farmed animals in a wet market thereby unleashing a worldwide pandemic, but you can count on yourself. Through thick or thin, I trust myself enough to know I’m going to land on my feet regardless of the circumstances.
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