Everyone works for the crazy ones
“Here’s to the crazy ones. The misfits. The rebels. The troublemakers. The round pegs in the square holes. The ones who see things differently. They’re not fond of rules. And they have no respect for the status quo. You can quote them, disagree with them, glorify or vilify them. About the only thing you can’t do is ignore them. Because they change things. They push the human race forward. And while some may see them as the crazy ones, we see genius. Because the people who are crazy enough to think they can change the world, are the ones who do.” -Apple’s Think Different Campaign
This post is a moment of honesty. Not complaint. Honesty.
I was talking to my friend Daniel this morning, and he said something to me that had more impact on me than I thought it should have, and that’s the problem. He didn’t insult me, question a decision I have made, or ask me a hard question… he simply encouraged me
“I admire your work ethic and determination.”
That was it… but it hit me in my soul because I realized how little I hear things like that these days. Being an entrepreneur, starting your own thing, stepping out of the norm, is so confusing to most people that instead of saying anything they say nothing.
I probably get asked how my business is doing probably 5–10 times a week. What is more than likely a positive question from the asker, is often delivered with a tone of skepticism. Lending the interpretation to being recieved as “are you still doing this?” Or “have you failed yet?” Now, don’t get me wrong… please hear me… I know that 90% of the time this is not the intent. However, when the only thing people want to know is how the business is doing, it doesn’t feel like that. Rarely is it accompanied by a “Its exciting to see you chase your dream” or “I know its hard but keep going.”
Why is it so hard for us (myself included) to encourage the crazy ones?
This is a question I have been left pondering this morning.
We shy away from what we don’t understand
For decades we have, as a culture and society, been conditioned to embrace the status quo. Go to school, go to college, get a job working at a company, make money, have a family, retire, and die. This is the accepted norm of the last few generations. Anything outside of this is seen as unstable, crazy, and confusing by many.
It makes perfect sense to me. If you tell a lie long enough, and loudly enough it becomes the truth, and the same goes for life routines. This is exactly what has happened for the past 4 generations. Now, I don’t discourage anyone for following this life template, its one that is tried and true, and proven to work for many for years. However, what about the those that don’t tick like this, what about the square pegs in the round holes? I know from experience that it is easier for us to observe from a distance that which we don’t understand. That is exactly what happens when you ask an entreprenuer how their business is doing without digging any deeper. You are (possibly subconsciously) probing for information, trying to understand something that doesn’t make sense to your way of life. You can tell me I’m wrong, but I can swear to you that I’m not.
How can I say that with such confidence? Because when people understand the life and passion that drives an entrpreneur, they go deeper. They allow themselves to reach out emotionally and risk getting attached to the passion of someone else.
“What are you guys excited about in the company?”
“I’m not sure if there is anything I can do for you, but if there is let me know.”
“How can I support your company?”
“Are you learning anything interesting in this journey?”
These questions are the ones I get from other people who have either been in my shoes, or are the most encouraging in this (supposedly) insane life I lead.
You work for the “crazy ones.”
If you are reading this from your office, your cubicle, or in the break room, remember, you work for one of us. You work for someone who at one point said “ I want to start something on my own.” Everything that exists from the phone you are inevitably reading this on, the car that gets you to work, and even the place you are employed was created by a member of the “crazy ones.” Why is it so hard for us to remember that? Why is it so hard for us to encourage people that are starting things? Is it jealousy? Genuine confusion for that lifestyle? Selfishness? Ignorance? I honestly don’t know the answer. I just know how it feels to feel alone on this journey, being watched by everyone in the distance. Its something I have grown accustomed to, but I’m hoping to change with this post.
It is important for us to remember that things don’t progress forward without people daring to leap out front and go first. It is important for us to have the backs of the crazy ones. Because it’s the crazy ones that will one day employ your children, save the planet for them, and reimagine a better way to live.
Here’s to the cheerleaders
I have been a square peg my whole life. When I was 3 or 4 I used to use my imagination to “juggle (non-existent)bubbles,” much to the confusion of my older sister. I used to do my math equations wherever my hand hit the paper… drove mom crazy. You know what didn’t drive her crazy though? My tenacity and passion for life. If I am being honest with you, I don’t think the life I lead ever came as a shock to my parents. They have known I was “crazy” for 28 years. Yet, rather than trying to force me into the round hole of status quo, they equipped me to learn how to work within the confinds of “sanity”, and hone my skills to succeed. They are the ones that drive my passion forward. They are the ones that see me the most for what I am… one of the crazy ones. Its important to recognize the ones that see you, encourage you, and drive you on to the destiny that you are made for.
So why did I just ramble on here? A few reasons, actually:
- This life I lead as an entrepreneur, is one of the lonliest adventures I have ever encountered, but also the most fulfilling.
- I know I’m not alone in feeling that way, and I would implore you to have a conversation about this with an entrepreneur in your life.
- I don’t do well internally processing things, and need to externalize them, so I write.
- I need to do a better job encouraging the crazy ones in my life.
- So do you.
Here’s to the crazy ones… because without them, none of us would have jobs, cool gadgets, or the ability to use the internet.
