Don’t Let The “Smooth Sail” of A Successful Entrepreneur Misguide You.

What the world sees after years of an entrepreneur’s trials.

It’s all smiles to the spectator. It’s the look of certainty and confidence an entrepreneur portrays when asked of his or her profession. Let’s first define an entrepreneur. For me and many others, it’s the person that doesn’t earn a wage. Rather, he or she deeply believes in a cause, that they have a product or service to offer the world and when they convey it to their respective prospects, they earn the right to pay. I include sales people in the list of entrepreneurs. Why?

Because like entrepreneurs, people in sales must build and nurture relationships, establish trust and repeat that same process every single day to become valuable to the marketplace. It’s not until then that they earn a potentially high pay. Have you ever wondered why being in sales is scary for most? Have you also realized that those in sales are typically the ones earning mid to high six figures?

Entrepreneurship is sales. It is also marketing and book keeping and everything else under the business and creative umbrella, until they are established enough to hire others. This could take years for most to achieve. So why do these brave souls decide to take on such a career path?

Many people think it’s for financial rewards. While that can be enticing, most entrepreneurs will spend years barely scraping by and living off credit cards. So clearly, there is a more deeply rooted purpose. Exactly. Purpose! Most entrepreneurs are willing to struggle because they believe in both the purpose of what they are doing and the adventure of getting there. The process of starting, running and growing a new company is the reason they do it! They also have a BIG Vision of what this business will do and how it will look down the road.

“Without a vision, people perish!”

They understand money is not a strong enough driving force to take on such a path that is riddled will failures and disappointments.

These bold individuals, including you and me, believe at a very core level that there is satisfaction to be found in the unknown and much of it is driven by faith. Just as every sailor knows that there will be rough seas crossing the ocean. Equally, the journey of entrepreneurship is about building emotional and spiritual strength. There is a freedom of sorts which they know will never be found in a 40-year 9–5 job.

When I launched my first nutrition company in 2009, I put everything I had into it. I read dozens of books, opened LLCs, quit my job (probably not my best of choices at the time), and spent nearly 15 hours a day crafting my skills and business as well as networking with other business owners and business coaches. I was at the ground level, again! It was like going into the workforce, except this time, without a real compass. There is a level of intuition that began to develop, which helped me get better and learn from my mistakes. That business did not do too well. I managed to run it for about 24 month until I realized its main objective was to set me up for future endeavors, which is exactly what happened.

In 2011, I had the opportunity to take those very experiences and skills and launch a new business with a partner. That business is still in operation four years later. I attribute much of what I have learned to engage mentors and continue reading books. No matter how much we (think we) know, we should keep our minds open, like a parachute! Remove the EGO, admit when things aren’t working, adjust your sail (as the great Jim Rohn would say) and keep moving forward.

Today, there are many people who want to be an entrepreneur. That’s incredible!

I think this is happening for three key reasons:

1. Less job stability = more employee frustration = Bigger balls!
2. The business system of our world is changing forever. We each have access to technology from our smart phones, where we can literally run a business.
3. People want to live with MORE PASSION and put meaning back into their daily life! If you’re going to spend the next 30–40 years of your life working, it might as well be for a cause that stirs your spirit!

A few MUST-DO steps to help you get on the path of entrepreneurship:

1. Sit down and write 3–5 ideas you are passionate about.
2. For each one, jot down 5–10 points on how your idea can be a business and how it will serve the marketplace.
3. Write down 5–10 possible challenges you’ll face for your business. These will help you decide whether or not that idea is worth you pursuing. Remember you have to have your heart into whatever you do!
4. Let’s eliminate the ideas you feel have challenges you can’t live with!
5. Take the remaining ideas and repeat/refine the process!
6. Keep doing this until you’ve arrive at 1–2 of your top ideas. These are the ones you should truly consider today!

Here are some things to look for in your discovery process:

• Do you feel excited about the idea?
• Have you had a passion for the concept for a long time?
• Can you envision yourself in such a business?
• Are you skilled in that particular area?
• Do the joys and rewards outweigh the challenges you are certain to face?
• What would you do if you succeeded?
• How many people or organizations can you impact?

This process will evolve for you. Keep moving forward no matter what happens. Don’t be afraid to fail or to succeed. Instead, feel excited about just doing it. The results will work themselves out.

No entrepreneur is an overnight sensation, and neither will you be. You may have already spent years crafting your message and harnessing your skills. Only now, you’re about to deliberately unleash them with purpose! Wake up excited each day, keep your vision real in your mind and heart and always, always have fun.