So, if you're claiming to be an entrepreneur but lack an understanding of what it truly means to be one, then you need to question yourself. Are you genuinely an entrepreneur or are you simply trying to aspire towards something that may not align with your true calling? In today's society, there seems to be a glorification of entrepreneurship, especially on social media. Everyone claims to be an entrepreneur or believes they are one. But in reality, they may have a superficial perception of what it actually entails. They might ask themselves certain questions like, "Do I want to work for someone else my entire life or do I want to work for myself?" Naturally, most of us would answer that we prefer working for ourselves. They may also ponder over whether they want the freedom and flexibility of creating their own schedule – a question we'd all likely respond positively to and they might even contemplate if they desire a life where they don't feel the need for breaks from work. However, I believe in asking what I call 'reality questions,' which delve into the actual challenges and hardships that come along with entrepreneurship.
Are you willing to work round the clock or would you prefer a standard eight hour workday? Are you open to taking every last penny from your bank account and risking it all? It's important to acknowledge these realities when considering the life of an entrepreneur.
We can't simply consider the perception of something without acknowledging the reality. I know some people dislike it when I say this. I firmly believe that entrepreneurship is not something that can be taught. They really dislike it when I express this opinion. There are skills that can be taught such, as attending summits, conferences and workshops or finding entrepreneurs to mentor you all day long having a wealthy background and the financial means to support your vision and monetize it can you really be taught to have the motivation to pursue the rewards that come with taking risks? Can you truly be taught to get up and work diligently when no one is watching over you or holding you accountable because ultimately you must hold yourself accountable? Personally I don't believe so. I think this is something that either comes naturally or doesn't; it's a quality, within a person.
Entrepreneurship, like the music industry and show business, has become quite competitive. It seems like everyone in Los Angeles wants to be a rapper an actor or a model. Many people even work as Uber drivers or in restaurants while pursuing their dreams of fame and success. This saturation of talent is not limited to the entertainment industry I recently realized how oversaturated entrepreneurship has become too. This year I had the opportunity to speak at a school where the principal wanted me to talk to the students about entrepreneurship. The reason was that many of them associated success with entertainment. He thought it would be valuable for them to hear about business ventures as well. After my talk, a few kids approached me including a 12 year boy who asked if I could teach him how to start his business. It was exciting for me to see ambition and interest, in entrepreneurship.
The Harsh Reality of Entrepreneurs
I wanted to have a conversation, with the kid from the school about the sides of entrepreneurship, not the glamorous aspects. So I explained to him that it can be stressful and sometimes a bit depressing. You never really know if things are going to work out. You still have to keep pushing. However as I was talking to him I noticed that he looked scared and worried. I really hope I didn't unintentionally discourage this boy from pursuing his dreams of becoming an entrepreneur because that's definitely not what I intended. So I shifted gears. Started talking about the rewards. Instead of focusing on materialistic rewards, I emphasized the opportunities it brings, like creating a business with a lasting impact and building generational wealth. A course explaining these concepts in a way that a 12 year old can understand is challenging! One of the perks is being able to set your schedule and having freedom in your work. Thankfully he seemed excited again after our conversation.
Well he said, you know I'm really intrigued. How can I tell if being an entrepreneur is right, for me? What if it doesn't work out? That question meant a lot to me. That's why he stood up. Before I reveal how I answered it let's pause for a moment. We've all had those moments as children when we believed we would grow up and pursue something only to realize it wasn't meant for us. Maybe our parents pushed us into activities just to make them happy. Then we realized it wasn't our true calling. For me that was ice skating when I was eight years old. Watching ice skating made me think I could be Michelle Kwan. The elegance and gracefulness seemed alluring and effortless. So I pleaded with my mom to take me to the ice rink and dressed up in the outfit with my hair styled in an ice skating bun. I remember going out all excited to step onto the ice rink and show off my gracefulness. Within seconds reality hit me hard as my face met the surface. I struggled to get flailing around like I was swimming. It was embarrassing, for everyone around me including my mom.
At that moment I realized that ice skating wasn't meant for me. There's nothing wrong with falling or realizing that something isn't your passion. Ice skating just seemed cute from a distance. It didn't resonate with me personally.
Besides ice skating there was another dream of mine; singing. However when I shared this aspiration with my parents they kindly advised against it due, to the limitations of my voice. Sometimes we have to accept that certain paths are not meant for us.
However I wasn't really enthusiastic, about the amount of effort required to become a singer. I just found it cool. Wanted to create a music video because you know, I'm eight years old and I don't fully understand the hard work it entails.
So How Do I Know Am Going To Be An Entrepreneur
1. Like to Sell Anything
We all have those moments when we make plans to do something but end up not doing it as intended. So how did I realize that I was meant to be an entrepreneur? Well entrepreneurs share traits and tendencies. At a certain age, we unknowingly exhibit behaviors that are natural, to entrepreneurs. Every entrepreneur I know had experiences of selling something as a kid whether it was candy, lemonade from a stand or making money by doing yard work. Nowadays kids are more resourceful; they sell products, like Brow Boost and Edge Control. Get involved in real estate ventures. It seems like they can do everything! Then selling things and earning our own money gave us immense satisfaction even though society discouraged us from making money at such a young age. So from the age of five or six or as young, as eight we hustled and loved the feeling of earning our own money.
2. Never satisfied
One of the characteristics shared by entrepreneurs is that we are always driven and never content. We set goals, for ourselves and work tirelessly to achieve them. Once we do, we immediately start seeking the next challenge. People around us may view our accomplishments as amazing. For us it's another step in our journey. We don't dwell on achievements; instead we constantly strive for opportunities and push ourselves harder. This constant pursuit of growth can be quite demanding as we are never truly satisfied, with where we are.
3. Hate being told what to do
Entrepreneurs also hate being told what to do. If you were to ask an entrepreneur why they choose this path the majority would mention their desire for independence and autonomy. We thrive on having control over our schedules deciding how we allocate our time and not having someone dictate when we should wake up. The idea of being in charge of our income is exhilarating while the notion of someone determining it is repulsive. We would rather dedicate 24 hours a day to our ventures than work eight hours, for someone. It's something that truly irks us and the sentiment extends beyond the world.
My Transformation
When I used to work in the corporate world I disliked it because at the time I did not know what it meant to be an entrepreneur. It took me a while to realize that my true calling was to be an entrepreneur. Throughout my career I had the opportunity to work at some of the television stations and corporations you can think of. I hopped from one job to another hoping to find happiness and fulfillment. Unfortunately I mistakenly thought that finding happiness solely depended on the type of job I had.
I noticed a pattern in myself as each new job began with excitement and enthusiasm. In those months I genuinely believed that this would be the job where everything would fall into place and bring me satisfaction. However after a few months passed something changed within me. Instead of being the bubbly person of energy that I used to be I felt myself transforming into someone filled with frustration and anger. A sensation was particularly disheartening because it didn't align with who I truly am.
I realized this career path wasn't suitable for me when everyone else seemed prepared for Sundays and brunches while all thoughts of returning to work, on Monday left me feeling isolated and depressed. The mere thought of going into that environment drained my spirits, I genuinely despised it.
Imagination versus reality
I started attending a church not because I was a religious person but because I needed something to uplift my spirits. The church happened to be located near my workplace. It's interesting how sometimes when you go to church you feel like the pastor is speaking directly to you.
During one of these visits, the pastor spoke about happiness and the contrast, between imagination and reality. It struck a chord with me because in life there are often signs that we tend to overlook or ignore. These signs can come in the form of heartbreak, befriending the people or making poor business decisions. When we choose to ignore them they keep recurring as if trying to tell us to pause and reflect. The pastor mentioned that when our imagination doesn't align with our reality it can lead to feelings of depression and a sense of missing out on the life we were meant to live.
That really struck a chord with me. It made everything come in full circle. That's why I wasn't happy because when you work in a corporate working environment. When they assign you these roles you believe that you can achieve things. However there are always people, above you who put you in that position. As born entrepreneurs our dreams are ambitious. We strive to accomplish the impossible. We don't settle for what we aspire to achieve greatness. So when they offer you this position and make you feel powerful and in control with a raise to boot you envision yourself doing things for the company. In reality it just keeps you stuck, in the place, which is why I despised it.
That's when I realized it was a sign. Even though I eventually got that job I found myself searching for another one right away. Throughout my life during college I always had some kind of job or internship. People used to joke and say I was a minor when it came to internships because I was always working and staying busy. However this time around things were different. Despite applying in a manner and looking for a job that would truly bring me happiness than just any job I wasn't getting any callbacks or responses to my emails. It was quite disheartening.
So dwelling on it I took my time. Invested in something that genuinely interested me. Journalism. This decision led me to become a celebrity reporter where I had the opportunity to interview some of the stars you can think of. From attending carpet events to being on top of every story I was fully immersed in my work.
So I ended up staying in hostels where I shared a room with 16 people, both men and women. As time went on during my period of homelessness I had to minimize my belongings from suitcases to one backpack. By the time I reached around 14 months of being homeless, all I had left was my laptop, a shirt and a pair of pants.
Then one night when I had no where else to go and couldn't afford a hostel I found myself walking into the lobby bathroom of a hotel. I felt quite anxious as I hoped that no one at the desk noticed me entering but not leaving. Inside the bathroom stall using my laptop that has been with me since my freshman year in college I managed to connect to the hotels lobby Wi Fi. It was at that moment that my survival instincts kicked in because as an entrepreneur thats what we do, we find ways to make money deserving of our efforts and achieve the lifestyle we desire.
I didn't shed any tears or give up; instead I pondered on how to earn the recognition and income that matched my potential while living life on my terms in Los Angeles. It was during this time that I founded my publicity company.
Surviving in the business world that's what entrepreneurs strive for. So I put in all my efforts. Came up with a plan. I thought to myself "You know what? I can do this." I've dedicated time and energy to working tirelessly for other companies. Countless 80 hour workweeks, even sleeping under my desk because, by the time I got home it was already time to go back to work. There was this one instance when I flew out to LA and worked for 60 days before getting one day off because they needed me to launch something. I didn't even have a place to stay initially; they had me put up in a hotel for two weeks until I figured things out on my own.
That experience made me realize that if I could go through all of that for someone Company then surely I could do it for myself too. That's what kept me going. However like entrepreneurs and aspiring individuals doubts started creeping into my mind. What if things didn't work out? It was the question a 12 year old boy asked me once; "What if it doesn't work out?". Honestly sometimes we wonder if entrepreneurship is really meant for us.
I had to release that fear because it's the reason why people don't pursue what they are truly meant for. So I decided to let go of that fear and thought to myself "If I fail what options do I really have at this point? I'm already, at rock bottom and even, below that. So I might well give it a try." Surprisingly things turned out beautifully in the end. So if you want to know if being an entrepreneur is your calling, the best way is simply to give it a shot.
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