Do What Others Won’t, To Have What Others Don’t
People admire those who do what they:
- Don’t know how to do or
- Are too afraid to try themselves
That’s why when you quit your job, people will tell you “You have so much courage” and “good for you. I wish I could quit my job.” People love watching Gary V and Richard Branson. Elon Musk is a hero. But those entrepreneurs all took tremendous risk. Risks, most people will forever be too afraid to attempt even once let alone the multiple attempts that successful entrepreneurs usually have under their belt.
Here’s a secret: anyone can quit a job. (If you are really considering quitting see “Recipe for Resignation” and “Should You Quit?” posts)
Birth Of The Entrepreneur
Entrepreneur
-noun 1. a person who organizes and manages any enterprise, esp. a business, usually with considerable initiative and risk. 2.an employer of productive labor; contractor
Now, everyone loves an entrepreneur. The government will give you money to start a business, tax breaks to keep it running, and all your friends and family will be proud to call you their own.
The Hard Truth
The reason why more people don’t up and ditch their day gig is that if you leave your job today you will be forced to work for yourself and find a means to survive that will involve more work than you have ever had to do for any other employer.
By definition an entrepreneur takes on risk and has initiative. That’s textbook definition people. If you cannot find/procure/coach out these two qualities within yourself, DO NOT QUIT YOUR JOB.
Being an entrepreneur means you get up in the morning, and do the damn thing. What thing am I talking about? Every thing, that’s what. You are the: secretary, legal department, transportation liaison, accountant, accounts payable, accounts receivable, Director of PR, Director of Marketing, Assistant to the President, and the CEO.
An entrepreneur fields all questions (the ones you ask), finds all the answers (by way of your research) and pays all the bills (by way of securing all funding). The owner does all the work, and despite wearing all the hats, gets paid absolute last.
If you do it well, and work hard, that paycheck at the end of the road is well worth it. Somewhere down the line if you can keep it up you can hire people who will work for your mission as well, and then you can begin to gradually offload your workload and subsequently your stress level, even spending some of those hard-earned rewards. (difference between being self employed and having a business).
Only The Strong Survive
Nothing is more gratifying than spending money that you know you truly earned. If you are not a self-motivated person with initiative (which can happen when you are used to being micromanaged, mismanaged and under developed by ‘the man’), this path may leave you frustrated, broke and more than ready to get another job.
Meme as featured on Bossdivas.org blog
I’ll give “the man” some credit, if you are getting a job for the experience, or for some of the benefits (health insurance, tuition reimbursement, superb mentorship) or to supplement income to fund your business, that’s great. Many business owners start with having another business fund their ideas (that’s how side hustles can fast track blooming into full time occupations).
But never give someone else more of yourself than you give your self.
That’s just not fair to you or the life you seek to create. Be good to yourself. That means more of your time should be spent doing what you love, for the people you love. Spend less time filling that void for someone else.
What do you think? Do entrepreneurs have the dream life figured out or is running a business more work than it’s worth?
