Do you consider yourself an entrepreneur?
I have been self-employed most of my life. An entrepreneur is all I’ve ever wanted to be. As a child, I had businesses that I started; they weren’t much, but I knew that I wanted to create something that was lasting and create my destiny. I grew up with stories of my relatives who invented things like the peanut harvester, shock absorbers, and other machinery. Many of my relatives had made the trek to Alaska and started their own business to take advantage of people moving there to seek their fortune. I knew that I wanted to be part of that history as well.
Entrepreneurs are born, not made
I have always had that entrepreneurial spark. I thought that since I had that entrepreneurial spark, everyone had it. What I have found is that I was wrong. You see, If you compare people’s personalities to vehicles, I have been trying to make very lovely sedans into sports cars. A sedan is excellent for getting around town, dependable and a good value for your money, a sports car, not so much. It is made for two things and two things alone, speed and maneuverability. I can put a cool steering wheel and nice rims on a sedan, but it’s still a sedan. I’m not saying that you can’t add some skills to people who want to learn new leadership skills, you can. But to try and take someone that wants to be great at their job and shoving them into a leadership position is just wrong.
The quicker you learn this as an entrepreneur, the better
Ok, so you are the entrepreneur, you are wondering why everyone that you give an opportunity to is not taking you up on it and not meeting your expectations. “If I can do it, then they can do it.” you think to yourself. WRONG! If they had that entrepreneurial spark, they probably wouldn’t be working for you. If you hired an administrative assistant, let them be a great assistant, don’t try and shove them into a position they never wanted. If you are looking for people who have an interest in learning to develop that entrepreneurial talent that they ALREADY possess, then that is fine, make sure you know what YOU are looking for in potential employees.
To those past and present employees that I have tried to make into something you never signed up to be, I am genuinely sorry.
With the start of my blog, I’m constantly wondering if I was made to be an entrepreneur…
Time will tell. If you constantly have new ideas and these keep you up at night to begin, then that is a good sign.
It’s like SALE’s people are born with this skill to sell stuff to us that we don’t need 😀 but yeah some have talents some have other talents
We all have our own talents for sure. Some are more needed at one time than another.
I believe Being a successful entrepreneur means more than starting new ventures every other day. It means the right attitude towards a business and the determination and grit to achieve success. A successful entrepreneur has a strong inner drive that helps him or her to succeed.
I will admit that at times, my drive wanes, especially if I am hit from all sides in a given day. That is what you call grit and few of us have it. Being a successful entrepreneur is not for wimps.
Thanks for this enlightening article! I don’t think we were born into something or as ‘something’. I believe who we become is a choice since everything we do is a matter of choice. Being an entrepreneur is a lot of work and the spark is not enough to be good at it. I think it also entails hard work, sacrifice, and determination.
Nina, you are right. So many entrepreneurs lack the hard work that is required to go along with that entrepreneurial spark. Having that spark is only the beginning of the race.
I have to agree with you, an entrepreneur is born and not made. But it takes extra skills to be an excellent entrepreneur
Yes, that is a whole other discussion! This is why not every entrepreneur is successful.
YOu’re right I must say. Entrepreneurs are born not made because if one do not have in born abilities then one cannot be supposed to work or perform an task as an entrepreneur can. That’s how I thought and reading your article has given me a new direction to think.
Good to hear. I just got tired of trying to get people to fit the mold I was made to fill.
Brilliant, I thoroughly enjoyed reading your light hearted and rather witty rant. I totally agree with you that entrepreneurs are born, not made. Sadly, I’m not wired that way, I’ll cook a 10-course meal for a hundred people, but be an entrepreneur? Yeah, right.
ps: that last line is hilarious!
It sounds like you are a master chef! That takes some talent. I wouldn’t count yourself out as not regarding yourself as an entrepreneur. To do what you do requires creativity, organization, skill and leadership.
Reading the introduction brought a smile to my face because I was similarly entrepreneurial growing up.12 yrs ago I gave that up to take up an opportunity abroad. Slowly but surely am returning to my entrepreneurial roots.
If that entrepreneurial spirit is there, it will rise to the surface like a float in the water; you just can’t keep it down.
This was a good read. I believe most entrepreneurs are born but life makes some along the way.
The school of hard knocks can bring out that entrepreneurial talent within us at times, but it is a hard way to acquire it!
I think it can be both, and lucky for those who are born it with and the skills come from the family for generations.
But it can be learned if you have focus and passion on it.
You know what I have found? I have seen that entrepreneurs seem to skip generations. My grandparents were entrepreneurs, but my parents were not. My brother and I are both entrepreneurs, but none of our children want to be.
Im pretty sure we have all the talent, we just need to be brave and practice it, focused on the things you really wanted the most!
Yes, we all have talent, just not in every area. We can learn skills, but personality traits I feel are what you are born with.
“Entrepreneurs are born, not made” Oh my gosh, very well said… Loved this article very much <3 <3
Thank you. We all have talents, some in one area and some in another area, but entrepreneurs are constantly looking for that next great idea in other markets or in other people.
Such good advice. My sister likes being an office assistant. She’s so good at it though her jobs often push into higher positions. Her job now is doing it as well, even though she said NO. They won’t stop, you can tell, and I know she’ll be leaving there soon.
As a CEO, you see talent in someone and you “assume” that they are talented in other areas as well so you push them.
This is a mistake on our part. Let them be good at what they are good at. They will be the happiest doing what they do best.
I always consider myself an entrepreneur as I am constantly moving and changing focus and ideas.
The true sign of an entrepreneur!
This is a very useful post. I will take notes. Entrepreneurship does allow more creativity and flexibility. A chance to pursue your passions and earn money/impact lives.
Eventually, it does allow for more flexibility, but not so much at first. Pursuing your passion will have the greatest affect on those around you.
I think you always have to be able to sell yourself. I’m not sure I’d like to have my own business but entrepreneurs have v important skills
As we all do. We need everyone’s skills for an organization to be successful.
I agree that entrepreneurs are born not made. This is probably why I haven’t had great success in my own efforts.
Not all of us are made to be entrepreneurs. Clara, at times, I’m not even sure that I should be one, but I can’t seem to shut off the flow of new ideas, so I guess I will have to continue in using this “gift”. At times I wish that I had another gift!
People shouldn’t be forced into something they’re uncomfortable in/with just to please other people. Similarly, people can be taught or they can learn skills to develop themselves and that’ll ease them onto the path they need to be.
What I try to do with my staff is to ask them where their passions lie. What do they feel they get the most satisfaction out of in their present job, then I try and align our needs with their passions.
Entrepreneurship is not an easy road but it’s worth the take. I’m also getting into entrepreneurship so yes, I’ll agree that it’s good to work with people of the same passion and vision.
This is so important to be able to share your ideas with people of like mind. We can keep the flame going by helping others with similar passions.
Not sure I agree. I wouldn’t say that I ever had an “entrepreneurial spark” as a child, and didn’t until I was introduced to the idea and taught how to be an entrepreneur in college. Without my mentors teaching, I never would have started a business.
I think it depends on the person and the situation.
You must have a gift for learning and being able to be humble enough to be mentored. A rare trait.
As an entrepreneur I can relate. The one thing I struggle with is, aside from having an entrepreneurial spirit I’m also extremely creative and a perfectionist… I’m also very much a loner, so finding my niche over the years has been a difficult journey. I think I’ve finally found it though.
I think that being an entrepreneur requires a kind of perfectionist attitude. Being very choosy about your product or service is what will separate you from the crowd.
Being an entrepreneur can be hard! I struggle with time management and focus sometimes. There is SO much to do! 🙂
I think that focus is one of the hardest things for an entrepreneur. There are so many ideas bouncing inside of our minds that it is hard to focus on one thing at times.
This is true, the term entrepreneur seems to be branded around too freely these days. I feel like a lot of people just want to be labelled under that term without actually doing anything. When the real entrepreneurs are plugging away and building that sweat equity! Thanks for posting.
Being an entrepreneur is not an easy calling. Sometimes I wish that I had a more compliant personality, but the ideas just keep coming and I can’t just think of them without doing something about it.
One characteristic of an entrepreneur that I have noticed is their desire to start another project before the one their working on is really off the ground. They’re always bouncing from one idea to the next. Or maybe that’s ADHD.
It could be a little of both. I know that I have ADHD tendencies. There are some things like playing the piano and learning to play the cello that I stick with, but in regards to work, I get bored with just maintaining a project. I like to create it, implement it and then let someone else take the ball and run with it.
I definitely understand not beating employees into submission to get them to do a job they didn’t think they wanted. But sometimes you can inspire someone to see a side of themselves they never thought they had before.
I always try to inspire before I rehire. Many times you can inspire them to stretch and grow.