I used to search for validation that I had the makings of an entrepreneur. As though I needed affirmation that I was capable of being one.
That’s when I realized that there are two kinds of entrepreneurs:
FIRST: The one who has entrepreneurship in their blood and is completely unemployable. They just can’t work for anyone else. They are the square peg in the round hole. The rule breakers. The misfit creatives who’ve chosen to write their own story.
SECOND: The ones who dedicated themselves to their career. Worked hard to build the success of others. They built leadership skills and have been eager to learn and grow. They climbed the corporate ladder but had a secret desire for more. To run the show.
But they stayed reasonably comfortable in their career. There wasn’t a big enough push to take the leap into entrepreneurship, until the one day finally came – WHERE THEY HAD ENOUGH!
Enough of not being fully appreciated.
Enough of selling themselves short and PLAYING SMALL.
Enough of busting their butt to BUILD SOMEONE ELSE’S DREAMS.
It was time to build their own. (secretly behind the scenes they had the makeup for the first type of entrepreneur)
Me? I fell into category two.
Sure I always had entrepreneurship in my blood.
One of my first memories of this was when I was 11 years old and I started growing my own vegetables selling them to my neighbours and family.
Since then I had many different entrepreneurial ventures along the way but I still followed the traditional corporate ladder. Still waited to be found, recognized and told I could be and do more.
The Mindset of an Employee is Very Different from That of an Entrepreneur
The employee often feels UNDER APPRECIATED. Taken advantage of. The employee looks forward to their next raise or promotion and when it finally comes (or doesn’t), they feel deflated that it wasn’t enough. There’s a constant drive for more, but the itch doesn’t get relieved. It gets subdued with each new milestone (raise, promotion, recognition), but it’s a temporary fix.
WHEN TRANSITIONING INTO ENTREPRENEURSHIP THERE IS A MOMENT OF REFLECTION. You go from feeling like you’re the best damn employee in the world that you’re employer is lucky to have you….to questioning AM I GOOD ENOUGH? Can I really do this? Who am to do this? This is meant for others, not me. Maybe I’m not cut out for for this.
Then in an effort to build your CONFIDENCE, you sign up for courses and programs. You do what you know and build your skills. You believe getting MORE CERTIFICATIONS will build your value and credibility in the marketplace.
YOU SEARCH OUTSIDE YOURSELF FOR RECOGNITION. You compare yourself to others. There’s a pool of other coaches and online entrepreneurs doing what you’re doing. You feel deflated. There’s no obvious path to climb the entrepreneurial ladder.
THERE’S A LACK OF STRUCTURE. There’s no consistent linear growth. You get ups, you get downs. Financially and emotionally. What you put in doesn’t equate to what you get out.
You’re left wondering, HOW CAN I DO THIS?
The truth is, you need to STOP LOOKING OUTSIDE YOURSELF.
YOU HAVE ALL THE POWER AND UNIQUE BRILLIANCE WITHIN YOU TO MAKE YOUR DREAMS A REALITY. Sure you may need some guidance and mentorship along the way, but learning new skills and dividing your attention to a zillion different things isn’t the answer.
In all honesty, as my business grows, I STILL HAVE MOMENTS WHERE I SINK BACK INTO MY EMPLOYEE MINDSET. Doubts creep in about my ability to reach my goals and to do this on my own. My coaching business is the first business where I haven’t had a partner. And I’ve had to work really hard on my mindset to realize that I can do this…on my own.
Along the way I’ve come to see it’s not a matter of doing it on your own. It’s about getting the support you need. It’s about hiring people (smarter than you) who shine in their own zone of genius to help build out your vision. Your idea. GET YOUR MESSAGE OUT TO THE WORLD.
What excited me the most as a coach is that very moment where my clients fully BELIEVE IN THE POSSIBILITY of what can be for them. When they fully OWN THEIR VALUE, see their unique brilliance and feel CONFIDENT in having a STEP-BY-STEP PLAN that translates the skills they have into a business model that generates the CLIENTS AND CASH they desire.
There’s no one size fits all. A SUCCESSFUL BUSINESS IS ABOUT BEING MORE OF WHO YOU ARE. Your brand is the essence of how you leave people feeling. It’s not about being like everyone else on the street. It’s about letting your uniqueness shine through and fully owning YOU.
So get out there and be YOU. You don’t look good wearing someone else.
