Becoming a Successful Entrepreneur
Ever thought deeply about what a successful entrepreneur and business owner really is? What entrepreneur ideas they had to make them so wildly successful? What problem solving skills they possessed? Quite frankly, to understand what a successful entrepreneur really is, takes only a brief look into their soul, their spirit to compete and win.
The other day I went jogging… I started out my front door early Saturday morning looking at the dark clouds in the sky, about 30 minutes after a heavy rain storm. I contemplated whether I should continue with my run or wait for better weather, after all, I had my iPod I didn’t want to ruin with the rain. 
I decided to run and continued out the door. About a mile down the road the sky decided to dump a good amount of rain on me, then let up, then rained again, then let up, and the cycle continued. This weather pattern brought back memories of my business experience in my own and with my clients and customers. The lesson it reinforced with me that I want to share with you now is that our small business lifecycle will be filled with bad weather, lots of it. Unless we become accustomed to working in the rain, we will never succeed in our business. Think of the palm tree enduring a hurricane in Florida… Its only option is to bend with the wind and rain, holding strong to its foundation.
As small business owners and entrepreneurs we must grow accustomed to working in rainy conditions, to not be afraid to get wet, and to especially not wait until the skies are clear with no rain in site. If we wait for perfect conditions (the best money making ideas, the perfect knowledge of how to start a business, or the right blue ocean strategy), we will never develop our ideas and passions into sustainable and generous incomes, into the business and income stream we want. We must know our goals and focus our minds and actions on achieving these goals no matter what. We must be anxiously engaged in the cause of our business, continually moving and doing what will bring about our end-goal. When hardship and challenges come as they surely will, we must work through those hardships and keep our momentum going. As soon as we stop for more than a brief rest, we take our eye off the mark, lose momentum, and eventually will say “it’s too hard I think I’ll wait until I have more time, more money, or the perfect idea.”
Don’t expect to be the perfect successful entrepreneur, ever. Don’t expect to understand perfectly the best ways to make money, at the beginning. Success is a marathon, not a sprint. We learn or should learn with each step we take. Learn to love challenges by working through challenges, by looking for opportunities in all conditions, easy or difficult, and keeping your mind and actions focused on your goal. Do that with the right plan and strategy, and you will succeed in the crazy and rewarding world of small business and entrepreneurship.
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