If you follow business coaches or professionals in your industry on social media, you might have seen this or a similar post and maybe you have even responded. I know I have because there are a couple of areas that I feel well-versed in and that I absolutely LOVE to talk about. In all transparency, I should admit that I am seldom at a loss for words or opinions, so there’s that!

Starting at a very young age

One of those areas that I love to talk about is the entrepreneurial spirit. It is one of those things that absolutely resonate to my very core. I have shared the story in most every workshop I have done about my initial attempt at being an entrepreneur when I was just 10 years old. I can still remember everything about that experience, and I knew, in my heart of hearts, that I was born to be an entrepreneur.  Now, I had never even heard the word “entrepreneur” let alone know what it meant. What I knew was that I loved to create an idea and “sell” it to others. At 10 years old that translated to turning my parents’ garage into a roller-skating rink, complete with snack bar, and charging the neighborhood kids to come in every Saturday afternoon to skate and hang out.

The passion continued

Fast forward 11 years and I stepped out as an adult to take what I thought was a brilliant idea that never got off the ground. My experience now shows clearly that it was because I didn’t do the research to see if anyone wanted what I had to offer because if I had, I would have seen that brilliant idea resided in my head only. That is one lesson learned, and one that I have changed in businesses I have opened since then.

Even more important than that was the lesson it taught me about myself, and that is really what I want to share with you here in this blog.  The lesson I learned is that having that “failure” did not stop me from being an entrepreneur- not even for a minute. I didn’t take that experience and translate to a big “L” for me personally. It showed me the areas that I needed to do differently next time. It showed me areas that I needed to learn more about and that is the magic sauce in all of this, and I want it to encourage you as well if you have tried something that didn’t work out. Think of each “attempt” as a stepping-stone, adding knowledge and experience that will help me the next time.

It was four years before I launched my next business in a new city and in a new field. It turned out better than the first and provided me with great satisfaction and even more lessons learned.

Carrying the torch

It has now been more than 30 years of owning and operating businesses and the entrepreneurial spirit has not lessened to even a fraction of what I started out with at 10 years old. It hasn’t lessened but it has changed. Now my greatest joy comes in the form of coaching others who have that burning desire to be an entrepreneur. I can help them take that dream and navigate some of the rough waters that come along the way and move forward to the other side. In some ways it’s like birthing a baby. You nurture that baby inside of you and as the day of delivery nears you put in some really hard work to bring that life into the world but once you do you look in amazement at what you have managed to accomplish and feel the satisfaction of what you have produced.

Finally

So, if you are thinking that I am telling your story as well as mine then you are my tribe. I hope you will find help and encouragement to pursue that dream- whatever it is. It might be opening a brick and mortar business, starting a home-based business or an online business- whatever it is, don’t give up no matter what happens. Be brave today!