image by Karmalize
When I was at a conference in Los Angeles a few months ago, I met some veteran entrepreneurs. People who are really successful. They had great advice, great stories, and great experiences to share. They had been there, done that, and seen it all. I was start struck and intimidated.
While I was talking with an older gentleman (we’ll call him Jim). Jim told me I had a bright future and, flattered, I told him “that remains to be seen. I don’t have your experience. I’m just a baby entrepreneur.” He, and everyone else at the table, laughed.
What The Heck Is A Baby Entrepreneur?
A Baby Entrepreneur is someone who owns a business under a year old for the first time. Yes, that’s my definition.
Growing up, I had no idea that just anyone could own a business if they wanted to – everyone I knew worked for some large, multinational corporation like Wal-Mart or McDonalds.
When I was 21, however, Rick Voss hired me to be his first salesperson at his new company. Since it was just the two of us, I got to sit in a car with Rick as we traveled to sales territories and he told me stories about businesses that he had started. He was a serial entrepreneur. A veteran. Not long after I started, however, our ways parted.
There were things that I took away from my time with Rick that stuck with me. His passion for life, his family, and what he did every day made me want to do what he did – oh, not build metal buildings or sell coupon books (two of his businesses), but be an entrepreneur.
So, here I am, with my first consulting business about four months old. What have I learned so far?
Being dumb enough not to know better is awesome. So many entrepreneurs start something and have no idea how hard it will be. Count me among them. I don’t have nearly enough time in a day to do everything that I want my business to do. How the heck do ya’all veterans do it?
Entrepreneurs have the best stories. “This client changed plans last minute and decided to add 30 hours to the project on a Friday afternoon, and it was due on Tuesday!” The good entrepreneurs seem to make it happen, then live to tell the story.
Passion for what you do is the stuff of life. I watched Dune over the recent holiday break. The whole galaxy gets in a big fight over Spice. Spice is the stuff of life for them, they really care about it. It’s a metaphor, I suppose. Thanks Frank Herbert. I really care about what I’m doing. I think that the way that people do business is changing – it’s no longer about ‘who can I find that does this?’ Now it’s more about ‘who do I know, like and trust that does this?’
Any more tips for this (and all of the other) baby entrepreneurs? Please share in the comments.
