Ever seen a billboard that just stopped you in your tracks? I had that “hold up, what did I just read?” moment while riding my bike to work in NYC. The billboard was advertising 24/7 online banking, but what caught my eye was its cheeky message: “Thought owning your own business was a 9 to 5 job?” Yeah, right! Might as well say, “Thought cutting hair would be as easy as lopping off a doll’s locks?”
But let's backtrack for a second to the whole "entrepreneur" thing. What a word, am I right? It's French, complicated, and makes you second-guess your spelling skills every single time. Richard Cantillon, the brain behind the term, must've had a great laugh thinking of the chaos he was about to unleash.
I've always joked with my clients that I'd love to sit down for a cuppa with good ol' Cantillon, just to ask him, "Dude, what were you thinking? Did you just roll the dice to decide how complicated this would be?" Because honestly, this word is like the Rubik's Cube of career paths—so tricky that you can’t help but admire anyone who figures it out. Entrepreneurship is like 24/7 banking: always on, no off button, and you better get used to it. So, for all you hopefuls thinking it's going to be a ride in the park, guess again. It's more like a roller coaster through a tornado—with no seat belts. And speaking of life's roller coasters, here's a thought: If I can be today a little better than I was yesterday, I'm winning. But let's get real, not every day is a win, and that's okay. Tomorrow is a fresh canvas, a new opportunity to paint your happiness. So, if today wasn't your masterpiece, don't sweat it. Tomorrow, you get to try all over again. That's the beauty of life—and entrepreneurship.
But hey, if you can nail it, it's as rewarding as finally getting that last piece of the puzzle to fit. There's no feeling like it. Just know that you'll be more committed to your business than you’ve ever been to a Netflix series. And if you can manage to do that, you're a unicorn in the world of start-ups.
So, here's to the misguided souls who hear "entrepreneur" and think it's going to be all rainbows and roses. Spoiler alert: it’s not. But for the rare breed that can surf the high tides and come out sparkling, you're doing the impossible. And that, my friends, is nothing short of magical.
