The Art of The Entrepreneur

In the wise words of Jessica Herrin, founder and CEO of Stella & Dot, "You have to see failure as the beginning and the middle, but never entertain it as an end". This statement in of itself holds great value in assessing the art of entrepreneurship. Entrepreneurship is just that, an art form. There is really no clear cut definition for the word 'entrepreneurship,' as this is truly whatever you perceive it to be. In the eyes of the entrepreneur, there is endless opportunity. The job of an entrepreneur is to fill a void through the means of offering service or products. Often, this derives from one of two key elements, being passion or motivation.

An individual may be passionate about something they take personal interest in or have a talent for; thus, birthing entrepreneurs. Motivation on the other hand, addresses a need. This motivation often stems from personal experience or encounters as a consumer that had failing results. Whether it be a product or service you desire that was not available in your area or even just a poor experience. These are all potential ways entrepreneurs, and businesses, are birthed; furthermore, it is the common combination of both passion and motivation that drive the best entrepreneurs toward greatness.

For one reason or another, entrepreneurship is often viewed in an elite way. In other words, many do not feel they are qualified or good enough to be in business for themselves. The question must be asked, however, who really determines what good enough is anyways? Many make the misconception of thinking that entrepreneurs are somehow born as such, rather than being birthed, groomed and eventually growing into such. Everyone must begin somewhere and there is truly a business for everyone out there. If you have the drive and the willpower to succeed, your business will be successful. If we were to consider the greatest people we often hear about in society who hold the greatest of success stories, many, if not all of these individuals, started with a no. Oprah Winfrey for example, started from nothing and was fired from her first real job as a reporter because she was “Too emotionally involved”. Oprah could have taken this and let it deter her from moving forward but instead she took that ‘emotion’ and learned how to make something purposeful from it, going on to evolve the talk show business in a way like never before. Arguably, her talk show set the standard for the current talk shows we see today and she did not just stop there. She has multiple entrepreneurial endeavors including her OWN television network and a school in Africa. This is the beautiful thing about entrepreneurship. Who says you can only do one thing? Entrepreneurship is really what you want it to be and it does not have to be limited by societal restraints or the idealistic 9-5 approach.

In the end, everyone is different. I challenge you to find what motivates you and better yet what you are passionate about and start from there. It could be something completely new or something that has been done time and time again. It is just about providing a different experience even with a seemingly common business, all while ensuring people know why to do business with you as opposed to anyone else. It all starts and ends in the mind. No one is perfect and no start is either. What matters, however, is going forth to ensure success in the long run.