6 Characteristics Of Entrepreneurs All People Could Benefit From
I dropped out of high school when I was 16 to start my first business.
Shortly after, my girlfriend at the time gave birth to my daughter.
Surely, my journey toward entrepreneurship ended there, when I decided to get a “real job,” right?
Nope.
In fact, I've never had a “real job” in my life.
Perhaps it was the hard-headed teenage mentality I had that motivated me to take on the challenge of making money without a job.
But ever since I decided to take that route, my life hasn't been the same.
Throughout my journey, I've discovered things about myself I suspect most people don't learn until they're much older.
By the time I was 18, I already understood my strengths and weakness, my goals for the next five years and a vision for how to make the world a better place.
Without knowing it, I started becoming a leader.
Although entrepreneurship is admirable, it can be a lonely road.
That is, until you meet other entrepreneurs, who seem almost the same as you.
Here are the characteristics that make entrepreneurs as insane as they are:
1. We do everything by ourselves.
As an entrepreneur, time management needs to be a huge part of your life. When scheduling in meetings, you must decide who and what companies are aligned with your business or organization, have your best interest, market your brand and believe in your mission and vision."
-- Tayrin Tapia of Dear Tayrin
The best part about being an entrepreneur is you don't have a boss.
However, the worst part about being an entrepreneur is you don't have a boss.
This means you have to manage your time by creating your own schedule.
You have to accomplish goals by setting them yourself.
You have to build a brand by handling customer service, marketing and PR on your own (at least until you build a company big enough to hire employees).
2. We think about solving problems all the time.
“Most people spend more time and energy going around problems than trying to solve them.”
-- Henry Ford
Entrepreneurs possess a “figure it out” mentally.
We're strategists.
While most people are complaining about the unfortunate things that happen in their lives, entrepreneurs are thinking about how to prevent these things from happening again.
Our obsession with solving problems is the kind of motivation that brought us everything we see around us.
3. We would rather work than "turn up."
“The harder I work, the luckier I get.”
-- Samuel Goldwyn
Entrepreneurs aren't crazy about going out every weekend.
Their vision is so huge, even just the thought of achieving their goals brings them more satisfaction than having drinks at a bar.
Still, balance is key.
All work and no play is a recipe for misery.
But while everyone dreads the thought of Mondays, entrepreneurs look forward to it.
4. We barely shed a tear.
“When we direct our thoughts properly, we can control our emotions.”
-- W. Clement Stone
You can't be a great leader and an emotional wreck at the same time.
They're not heartless, but entrepreneurs grow to learn how to control their emotions, especially in stressful situations.
When it comes to making important decisions, your personal emotions shouldn't get in the way.
Entrepreneurs who can put their emotions to the side usually do what's best for the everyone (employees, investors, partners and customers), rather than just themselves.
5. We're okay with being broke.
If you're building your business for the sole purpose of building up your bank account, I imagine you're going to have a major uphill battle. Unless you bring passion for why you're doing what you're doing, you're going to have a really hard time facing the unknowns, feeling alone, feeling like you might not make it through the month.
-- Christopher Bremerton of Tayamo
When you're driven, money isn't the sole motivator.
So it comes as no surprise that entrepreneurs don't mind eating ramen noodles and drinking Red Bull while they pursue their visions.
We have an attitude that serves as the foundation of our actions and what we value.
A stable income isn't a luxury for most entrepreneurs, but it teaches us how to save money and only care about the things we need.
Entrepreneurs have no choice but to prioritize, and this makes for a great mindset when it comes to finances later in life.
6. We embrace failure
If you're not failing, you're not stretching yourself beyond your comfort zone, and that means your ability to grow is left to chance, not design.
Entrepreneurs fail often.
While most people desperately avoid failure, we understand failure is only based on perspective.
We believe failure brings us closer to success, so we're not afraid of making mistakes.
We're only interested in learning more.
Entrepreneurship is about ambition.
If ambition is ultimately about being persistent toward a goal, what is persistence without failure?
