Ok, let’s get it all out in the OPEN —entrepreneurship is one heck of a life!
Forget all that you were ever told, here are some very troubling facts to backup that statement:
Entrepreneurs have unlimited ideas, but limited funds.
Entrepreneurs have unlimited work, but limited time.
Entrepreneurs have unlimited market, but limited marketing.
Entrepreneurs have unlimited opportunities, but limited resources.
Entrepreneurs have unlimited risks, but limited guarantees.
Entrepreneurs are far MORE broke than they are rich!
Entrepreneurs fail several times MORE in life than the average human being!
Entrepreneurs experience far MORE sleepless nights than any other human being alive! (e.g. I wrote this from the middle of the night)
Entrepreneurs suffer far MORE breakups than the average joe!
Entrepreneurs consume ideas far MORE than they will ever eat real food!
Why?
Because Entrepreneurs get paid LAST!
These are just a few of the burden entrepreneurs face. I wrote an unusual article in the past “the dark side of entrepreneurship and how to avoid it” where I also listed a few other burdens of entrepreneurship.
My dear, they are so freaking real!
But in spite of all these burdens, many still follow the path less traveled –entrepreneurship. The big question then is why?
Why do entrepreneurs despite all odds, still NEVER quit?
Who in their right thinking mind would want to become an entrepreneur?
Who in their right thinking mind would want to carry so much of a burden?
The shocking truth is this; only an entrepreneur would!
The life of an entrepreneur is a life of service. And only the entrepreneur knows why he has opted for such a life.
Who Send You Message?
In the part of the world where I come from –Nigeria, there is a very popular pidgin English phrase that sums up the burden of entrepreneurship; “who send you message?“
“Who send you message?” means “did anyone force you into it?” “If no, then you shouldn’t be complaining because you brought this on yourself!”
When you lose all the money you borrowed on an idea that didn’t work out as planned. Before you go nuts, remember; who send you message?
When after doing all your possible best to please a customer and they turn around to disregard your efforts. Before releasing the venom in your mouth, remember; who send you message?
When all your mates who are no smarter than you are gainfully employed, living a comfortable life, driving expensive cars while you are still jumping the bus or catching the train, remember; who send you message?
When you look at your personal balance sheet and realize that you have more debts than cash, remember; who send you message?
When all your friends are out partying and you have to stay indoor to meet up with a client’s deadline. Before you gnash your teeth, remember; who send you message?
When everyone else is fast asleep and you are still awake working late into the night, remember; who send you message?
When you are having a hard time with your employees because they are not meeting expected targets, when you are struggling to get them fired up about the business as much as you are, before you go nuts, remember; who send you message?
You Sent Yourself!
You and no one else BUT you chose to carry this burden yourself. You have no one to blame BUT you for all the bad and the good that will befall you as a result of embarking on the entrepreneur’s journey. The outcome, however it turns out to be in the end is one you chose from the beginning. No one sent you on this journey, you sent yourself!
And guess what?
In the burden lies the joy. The burden of entrepreneurship is a burden of freedom –the quest to be all that you can possibly be!
This is the whole joy of entrepreneurship. The fact that you are on a personal vendetta to create the life of your dreams by refusing to accept or settle for the average BUT aspiring for the very best. This is the whole essence of entrepreneurship. That you are the architect of your own destiny. This is what makes the burden of entrepreneurship seem so light for you to carry. This is why you are able to go through all the entrepreneurial challenges and rather than going insane, you get stronger by the day.
Because you sent yourself, ONLY you know why!
All the money in the world is nothing compared to the joy of seeing your idea become reality.
All the money in the world is nothing compared to the sheer joy of seeing your products/services changing lives.
All the money in the world is nothing compared to the adrenaline rush of fear, doubt and uncertainty.
All the money in the world is nothing compared to the sheer joy of creative expression –passion.
All the money in the world is nothing compared to the inner peace that comes from knowing that the work you do MATTERS!
Unusual entrepreneurs take on the burden of entrepreneurship not for the material gains it brings, but for the fulfillment it brings. For if it were all about the money, there are far more less challenging avenues to wealth. Employment is one. Stock investment is another and so is intellectual property.
When unusual entrepreneurs envision the end of their entrepreneurial journey, they don’t only see wealth, they see true fulfillment. Nothing compares knowing that you have lived fulfilling purpose. The money is just icing on the cake!
What is your BIG why?
I would really love to have your feedback. Kindly share your thoughts in the comment section below. And if I don’t get any, there’s no problem. Remember; who send me message? 🙂
In addition;
1. Entrepreneurs like to give themselves challenges when they take on new projects.
2 : They are tough at difficult situations. Who send them message.
3 : Where others see problems, They see possibilities.
4 : They worry less about what others will think before doing something important.
5 : They are fairly curious and are continually in search of discovery.
6 : They are a lot effective in stressful situations.
7 : They build something that will be recognised publicly.
8 : When faced with difficulties, they look for alternative solutions.
9 : For them, what counts is action.
10 : For them, it is possible to influence one’s destiny. So they carefully select their association.
11 : They are capable of imagining how they can make things work.
12 : When they take on a project they have confidence that they will carry it out successfully.
13 : They shoot for excellence in everything they do.
14 : According to them, they somehow make their own luck.
15 : In general, they trust their instincts.
16 : They somehow have problem working for someone else.
17 : They try to be the first or the best in their area of competency.
18 : For them, taking risks is like buying a lottery ticket: it’s a question of chance.
19 : They are capable of seeing many solutions to a problem.
20 : Most often they prefer having the final say by following their personal initiative.
21 : They always try to learn lessons from their failures.
22 : For them, everything is possible if they believe they can do it.
23 : They believe in innovation so they prefer using new ways of doing things.
24 : They see success as something you can create by following the principles it takes.
25 : A certain level of stress stimulates them.
26 : It is easy for them to motivate others to work with them.
27 : They don’t feel stuck by a difficult situation.
28 : They can easily imagine many ways to satisfy a need.
29 : After a failure, they are able to pick themselves up and start over.
30 : They are always ready to make sacrifices in order to succeed.
31 : They like to influence others.
32 : To be satisfied with themselves, they take on high tasking projects.
33 : When they take on a project, they are always convinced that they can carry it out successfully.
34 : They like to lead others.
35 : They always try to take calculated risks.
36 : They have a good time functioning in uncertain or ambiguous situations.
37 : They are always in the midst of launching new projects.
38 : They have a good time anticipating events, trends.
39 : They really enjoy situations where there are no rules to respect.
40 : Today, without a lot of money, they can take on a whole lot.
41 : Being too ambitious is often perceived highly.
42 : They don’t have a tendency to put off difficult tasks until later.
43 : They are not the kind of people to see the glass as half empty instead of half full.
44 : They often have time for thought but action is more important.
45 : They are not afraid to take on initiatives.
46 : No matter what they do, it doesn’t depend on them.
47 : They prefer being their own boss.
48 : They are highly ambitious than lots of people.
49 : They always give the best of themselves in everything they do.
50 : They can manage their stress well in ambiguous and uncertain situations.
Bravo!
Awesome contribution here Malik. What a motherload of insight. Thanks so much for the brilliant addition. You have certainly added so much value to the discussion here …can’t wait to see who is going next!
Love the comment here Malik; thanks for sharing an insightful post Tito : )
Thank you Mark, couldn’t agree more with you about Malik’s awesome 50 list for entrepreneurs 🙂
Seriously Who send me but I’ll have to drop a comment. Enterpreneurs are unstable yet reliable. They do not believe in “I can’t give what I do not have”. They often see their lack as a means to serve the need. Everyone around might think they’ve gone crazy but they’re humble in taking little steps. For me it gives me freedom just like saying I don’t live by the cause of the law but the grace to make the world a better place.
Thanks Tito!
Thank you Akin, really appreciate that you sent yourself to drop a message, even though no one sent you 🙂
That is the spirit of a true entrepreneur. Going where no one else has gone, doing what no one else has done. Breaking new grounds, changing the world, profiting from purpose.
Thank you for allowing the entrepreneur in you speak louder by dropping your comment!
My favorite is “Entrepreneurs have unlimited ideas, but limited funds!” 🙂
I’m constantly getting distracted with new ways to grow my business and course if funds are short you then have to find the time to learn a new skill and try doing it yourself!
A great article, and a great additional list by Malik
Thanks Warren for your input, really appreciate it. It’s true when funds are tight, then we have to turn to time which is our first greatest resource as entrepreneurs. Using time to develop smart skills to get things done, will help us better manage the problem of inadequate funding.
Thanks for pointing this out!
Guys this is a great and resourceful website. I’m about to venture into entrepreneurship and im about to register my company. Thanks for the resources. I appreciate
Thanks Kudar for your feedback, glad to have you join the naijapreneur community. Welcome aboard!
I stumple across your article when researching if I should call it quit! You are absolutely right, I choose to be here after all. Part of me didn’t even know how I get here, maybe that’s what makes me an ‘entrepreneur’ in the first place. Feeling exhaused, resent my employees and myself, finances are ever tight in the blink of bankrupcy, energy is low, customers drive me nuts, feeling overwhelm and feeling like a total failure is never a good place! Who Send Me Message, right?! But yes, the freedom definitely worth the fight. I will just need to keep at it, lots of work to do.
Thanks for the article.
WOW!
Cecilia, what an outburst!
Totally feeling your comment here, no holds barred, you let it all out. Thanks so much for being so sincere about the burden of entrepreneurship. It does really help knowing that the burden is indeed universal. To the question; Who send us message? The resounding answer again and again is that we DID. We sent ourselves on this journey!
Why?
Like you said, it’s definitely worth it, every step of the way!
Great article. I wanted to add that the greatest gift of entrepreneurship is stability. For instance, it is very unlikely that you will have a serious disagreement with your boss and get fired! 🙂 Remember that nothing worth having comes easily! If you remain passionate about your convictions, and stay the course, it is very likely that you will soon see your dreams unfold right before your eyes. If you need help, then ask for it, but whatever you do, don’t give up! -Karlsrule Consulting
Awesome feedback here.
Nothing good comes easy, so true!
Thanks Karlsrule.
Thanks for this article (who send you). You’ve made me realise am a true entreprenuer. I just asked myself dat question too and believe me I don’t even have d answer. This evening, I calculated all I’ve put into d biz and what I could have done with it if only I’ve gone into buying and selling. But I remembered my five years from now, I only smile to myself. Its crazy though.
Oh boy, reading these comments is so cathartic! Sometimes being an entrepreneur feels so lonely. And when times get tough, and you’ve been taking seemingly insurmountable pressure not for one or two weeks, not for five or six weeks, but for 20 or 30 weeks straight (I call this absorbing pressure …) well then, you know you’re in the realm of the entrepreneur! So proud of all of you guys, and even though I know none of you, I’m glad to be walking this journey with you, and driving humanity forward with our ideas and our passion and our persistence. Peace and love everybody, and good luck!
Thank you Andrew for your comment. Nice to see another fellow entrepreneur not giving up despite the burden of entrepreneurship.