Paul Newman was describing the secret behind his 50 year old marriage to Joan Woodward, a strange thing in Hollywood. I say his words also apply to people who start their own businesses. Who can really explain why we do, what we do? We, the true believers, who get up one day and decide, without paying any attention to what is going on in the world, in the stock market, in the economy, to start a business. I never investigated what the economy or Dow Jones was doing on January 10th, 2001 when I incorporated my business.
I would make an argument that is probably dumb. That one should take careful consideration of all the things that is happening in the world, in your industry, what your competition is doing, what the forecasters of the world are saying about what might, could, should, would happen tomorrow... but that is not the way the entrepreneur heart works.
I know it should sound strange and disturbingly reckless to somebody who does not belong to our tribe but it is what it is. You get up one morning and just know, that you have to try it, that you would not be able to go another day if you did not give it a shot.
Could you lose money? Sure. Could you spend all this time learning about a business only to discover that it is not for you? Happens all the time. Could you completely flop and risk your significant other, friends and family snicker at you, both in your face and behind your back? Happened to me several times. Will somebody who you respect, will take you in a corner and whisper to you give up that really you are a good person but nobody thinks this is a good idea. Very possible.
I have noticed that if I tell somebody who is an entrepreneur about something that I tried and it did not work out... their face becomes excited, their eyes glow with happiness and they cannot just stop smiling. I have just made their day. Proved to them that their strategy of not-doing-anything-because-something-bad-may-happen-and-I-might-hurt-myself is valid, that the world is a dangerous place where you can lose money / credit / reputation / respect of your loved ones if you go out and try something new that you have not and you may fail.
I don't mind. Really. They are right in their own way and for their own life. They don't get to taste the bitter defeat of hearing 'NO", of seeing a deal fall apart for no logical reason, to try out a new marketing campaign and to see it fall flat on its face, to put out a new website that doesn't convince even one person to do business with you.
They are right in staying behind the walls and not venturing out. But they, who don't belong to our tribe, also don't get to share the insane joy of seeing a business grow, they don't get to open up their emails and read the testimonials of happy clients, the rush of seeing a tactic work perfectly after 10 tweaks and knowing that we did this, inch by inch, all by ourselves.
Lust operates without reason. Patience requires planting seeds every day. Lust defies explanation. Patience and everyday boring progress silences all skeptics eventually.
50 year marriages are not easy. Getting rich is not easy. Running a business is not easy. Raising children is not easy.
Since we are at it... name one thing that is worthwhile doing in a short life which is easy?
I agree, the journey of building our business has been tough but I also know that struggle weeds out all those that are just looking for a quick buck. The entire process has been fun, I don't need to watch Flip This House because I am living it.