Self-Esteem and the Entrepreneur

Isn't it funny how people think that being self-employed is so cool? They think that you get to take lots of vacation time and spend all of the profits. What they don't realize is that you put in outrageous amounts of blood, sweat, and tears to get there. They don't know that you have to take the blame for every single thing that goes wrong. They don't know how many times you fell flat on your face before making it work. They think that you simply come up with a cute little idea over dinner one night and within a couple of months you're flying high living the rich man's life. The reality of the situation is very different. Statistics consistently show that most successful entrepreneurs failed a handful of times before finally finding that winning formula. It's during the failure years that you earn all of those future vacations and big fat salaries. Delayed gratification takes on a whole new level, doesn't it?

One of the toughest things to learn during those failure years is the self-esteem that comes with it. Self-esteem doesn't come from having everything come easily and effortlessly. Real self-esteem comes from having worked yourself until you're almost in tears and then having someone tell you that you're working too hard and ought to just quit. Real self-esteem is explaining to your folks for the umpteenth time why you're still poor and struggling at self-employment instead of getting a 'real job' and making lots of money as a salesman like your baby brother does. Real self-esteem is deciding to learn from your mistakes instead of giving up and quitting. Real self-esteem is being financially bankrupt and giving it another try anyway, because you just know that this time you're going to make it all come together.

These are the types of events that form good businessmen. Ladies, you know I'm including you in this too. Real self-esteem is when you tell your husband that you are not going to give up on your silly little dream and that it's not just a stupid hobby, it's your company and your career aspirations. These types of events give us the backbone it takes later to be able to make the tough business choices that make the difference between breaking even and making a profit. These types of events teach you how to stand up for yourself and what you believe in. Self-esteem is not having to justify your business decisions. You know what's best for you and your company and you really don't need anyone else's blessing, approval, nor support. If you can't do it without someone cheering you, then forget it. It's not called other-esteem or coach-esteem or friend-esteem. It's called self-esteem because you have to muster it up all by yourself.

You don't have to have a lot of self-esteem when you launch into self-employment, but you'll learn it along the way or else you'll never make it to that luxurious lifestyle that keeps floating through your daydreams. To get started, you just have to really believe in your product. Nobody can really be 100% positive that they are going to succeed at their first attempt at self-employment. After you have had a few years of failures and some successes, you start realizing that you actually know a thing or two compared to the newbies coming into your industry behind you. There will always be someone who knows more then you and someone who could learn from your experience. Self-esteem comes from knowing that you can learn and that you will continue learning until you get it right. Don't expect to feel perfectly confident all of the time. It's all a big game and you have to find the rule book while trying to master the game.

I once opened up a fortune cookie while struggling with the decision of whether or not to launch my own company or not. The message inside the cookie read, "The world needs your gift as much as you need to give it." That little fortune has since fallen apart and been thrown away, but I always have a newly typed up version of it scotch taped to my computer monitor. It has reminded me many times over, that I do this not for the money, but because it is who I am. What else would I be doing if not running this little company of mine?

Sometimes, we entrepreneurs keep going simply because it's who we are. We are a different breed and it's part of how we define ourselves. The way that others are musicians, or politicians, or teachers, or doctors at the very depth of their soul, we are at the depth of our soul entrepreneurs. We must play at that particular game because it's what we do. Sometimes we have a spiritual mission behind it, or a vision of the world being better off for having purchased our environmentally safe product, or a deep belief that people can be helped and nurtured by the services offered by our company. It's who we are, it's what we do. Self-esteem shows up later as a result of reflecting on just how far we have come in our attempts to accomplish such an important goal.

Self-esteem isn't knowing that you will succeed. It doesn't come from having all of the perfect craftsman's skills and the perfect level of education before starting your own company. It's knowing that you can acquire whatever skills and knowledge you don't yet possess. It's knowing that you are capable of working hard and tenacious enough to see it through to the end. It's knowing that as much as you appreciate the cheerleaders in your life, that you'd keep going even if nobody else believed in you. It's knowing that you don't know everything you need to know but that you are capable of learning more. It's knowing that the world needs your gift as much as you need to give it.

John Samtron, is the editor for http://www.self-confidence.tv.

All the resources you will need to improve your level of self-confidence are right here on http://www.self-confidence.tv. By using these resources you will feel like a new person in no time. We offer our visitors two tools designed to help them develop better self-confidence. We offer a FREE self-confidence interactive course and Unbreakable Confidence ? the most comprehensive self-confidence eBook available today on the Internet.

In The News:


pen paper and inkwell


cat break through


Work vs Play: Which is the Better Way to Make Big Money?

If you want to make big money, you have to... Read More

What Makes a Person an Entrepreneur?

Entrepreneurship is generally characterized by some type of innovation, a... Read More

How A Woman Became A Successful Bill Collector In A Mans Industry And How You Can Too!

I have worked in the credit industry for over 17... Read More

... in Pursuing the American Dream

This morning I woke up at 4:30 in the morning,... Read More

Motivation and Commitment

Why do people start small businesses? The most frequently cited... Read More

The Heroic Entrepreneur: Profiting from Your Brilliance

If you look up the definition of hero in Webster's,... Read More

Salon Marketing Using Wireless Broadband Internet Access

Our client in Chicago did, located right outside downtown too...a... Read More

How to Start a Franchise

Franchising InformationFranchise oppotunities are all around us today. You may... Read More

Cross Polination of Innovations in the Cleaning Industry

According to the latest edition of Pool and Spa news;... Read More

Protect Your ASSets in Business

Many people are starting an online business without a thought... Read More

Time Management Tips for Solo Entrepreneurs

Does it seem like everyone and everything is vying for... Read More

Innovation incubator: Build it and keep it running

If your company is like the one I work for,... Read More

Staying Ahead of the Perils, Excerpt of Entrepreneurial Motivation Speech

Running a business is not an easy endeavor, it takes... Read More

Selecting a Venture

The basic rule is simple: "Find a market need and... Read More

Why I Should Go In To Business

Rohit Kochgaway was very upset with his boss for his... Read More

How To Get More Clients and Customers; Dont Sell Be of Service

Whether you are just starting your business or focusing on... Read More

Starting a Company on a Shoe-String Budget

A lot of people never start businesses because they believe... Read More

The Entrepreneurial Difference

Who would ever have imagined that going door-to-door in my... Read More

Seven Key Qualities of Successful Entrepreneurs

A recent poll conducted by Forbes magazine shows that majority... Read More

An Entrepreneurs Challenge

Living in the twilight zone has its advantages. In the... Read More

Before the Business Plan

Purveyors of conventional wisdom would have you believe that the... Read More

Empathy - Not Business Plans - Key to Your Home Based Business Success - Do You Have Empathy?

EMPATHY is a Natural Talent, you were born with it... Read More

For Business SUCCESS... Listen To The Voices of Experience

Discover the pitfalls of owning your own business BEFORE... [you... Read More

Entrepreneurs - 9 Top Mistakes to Avoid

1. Isolating Yourself When setting up a business, you can... Read More

Business Start Up Tips From Some Hearty Entrepreneurs

When's the last time someone asked you: "What's new?" If... Read More

If It Was Easy Everybody Would Do It

Q: I started my business about a year ago and... Read More

Can You Make Money Without Money?

When I ask why you don't start your own business,... Read More

Developing A Contract

As a service provider, the most important type of "boundary"... Read More

Are You Ready To Be Your Own Boss?

You have this burning desire you want to be on... Read More

An Entrepreneur and a Life To Be Remembered

I was reminded of my own mortality today. I guess... Read More

Oil Change Guys History; Part IV

One trait of franchisors and something you will find in... Read More

Ancient Warrior Secrets For The Modern Entrepreneur

The words you see onscreen trigger subconscious responses. Dark images... Read More

Entrepreneurial Excerpt from a Speech to Small Business

Having built a business from a bucket of water and... Read More