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I remember a time when the word entrepreneur sounded elusive to me. Images of very successful business people, big names in the news and young kids that found wealth from a invention or new video game idea! I never thought of a person who ran a home business as a entrepreneur. I suppose I did not think they made enough money to be considered an entrepreneur, as if that is the only criteria! My background is in the beauty industry, I ran my own nail salon for 10 years. I wanted to be available for my children when they were young. I wanted my freedom. I wanted to work the hours I chose and not the ones I was given by my company or boss! It was risky, yes. My friends all had “real” jobs, in which the pay check was the same each week. My paycheck, on the other hand was not! I traded my FREEDOM for the security of a consistent wage. Did I think of myself as a entrepreneur? No. I did not really. Why? Maybe because I had not reinvented the wheel, or because I was not making a six figure income! What I never realized is what really makes some one venture into the unknown of owning a business? I think I confused the word STUBBORN with entrepreneur! I was never a lover of a time clock, or alarm clocks for that matter. My children are one thing, my clock was set to their clock. Although when it came to work and career, no way! I never knew my strong desire for freedom existed until I had children and thought the idea of packing my children up for day care everyday totally went against my grain. For some people, they have careers that make it worth it. I just had had to prove I could do it. This could very well be a sign of an entrepreneur inside of you! You want to make your own way….you want your own life! You do not want to ask permission to snuggle up with your child when he or she is sick and needs you! It is not only children that bring this out, it is the rat race, the commute, the clothes, the lunches, the work we bring home because we do not have a choice. It is the boss, who values us on the hours behind our desks, not the fact that we spend 5 days a week at a job we really could care less about! Not to confuse this with the times we do find a job and a boss we love! if you are a lucky enough man or woman, god bless you! For most though, I think we are looking for something more. I think we want a more authentic life, with more enjoyable days. I believe we want freedom more than ever. We are scared. The economy sets us up for so much fear, which is real! No doubt it is real! What I fear most though, is being dependent on a company to take care of me, to take care of my children and to pay my bills when they need to downsize. I fear more what I have no control over. CONTROL FREAK? Another sign of entrepreneurship? Maybe! My point to this is simple. Do not put yourself in a box. Just because you do not think you have what it takes inside you to explore the possibilities. Some of your most liked qualities are most likely the ones you may need to reinvent your life. We often hear words like passion, drive and creativity to describe a entrepreneur. Do not let words fool you. If you do not feel creative or driven, that is OK! Try other words, how about stubborn, rebellious or just plain TIRED! These are the examples that come to mind when I think of myself and where my career path has taken me. Winding roads, some dead ends, but most of all they take me back to me! I would not trade it for the world. I would not trade it for all the tea in china. I would like you to be a little more open minded if you want more out of your life, if you need more from yourself! The fear will hold you back a bit, and that is OK. Do not let the word entrepreneur limit you from being one! You never know what lies around the corner! Katherine Clancy
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