When I decided to start my entrepreneurship journey, I thought it would be a tough ride, and trust me; it has kept its promises.
I moved country with zero networks and started over.
I faced a pandemic that got me on my knees business-wise.
Both events occurred within a 6-month period.
But I'm still alive and kicking!
Being an entrepreneur is like being on a constant roller-coaster of emotions.
Some days are filled with joy; others are simply discouraging.
Sometimes your mood can change within a minute!
It's especially the case when I browse social media. The number of 'Me, Myself and I,' 'How I Made My 1st Million At The Age of 16', 'How To Build a 7-figure Business In 4 Weeks', or 'How To Get 1 Billion Followers In 5mn' posts has become absolutely unbearable.
The problem is the excellent content, the content that matters because it can actually educate, inspire and make a difference, is often buried under the insipidity written by those who lure you into believing you can make it overnight (whatever 'make it' is, although money and valuation seem to be the main measurements nowadays).
Do you honestly think you can get a 6-pack in 6 weeks when you've never done any sports in your life?
And, do you honestly think you can launch a business tomorrow and turn it into a 7 to 8-figure revenue company in one year?
Let me tell you: No, you can't.
Of course, there are true stories of people who actually 'made it' fast, but these tales are the exceptions, not the norm.
Think about professional athletes:
Did they make it overnight? You know they didn't.
Not only it's not guaranteed they will become the best in their field, but if they don't work to stay at the top of their game, they will be quickly replaced by others.
It requires much sacrifice, dedication, hard work, and grit (a combination of courage and resolve) to reach the top and remain at that level.
Now, that's the norm, not the exception.
It's easy to lose motivation when faced with so much adversity every day.
So how do you stay motivated? How can you stand up when you feel low?
Maybe, you're a fighter like Richard Burrage, the Founder of Cimigo: "The fighting spirit has always been there. Why keep going? Because I’ve always kept going. I work the hardest when there’s a fire ahead of me.”
Or you can rely on your team during challenging moments; like Maria Fangieh, the Founder of Social Prise, explains: "My team sees things from a different perspective. I’m so overloaded that sometimes I can’t tell where I’m heading, or just exhausted. That’s when the team puts me back on track.”
They share their experience together with 2 other business founders in this Inter:views special episode:
This episode is also available in an audio format.
Richard, Maria, and 99.99% of the successful entrepreneurs I know have one thing in common: They never stop believing!
They know entrepreneurship is like a giant iceberg, and we only see the tip of it.
They realize they have to wear many hats, acquire many skills, and make many decisions – fast. All whilst under extreme pressure to deliver quality work to their clients, take care of their employees, and maintain a healthy cash flow.
They understand entrepreneurship requires the right mindset.
“It’s going to be messy; sometimes you’re going to cry. I know I did. But it’s worth it. And that’s what is fulfilling about doing something that really challenges you personally. It’s the most competitive activity that you can ever engage in.“ Steve Brown, Founder, ROI Online, USA, ep. 15.
Keep up building outstanding businesses.
Are you feeling down? Everybody is looking at you for inspiration, but where do you look to refill your inspiration bucket?
Coaching can help you. Find out how here.