Why have I not posted in a while ? It’s simple; I still have a full-time job, a full-time social life, the full-time head of a mid-twentysomething. Is it even possible to be a true “entrepreneur” when you are so wrapped up in everything else that is going on in your life ?
Take this week. for example. I have a new full-time job, I’m hosting my two best friends’ “Joint Bachelorette Party” in New York City this weekend, I have dirty clothes all over my apartment, a charity event on Thursday night and the need to work out at least twice a week. When do I have time to be an entrepreneur ?
I know that I’m complaining. That is ironic because I completely choose to be “The Intern Queen” and I completely choose to be a “young entrepreneur.” The thought of ditching my company is like breaking up with a guy you love. I couldn’t do it. But when I feel myself only putting half an effort in, it is so frustrating. All of my friends are constantly telling me that I need to really “do something” with my company. What they don’t understand is that it is much easier said than done. They constantly volunteer themselves for roles they can play in my company, but they never follow through. It’s hard enough for me to follow through. Every time I get close to a deal or an investor, something falls through the cracks.
I wish this were a post filled with love and joy and bubbles, but this blog is about honesty–and being an entrepreneur isn’t easy. You have really high standards, and you have to attempt to meet those standards.
On a positive note, I’m in this month’s issue of Justine magazine, so check it out on newstands.
This entry was posted on Wednesday, February 27th, 2008 at 1:57 am and is filed under Online Business, Social Networking, Starting a Business, Uncategorized, Work. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.8 Responses to “The Easy Entrepreneur. Not!”
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February 28th, 2008 at 2:53 am
Collins, Moore & Unwalla stated
“The road of the entrepreneur is a long, lonely and difficult one. The people who follow it are by necessity a special breed. What is necessary for the person who travels this way is great imagination, fortitude, and hardness of purpose”
Reading it I sometimes feel it might be a little presumptuous or arrogant of them.
But deep down I believe them.
February 28th, 2008 at 10:57 am
Hi Lauren, seems like you’ve really got your hands full, but what entrepreneur doesn’t? I’m far from classifying myself as an established entrepreneur, but it is in the works..lol When you’re getting close to a deal, and it falls through, you have to stand back and ask yourself 3 very important questions.
1. What worked? “Pat yourself on the back, congradulate yourself, be posative.”
2. What didn’t work? “Don’t beat yourself up over it, learn from it.”
3. and lastly, What are you gonna try different next time?
Most importantly, never give up! “Remember, every no is one step closer to a yes”, it just means your doing the deal.
My 2 cents,
Chris
March 2nd, 2008 at 9:58 pm
Sounds like a good note to me people just don’t understand it is such a awarding but hard lifestyle.
Villian
March 3rd, 2008 at 12:54 pm
Lauren:
I wish you much success in the days to come while you juggle and multi-task. The reality is that most business owners struggle like you to run their business and carry full-time jobs. This is really the reason why I started my business–Isaac Business Services. I was once in your shoes and now I partner with entrepreneurs who have full-time jobs so that I can do the work for them.
Please visit my website and leave a comment card on my website or blog link. I am also working on opening an office in Florida this year and will be looking for business-major interns. I think your service is very valuable.
March 18th, 2008 at 8:32 pm
Too true…getting a business off the ground isn’t easy, often isn’t fun and when the romance of it all dies down you are left to realize that it’ll take a lot longer than you’d ever think. But, then you hit a stride and somehow end up on the other side. Keep the head up and enjoy the journey.
March 26th, 2008 at 8:28 pm
Great read, Lauren. I think when an outsider looks in, building a successful a business doesn’t seem too hard; but when you’re stuck in the daily grind and drudgery of your business, where you’re weighing a thousand variables, running a business gets exponentially harder. Talk is simple, but actually executing it is — I think — a million times harder.
April 10th, 2009 at 11:10 am
Hey Young Entrepreneur, jsut keep doing a million things, but always be sure to keep the stress down and make shelfish time, where you can enjoy fun or sports to blow steam off. If you always keep that safety valve, you will do miralces running your own company.
April 10th, 2009 at 11:14 am
The principle of entrepreneurship still applies in principle, but the medium has changed drastically. This is probably the best time in our history to pursue entrepreneurship. Entrepreneurs are defying the logic and business rationale to make things happen individually. Gone are the days when you needed huge capital and veteran management teams to form companies and to wait for another several years to rake in the profit.
Get off your but and incorporate your own company, you will not regret it!