The cliff – jump, or turn around
I’m a serial entrepreneur. I’ve been self-employed for over half of my working life. I’ve started three businesses, and learned a lot along the way.
My first business died a quick death because of youth, inexperience, and rapid life changes (marriage, babies). The second became moderately successful (financially), but was undermined and ultimately destroyed by a number of factors, including a massive drop in my state’s economy, as well as plain bad luck and lack of planning for such.
The third was born of passion, however. I am fervently passionate about what I do, and I can truly and honestly say I love my job. I love my job.
The problem is: it doesn’t remotely pay the bills. Not even close.
I have reached that point that any entrepreneur in the audience will understand: Jump off the cliff.
I am standing on the cliff that overlooks the land of dreams. Jumping off of cliffs is scary. There’s no safety net, there’s no guarantee of a soft landing, it’s far, and it’s painful. I could, I should, turn around and walk back to safety.
But behind me is a life of unhappiness and misery. Behind me is a life that I cannot lead. I have accepted and resigned myself to the fact that I am not cut out for that life. I’ve tried; believe me, I’ve tried, to be a member of that world, to live that lifestyle, to play that game. I do not have it in me. One of the things age and wisdom brings is the gift of self-acceptance; I accept that I cannot be that person.
I’m at that point again. The bills are piling up, money is not coming in, and things are looking bleak.
I have found, however, that this is when the magic happens. If I had never gone through this before, I’d be terrified right now.
I’m not scared. I’m tired. I’m introspective. I’m a little sad. But I am not scared.
I’m jumping.
Tags: business, Entrepreneur, Life, money
Example: A Pizzaria in my hometown. Great pizza and it could be a big deal, but the owner has to work every day. He doesn't get to step away and let the pizza place earn him money, he has to work for it and take home an hourly salary. In reality he just owns his own job.
I do like the analogy of jumping off the cliff, see when an entrepreneur jumps he starts building a parachute or a glider. If he has done a good job and created a good business the glider will sail to safety and eventually sprout an engine and start working its way back up to pay out. Inversely if the entrepreneur fails he hits the ground, and it can hurt!
In the United States many small business owners fail because they are just "self-employed" not true entrepreneurs. These unlucky folks work and work on their own business finally giving up due to exhaustion.
Thanks for hearing me out, and even if you hit the ground hard. Remember it is not the fall, nor the impact that matter. But instead the manner in which you pick yourself back up.
"But behind me is a life of unhappiness and misery. Behind me is a life that I cannot lead. I have accepted and resigned myself to the fact that I am not cut out for that life. I’ve tried; believe me, I’ve tried, to be a member of that world, to live that lifestyle, to play that game. I do not have it in me."
I hope we all reach a point in our lives that we say that. I suppose I think we all need to. It's part of growing up and doing what you believe is right and honorable. I respect that determination. Like Inji said, it's how you pick yourself up.