Whew! It’s finally done! The big masterpiece I’ve been working on for two weeks. lol I decided to go with one massive post, with the option to download the post as a PDF rather than break it up into a series… that way ya’ll can get the full monty right away rather than waiting over several days.
Quick background- I decided to put this post together because of some things I’ve been going through myself in my life and business… and it occurred to me that if I am having these sorts of struggles, it’s a sure bet many of you have your own version of them as as well. So… this blog post was born. MANY, MANY thanks to all the wonderful entrepreneurs who contributed their wisdom and insight in order to make this post great.
Below you’ll find a brief 3 question interview of 60 61 entrepreneurs with widely varying businesses and tastes, yet funnily enough very similar view points overall. Interviews are in no particular order, it’s pretty much based on who got back to me when! lol But make sure you read every one, they are both informative and inspiring.
And if you prefer to print long posts out to read, here and again at the bottom of the post you can download a PDF version. (Right-click then save as.) You are free to share this PDF with those you feel it might benefit… however please don’t change anything in it. And as always, be sure to share your thoughts in the comment section below, I’d love to hear them!
Edit: This post has been updated to include an interview from Mr. Problogger himself. If you want to know what happened, you can read Why I’m a DORK and Darren Please Don’t Hate Me!
Yanik- InternetLifeStyle.com @yaniksilver
What is your best advice for soldiering on as an entrepreneur, in the face of mind-numbing adversity? (Personal or business adversity) I ask this one because I’ve been struggling with it a bit lately, and I’m certain many entrepreneurs do at some point.
It’s simply to do at least one proactive activity each day to move your business forward. No matter how small, just make sure you don’t go to bed without one thing that can make tomorrow bigger than today. The other thing (I know you only asked for one but what the hell) is look at yourself as making progress not perfection. I tell new entrepreneurs all the time, “It’s about the process not the profits” at the beginning.
What is the biggest mental roadblock you had to overcome on your road to becoming a successful entrepreneur? Mine was simply, that it can be done. I didn’t fully believe I could ever support myself without a “real job”, until suddenly I was.
All of this doesn’t really become real until the first time you get someone to give you their money in exchange for your product or service. When you see that first email notification or commission notice, it becomes real. You can watch, read, listen to all the info – but you’ve got to feel it in your gut. And it can happen sooner than later if you focus on getting something out (and realizing it’s not going to be perfect).
What is the absolute best thing you can think of about living the “entrepreneurial dream”? For me it’s personal freedom, but I’d love to hear your take. 🙂
Definitely the freedom and the opportunity to live life on my own terms.
David- DavidRisley.com @DavidRisley
What is your best advice for soldiering on as an entrepreneur, in the face of mind-numbing adversity? (Personal or business adversity) I ask this one because I’ve been struggling with it a bit lately, and I’m certain many entrepreneurs do at some point.
First of all, I would question the concept of “mind-numbing adversity”. Ask yourself – where is the adversity coming from? For many entrepreneurs, it is coming from within. The simple answer, then, would be to stop getting in your own way. Realizing that that probably isn’t helpful for too many people, then it comes down to issues like self-doubt or overwhelm.
In this case, I usually recommend to break what you do down into smaller steps. Break down your goals, break down your tasks… make each one something that you can wrap your head around and accomplish in a finite amount of time. Then, do it. By doing it this way, you get a series of smaller steps accomplished… smaller successes.
That turns into a pattern that will add up to something big. Lastly, if the adversity is coming from the outside, then handle it or make it go away. Just take control.
What is the biggest mental roadblock you had to overcome on your road to becoming a successful entrepreneur? Mine was simply, that it can be done. I didn’t fully believe I could ever support myself without a “real job”, until suddenly I was.
I spend more time looking outward than looking inward. It is hard to see the road ahead if you’re too busy thinking about what’s going on behind the eyes. Take action, stop thinking. Within reason, of course. 😉
What is the absolute best thing you can think of about living the “entrepreneurial dream”? For me it’s personal freedom, but I’d love to hear your take. 🙂
For me, it is also about personal freedom and not having to answer to anybody. It is also about security, because the only security you have is provided by your own ability. The idea of security in a 9-5 job is a myth. It doesn’t exist. Just look at all the people out of work today. Wait until the dollar’s value becomes less and then see what kind of value your retirement plan really has. The only REAL security is in personal ability and self-confidence.
Catherine- BeAwesomeOnline.com @CatherineCaine
What is your best advice for soldiering on as an entrepreneur, in the face of mind-numbing adversity? (Personal or business adversity) I ask this one because I’ve been struggling with it a bit lately, and I’m certain many entrepreneurs do at some point.
There are so many tasks that you COULD be doing to build your business/website that it’s perfectly reasonable to only do the ones you enjoy. Especially in the first three to six months, when the initial excitement has worn off but the rewards aren’t coming in yet. Also, have rewards that aren’t related to money. I got through the Dip by encouraging comments – the warm fuzzy “They like me! They really, really like me! I’m really helping people!” was such a rush it didn’t matter that I’d only made $92.
What is the biggest mental roadblock you had to overcome on your road to becoming a successful entrepreneur? Mine was simply, that it can be done. I didn’t fully believe I could ever support myself without a “real job”, until suddenly I was.
Just one? Probably the biggest was that I was a serial hobbyist. I’d get fanatically interested in a subject, spend money and time on it, thinking, “This is the one, baybee,” and then after about four months the honeymoon was over and I’d abandon it. It was hard for me to push through that and believe I could keep going for the long haul, keep meeting my commitments and not just fade away. It turned out to be startlingly easy once I dug in.
What is the absolute best thing you can think of about living the “entrepreneurial dream”? For me it’s personal freedom, but I’d love to hear your take. 🙂
My work matters. I liked my Day Job and the people, but nothing I did was really important, long-term. Now, I’m changing people’s websites and lives! Every single day I’m doing work that means something, that lasts. It’s awesome.
Joella- BlogsWithWings.com @BlogsWithWings
What is your best advice for soldiering on as an entrepreneur, in the face of mind-numbing adversity? (Personal or business adversity) I ask this one because I’ve been struggling with it a bit lately, and I’m certain many entrepreneurs do at some point.
Embarking on the journey to entrepreneurial freedom is usually not easy. And once you get moving, it may seem as though you spend a great deal of time spinning your wheels. There are things you can do to make it easier to deal with adversity and setbacks:
1. Surrounding yourself with people who believe in you. I’m talking about the kind of people who will be there to give you a pat on the back or a kick in the butt, whatever you it is you need to keep going.
2. Give yourself permission to fail. Failure is not a bad thing, honest. It’s just a part of discovering what works and what doesn’t. Welcome failure as a part of the learning experience. Let it help you grow and get creative about accomplishing your goals.
3. Make time for smelling the roses. Don’t get so hyper-focused on your entrepreneurial pursuits that you forget to enjoy your family, your friends and all the wonder in the world. Try to lead a balanced and healthy lifestyle. Balance makes everything in life run more smoothly.
What is the biggest mental roadblock you had to overcome on your road to becoming a successful entrepreneur? Mine was simply, that it can be done. I didn’t fully believe I could ever support myself without a “real job”, until suddenly I was.
The biggest mental roadblock that most of us face is faith. You have to believe in yourself, your abilities and your right to succeed. It takes a special kind of individual to strike out into the unknown, believe that you are that special and capable person. Embrace the pioneer spirit!
You must be the kind of person who is ready, willing and able to learn new skills and concepts. You are, after all, a member of the most adaptable species on this planet. You have an amazing capacity for learning and growth, believe in that.
What is the absolute best thing you can think of about living the “entrepreneurial dream”? For me it’s personal freedom, but I’d love to hear your take. 🙂
Personal freedom is definitely up there when it comes to living the “entrepreneurial dream”. For me I want a chance to do what I love. Blog and website design with my own graphics. If I can make money doing that, what a rush! I’ll be working at my dream job and bonus out by being my own boss. It’s like getting paid to play!
Who could ask for anything more?
Donna- DazzlinDonna.com @DazzlinDonna
What is your best advice for soldiering on as an entrepreneur, in the face of mind-numbing adversity? (Personal or business adversity) I ask this one because I’ve been struggling with it a bit lately, and I’m certain many entrepreneurs do at some point.
Stubbornness comes to mind. The refusal to quit may be something rooted deep within a soul, and I don’t know if it can be learned or not. But many people, when told they “cannot”, set out to prove they “will”. The stubborn refusal to quit so that one can prove to one’s self or to the world that they will succeed is what drives me on. That – and the fear of ever stepping foot into a cubicle again.
What is the biggest mental roadblock you had to overcome on your road to becoming a successful entrepreneur? Mine was simply, that it can be done. I didn’t fully believe I could ever support myself without a “real job”, until suddenly I was.
My biggest mental roadblock was wondering if I knew enough to make it work. Of course, I didn’t know enough, but luckily I just kept on, learning more and more each day, until things started clicking.
What is the absolute best thing you can think of about living the “entrepreneurial dream”? For me it’s personal freedom, but I’d love to hear your take. 🙂
I was always a very hard worker. That didn’t change when I stopped working for others and started working for myself. I still work hard, and I even work longer hours now. But the freedom of choice is what is all encompassing, and life changing for me. For many, many years, I was an insomniac. I still am, really, but not to the same extent.
At one point though, I was only getting 5 hours of sleep per week. (That’s less than an hour per day, yes). Of course, bodies adjust to those extremes, and while it’s not perfect, I was able to function fairly well. The hardest part though, was the fact that I wanted to sleep at the wrong times. Most people get sleepy around 2 in the afternoon, right? Well, my body strongly wanted to sleep then, but of course, that’s just not an option when you’re working a “real job” from 8-5 in some office somewhere.
Now, I sleep when I want. I’m free to choose to lay down at 2 in the afternoon. There’s no fear of a boss clucking disapproval, or worse. If I have an appointment, there’s no longer any worries about telling my boss I have to take time off for it. If I wake up one morning with the flu, I no longer cringe at having to call in sick. I may have to face the fear of whether or not a steady income will be available, but I will never again face the fear of a boss. That is huge for me.
Chris- ChrisGuillebeau.com @ChrisGuillebeau
What is your best advice for soldiering on as an entrepreneur, in the face of mind-numbing adversity? (Personal or business adversity) I ask this one because I’ve been struggling with it a bit lately, and I’m certain many entrepreneurs do at some point.
The first thing is to decide of soldiering on is the right thing. In the long-run, it’s very difficult to continue doing something you’re not motivated to do — so in some cases, it’s better to completely change direction and pursue something different that you’re really excited about. But if soldiering on is indeed the best choice, then it helps to think of the end-game. Why are you doing what you do? What’s the goal? Sometimes thinking about the outcome helps the day-to-day come together.
What is the biggest mental roadblock you had to overcome on your road to becoming a successful entrepreneur? Mine was simply, that it can be done. I didn’t fully believe I could ever support myself without a “real job”, until suddenly I was.
The fear of failure, the fear of giving up, and in some ways the fear of success. Fear in general was a real problem.
What is the absolute best thing you can think of about living the “entrepreneurial dream”? For me it’s personal freedom, but I’d love to hear your take. 🙂
I’d agree that personal freedom is the leading benefit. At some point we have to connect our personal freedom with a greater purpose, because most of us are still fundamentally unhappy if it’s all about us — but yes, achieving freedom and independence is certainly a huge win.
Mike- ToiletPaperEntrepreneur.com @TPEntrepreneur
What is your best advice for soldiering on as an entrepreneur, in the face of mind-numbing adversity? (Personal or business adversity) I ask this one because I’ve been struggling with it a bit lately, and I’m certain many entrepreneurs do at some point.
Mind-numbing adversity indicates that you are doing one of two things. Too many things that keep you bouncing around, or one thing that isn’t bringing results. So if you are running after little projects here and there… you need to shift and focus ONLY on the thing that has worked best for you.
Become masterful at it… I mean the world’s best, and then you will grow. Alternatively, if you do one thing and it isn’t working… when it becomes mind numbing, it indicates it is not working and you MUST make a shift to something new.
What is the biggest mental roadblock you had to overcome on your road to becoming a successful entrepreneur? Mine was simply, that it can be done. I didn’t fully believe I could ever support myself without a “real job”, until suddenly I was.
My biggest mental road block was that I had to do it all. I have a propensity to keep doing things, because I think no one can do it better than me. And that is the biggest mistake any entrepreneur. Others are almost always better. We all are very good at very little. So once I shifted to recognize others are better than I am, I learned to delegate effectively and my business took off.
What is the absolute best thing you can think of about living the “entrepreneurial dream”? For me it’s personal freedom, but I’d love to hear your take. 🙂
The best part of the entrepreneurial dream to me is “I made a difference.” I love thinking that in the smallest way I changed the way the world operates. That I made it better in a certain way. That feels very fulfilling.
David- HeroicDestiny.com @HeroicDestiny
I believe with everything in me that there has to be something more to this life than the way everyone around me is living it.
I understand that doing things differently involves risk but am convinced that the people I love and the things I love doing are worth it.
I know that the worst outcome possible is doing nothing.
What is your best advice for soldiering on as an entrepreneur, in the face of mind-numbing adversity? (Personal or business adversity) I ask this one because I’ve been struggling with it a bit lately, and I’m certain many entrepreneurs do at some point.
Everyone warns you to not compare yourself against the people who are where you want to be. Good luck with that since I think it is against human nature (if nothing else, I have yet to figure out how to do it). Instead I recommend that if you see someone who is where you want to be, go back to the beginning of the blog (if they’re cool enough and smart enough to keep one) and read from their earliest stuff to the present date.
Look at how you compare against the noob version of your heroes and you’ll immediately start to feel much better…they were all unpolished at one point too. But don’t stop at that boost of serotonin…keep reading. Pay attention to what things they started to change and how they were successful at each turn.
Compare THAT with what you are doing and see what you should consider changing. There’s no reason to reinvent the wheel; there’s also no reason why YOU have to be the one to make the mistakes. In short, look at the journey others took and learn from what they did.
What is the biggest mental roadblock you had to overcome on your road to becoming a successful entrepreneur? Mine was simply, that it can be done. I didn’t fully believe I could ever support myself without a “real job”, until suddenly I was.
I know for a lot of people they struggle to believe it can be done. Thankfully, I didn’t struggle with that. Rather I struggled with what “it” was. In the beginning I knew that I wanted to do something but couldn’t define it at all. Finally I made the decision to just start blogging and connecting with people and see what happened.
Wanna know what happened? (Of course you do or you wouldn’t still be reading this.) My brain started thinking of things to do. I made connections with people who wanted me to join with them on the things THEY were doing. You can’t steer a parked car…so put it in drive and see where it goes (also look out for pedestrians).
What is the absolute best thing you can think of about living the “entrepreneurial dream”? For me it’s personal freedom, but I’d love to hear your take. 🙂
I would say it is freedom, but not in the way everyone thinks of it. Sure, the ability to sleep in late and rule your schedule is this golden city that everyone thinks they want to get to. Truth of the matter is for me, that’s not what has been the greatest reward. For me the fact that I’m living my life intentionally (big theme of mine) is so amazing that I want to sit down with anyone willing to listen and share with them how awesome it!
So many people feel that they are victims of their life, their circumstances, their relationships, their whatever’s. When you start taking the steps to live your life intentionally, things start to change. Your life is no longer always at the mercy of circumstances. Relationships are richer and ones that aren’t fall away. It’s like Dorothy landing in Oz and her black and white world has suddenly been filled with Technicolor. THAT is the most amazing thing for me…and I haven’t even come CLOSE to the Emerald City.
Erica- Erica.biz @EricaBiz
Certainly, I can tell you from experience that money makes you more of who you already are; you can have a lot of money and still be depressed, sick, or lonely.
My answer is that I have big goals, and I believe those big goals require money. I believe that we create our own reality and everything in it.
What is your best advice for soldiering on as an entrepreneur, in the face of mind-numbing adversity? (Personal or business adversity) I ask this one because I’ve been struggling with it a bit lately, and I’m certain many entrepreneurs do at some point. And it appears as though you are having a bit of a struggle recently as well.
There are two separate things here, I think: “mind-numbing” and “adversity”. I wouldn’t call adversity–that is, the “haters” and others who attack you–“mind-numbing”. But I would call things like moderating comments and writing an autoresponder sequence mind-numbing. Those are things I don’t like doing.
As far as the haters go, take a few days off and re-center if you have to. I took a much-needed vacation where I basically didn’t look at my blog for over 3 days. Taking some time off really gave me the perspective I needed.
For the mind-numbing stuff, I recommend outsourcing. You don’t have to hire a full-time worker; you can find someone hourly through oDesk or other sites to help you. And often, outsourcing is cheaper than you’d think.
What is the biggest mental roadblock you had to overcome on your road to becoming a successful entrepreneur? Mine was simply, that it can be done. I didn’t fully believe I could ever support myself without a “real job”, until suddenly I was.
My biggest mental roadblock was the belief that people wouldn’t pay more than the going rate for my services. Being frugal myself, I still struggle with this sometimes. This belief nearly bankrupted my business. Finally, with my back against the wall and the business about to go under, I doubled, tripled, or in some cases, even 10x’ed my clients’ rates.
I assumed half my customers would leave, but 95% of them stayed! That was a real turning point for my business. In most cases, customers value the relationship more than they value the lowest price. And, if I’m being totally honest with myself, the relationship is why I buy services often, as well.
The takeaway: Your rates should be higher than average, and you should go after the customers who value that relationship more than they value the lowest cost. If you aren’t losing customers because they say your rates are too high, you’re not charging enough.
What is the absolute best thing you can think of about living the “entrepreneurial dream”? For me it’s personal freedom, but I’d love to hear your take. 🙂
For me, it is the ability to control my own destiny. I can do whatever I want, whenever I want, as long as I keep in mind that I have to sell something to keep income coming in. I can sell only the products and services I feel amazing about, and I’m not beholden to others who tell me what to do. Freedom is a beautiful thing!
Andy- ComLuv.com @CommentLuv
What is your best advice for soldiering on as an entrepreneur, in the face of mind-numbing adversity? (Personal or business adversity) I ask this one because I’ve been struggling with it a bit lately, and I’m certain many entrepreneurs do at some point. And it appears as though you are having a bit of a struggle recently as well.
If it’s all you’ve got, you shouldn’t need a kick. it’ll be all you have so there’s nothing else to do except to do nothing and we can’t ever do nothing! If you have got something else, do that instead, you’ll get pulled back. If you’re an entrepreneur then you won’t let something beat you. ever.
What is the biggest mental roadblock you had to overcome on your road to becoming a successful entrepreneur? Mine was simply, that it can be done. I didn’t fully believe I could ever support myself without a “real job”, until suddenly I was.
For me, it’s always been other people. Either convincing them to come onboard or allowing myself to be convinced BY them that something won’t work. Everybody lies, including you to yourself. Once you get over that, you can just ignore everyone/thing and just get on with what you believe in. It’s my bloody single mindedness that has kept me going when all seemed ( to others) lost.
What is the absolute best thing you can think of about living the “entrepreneurial dream”? For me it’s personal freedom, but I’d love to hear your take. 🙂
Waking up and doing what I enjoy doing without thinking about it as a ‘job’. I’d do it if I wasn’t getting paid to do it and that makes life so much more fun to live through. Doing this kind of work means I don’t have to do anything else to pay the bills which means I have even more time to do it!
Jorgen- JorgenSundberg.net @JorgenSundberg
What is your best advice for soldiering on as an entrepreneur, in the face of mind-numbing adversity? (Personal or business adversity) I ask this one because I’ve been struggling with it a bit lately, and I’m certain many entrepreneurs do at some point.
Networking is definitely what has worked best for me. It’s worth getting to know not only your potential customer base but anyone in your industry, including the competition. You’ll be surprised how many people are happy to give you help and advice for free, even if they are in direct competition with you. Networking will also lead to good friendships as you are likely to meet people with the same interests as yourself.
A great start to building your network is social media and blogging, no surprise there. I have found though that best relationships are often formed offline, so use Twitter to find people but then use Meetup to see where you can see people in the flesh – which is much more powerful.
What is the biggest mental roadblock you had to overcome on your road to becoming a successful entrepreneur? Mine was simply, that it can be done. I didn’t fully believe I could ever support myself without a “real job”, until suddenly I was.
There are lots of roadblocks out there, and they all stem from a fear of the unknown. My first one was financial, giving up a lucrative job is not something you do in any haste. Instead, I started saving up enough money to have a long burn rate and to give me enough time to achieve success on my own.
The second was knowing exactly what value to add and how to make money (call it a business plan if you like). this took time to formulate and as soon as the business took off you realize that it’s a case of reacting to your customer’s needs as opposed to thinking you know exactly what they want.
The last one was knowing when to take the plunge. I probably took too long to launch my business, I was waiting for the perfect opportunity but I now know you can never achieve perfect timing – just do it as they say.
What is the absolute best thing you can think of about living the “entrepreneurial dream”? For me it’s personal freedom, but I’d love to hear your take. 🙂
Freedom is huge, I’m so glad I don’t have to be in boring meetings, I don’t have to write reports nobody will read and I don’t have to stay late in the office just because it looks good. Another important thing to me is helping people, with blogging and speaking I am able to help normal folks out there and I get kudos for it – probably more important to me than money.
Chris- ChrisG.com @ChrisGarrett
He has been involved in several startups and has written for some of the webs best-loved blogs.
In 1994 Chris first became addicted to the Internet. Since then he has helped thousands of individuals, non-profits, small businesses and blue chips make the most of the web. In 2005 Chris founded a company to help businesses achieve more with Online Media.
What is your best advice for soldiering on as an entrepreneur, in the face of mind-numbing adversity? (Personal or business adversity) I ask this one because I’ve been struggling with it a bit lately, and I’m certain many entrepreneurs do at some point.
What keeps me motivated is remembering WHY I am doing what I do, and I try to focus on how I help people, the positive feedback, and the good people it has brought into my life. Of course it does get difficult at times so it helps if what you do is something you have a passion for to begin with.
Once I got to the stage where I could choose if I wanted to work with people or not it transformed my situation – surrounding yourself with supportive, kind, generous and all-round awesome people can help you through some very rough patches!
What is the biggest mental roadblock you had to overcome on your road to becoming a successful entrepreneur? Mine was simply, that it can be done. I didn’t fully believe I could ever support myself without a “real job”, until suddenly I was.
I was very fortunate in that I was pretty much shoved into knowing it could be done, and even had a taste that *I* could do it early on. The thing that has challenged me most in the past is fear. Fear of failure and not being able to support my family long term, fear of letting people down, and fear of pushing myself into the spotlight. I am very shy on occasion and that has been something I have had to work to address. We all have our issues, it helps to find partners who compliment your strangeness 😉
What is the absolute best thing you can think of about living the “entrepreneurial dream”? For me it’s personal freedom, but I’d love to hear your take. 🙂
Personal freedom was the goal and the biggest benefit. I love what I do, I love the people I work with, but if I had to choose one thing it would be that. Everything comes back to that with me. Freedom to spend time with my family, freedom to travel, freedom to make choices.
The income is not about the money past being able to pay the bills, money means freedom. If you had told me even five years ago that I would be traveling over 100,000 miles or something stupid each year I would have called you crazy. For example we just got back from Australia where I got to spend the week with Darren in Melbourne and then all three of us (wife, daughter and I) had another week where we relaxed around Brisbane.
That was our second trip to Australia in 12 months! In a few weeks I will be in Las Vegas, then we move to Canada, and right after I will be in Las Vegas again. But you know what they most cool part is? I get to go to every one of my daughter’s school events, from recitals to sports days. When I worked for a boss I didn’t get to see any of that, I even had to book vacation days to go to the doctor. So, yes, freedom is the best part.
Jennifer- JennsZen.com @Jennifer_Good
What is your best advice for soldiering on as an entrepreneur, in the face of mind-numbing adversity? (Personal or business adversity) I ask this one because I’ve been struggling with it a bit lately, and I’m certain many entrepreneurs do at some point.
While the temptation to give up is strong when you’re facing adversity, belief in yourself and what you’re doing will help you through it. When I feel like everything is going against me I look for at least one thing that is going right and I cling to that. It could be someone who is there for me in moral support and takes the time to boost me back up.
Sometimes reading testimonials or favorable comment from people I’ve helped is just the ticket. The point is to put your attention on what’s working and let the rest of the negativity sort itself out. Everything is a phase and you just have to make it until this one passes.
What is the biggest mental roadblock you had to overcome on your road to becoming a successful entrepreneur? Mine was simply, that it can be done. I didn’t fully believe I could ever support myself without a “real job”, until suddenly I was.
I don’t know that my roadblock is very common, however, for me it’s always been that what I’m doing doesn’t feel “real.” Working online isn’t the same as having customers walk through your door or a having a tangible product that you physically ship out.
I watch the stats climb, but it doesn’t always seem real to me, especially when they start trending upwards quickly. I automatically assume there is something wrong. I’ve worked on handling this issue by setting up more “physical” meetings with clients and trying to focus on establishing real connections with my readers and visitors through commenting and other social networks.
What is the absolute best thing you can think of about living the “entrepreneurial dream”? For me it’s personal freedom, but I’d love to hear your take. 🙂
I think freedom is a goal we all hope for when we start an entrepreneurial venture. It isn’t always about the money, but rather what the money gets us, which is freedom to live how we want. Another great benefit is being exposed to other wonderful people you might never have met. I think even over money, the friendships you establish with other like-minded people is really what helps get you through the ups and downs of creating your own dream life.
Stanford- PushingSocial.com @PushingSocial
What is your best advice for soldiering on as an entrepreneur, in the face of mind-numbing adversity? (Personal or business adversity) I ask this one because I’ve been struggling with it a bit lately, and I’m certain many entrepreneurs do at some point.
When things get especially hard, I narrow my vision to the “next smallest thing”. I immediately try to find an incremental action that I can take to keep me moving forward. Sometimes holding the big vision in mind is temporarily too much. The loneliness and fear only increase when you wallow in it. Momentum cures all 🙂
What is the biggest mental roadblock you had to overcome on your road to becoming a successful entrepreneur? Mine was simply, that it can be done. I didn’t fully believe I could ever support myself without a “real job”, until suddenly I was.
Biggest Mental Roadblock? Pursuing Dreams rather than Priorities. I learned this from Dave Navarro. Dreams are nice to have and ponder but they don’t really move the program forward. However, priorities are concrete and force you to pay attention to them. It’s amazing how we move heaven and earth for priorities. Mentally I am in a place where success = execution not weeks of wasted planning and dreaming.
What is the absolute best thing you can think of about living the “entrepreneurial dream”? For me it’s personal freedom, but I’d love to hear your take. 🙂
I love having the freedom to make a real difference for other social media up-and-comers. It feels like I’m connected with thousands of people who are working for a more humane and responsive business environment. That is incredibly fulfilling.
Maren- EscapingThe9to5.com @MarenKate
What is your best advice for soldiering on as an entrepreneur, in the face of mind-numbing adversity? (Personal or business adversity) I ask this one because I’ve been struggling with it a bit lately, and I’m certain many entrepreneurs do at some point.
I don’t know if there is one quick fix, or even a complicated, involved one. My best advice is to focus on your goal above everything else, if that means you want to move your family to Bali than no matter what happens you won’t stop constantly pushing forward until you are wiggling your toes in those beautiful white sand beaches.
Also I suggest people read books like “The Dip” & “The Tipping Point” it helps outline the process anyone must go through to hit true success, if success was easy or even just mildly difficult everyone would be doing it – but success is very, very hard. Anyone who tells you otherwise is lying, you may hit success after 2 months on the web but you’ll hit your hardships sooner or later. I’d rather get them out of the way in the beginning and learn my lessons early on.
What is the biggest mental roadblock you had to overcome on your road to becoming a successful entrepreneur? Mine was simply, that it can be done. I didn’t fully believe I could ever support myself without a “real job”, until suddenly I was.
My biggest mental roadblock was that I could actually live the life of my dreams. I wasn’t afraid of hard work I had just always grown up with the concepts that money, success and abundance was scarce and always would be. In reality it’s the complete opposite. It’s just that most people refuse to believe it and then refuse to work towards their goal.
What is the absolute best thing you can think of about living the “entrepreneurial dream”? For me it’s personal freedom, but I’d love to hear your take. 🙂
I’m happy to go to ‘work’ every morning and I know in a very short amount of time, after over a year of very, very hard work I am at the point where I’ll be able to do whatever I want, whenever I want… which is my ultimate goal.
Jean- VirginBloggerNotes.com @JeanSarauer
What is your best advice for soldiering on as an entrepreneur, in the face of mind-numbing adversity? (Personal or business adversity) I ask this one because I’ve been struggling with it a bit lately, and I’m certain many entrepreneurs do at some point.
Pare down to the absolute essential tasks and then focus on those things like your life depends on it. Because it does, really. Sanity and productivity are found by losing ourselves in the one task that’s in front of us. The adversity and challenges around us may be out of our control, but writing this one sentence or making this one phone call is completely within our control.
What is the biggest mental roadblock you had to overcome on your road to becoming a successful entrepreneur? Mine was simply, that it can be done. I didn’t fully believe I could ever support myself without a “real job”, until suddenly I was.
My roadblock was setting boundaries with friends and family. People presumed since I was working from home that I was available to pick up kids from school, go have coffee, and entertain drop-in guests at any given moment. A couple people dropped out of my life entirely when I chose my work over their wishes, but this is how it has to be.
What is the absolute best thing you can think of about living the “entrepreneurial dream”? For me it’s personal freedom, but I’d love to hear your take. 🙂
My business marries my two greatest passions–creating and connecting–so working energizes me and fills me up inside rather than depleting me the way traditional jobs usually did. Really, being able to do what I love, when and how I choose, is the stuff that dreams are made of.
Mars- MarsDorian.com @MarsDorian
What is your best advice for soldiering on as an entrepreneur, in the face of mind-numbing adversity? (Personal or business adversity) I ask this one because I’ve been struggling with it a bit lately, and I’m certain many entrepreneurs do at some point.
Focus is the answer to everything – it’s my religion. As an entrepreneur, you have to ignore the negative magic that wants to corrupt your ambitions. It doesn’t matter who’s against you or what challenges you have to face. It doesn’t matter if the whole world breaks down on you – just focus on what needs be done, and then freaking do it. It’s the only way to kick-ass in (business) life.
What is the biggest mental roadblock you had to overcome on your road to becoming a successful entrepreneur? Mine was simply, that it can be done. I didn’t fully believe I could ever support myself without a “real job”, until suddenly I was.
For me that would be thinking about what others think about me: You can’t do it. That’s too hard. Nobody accomplishes that. Blah Blah – all of this is useless.
Whenever I feel like the world is against me, I remind myself: In the near future, you and me, we are all going to turn into stardust. Vanished into oblivion, gone forever. Remembering that puts everything into perspective. Nothing matters in the big scheme, so you might as well rock it in the smaller one 🙂
What is the absolute best thing you can think of about living the “entrepreneurial dream”? For me it’s personal freedom, but I’d love to hear your take. 🙂
I luv to have control of my own destiny. As entrepreneur, you can do whatever you want without having to ask a gatekeeper (like a boss) for permission. You want to do something, and you just do it. Boom – just like that. You can always ask for forgiveness later 🙂 Being your own boss let’s you live to the fullest potential. You will reach (inner) places where normal workers only dream of being. Start your own business online. It makes you number 1 right from the start.
Srinivas Rao- TheSkoolOfLife.com BlogCastFM.com @SkoolOfLife
What is your best advice for soldiering on as an entrepreneur, in the face of mind-numbing adversity? (Personal or business adversity) I ask this one because I’ve been struggling with it a bit lately, and I’m certain many entrepreneurs do at some point.
Persistence, Persistence, and More Persistence. The first 50% of accomplishing most goals if fairly painful for several reasons. First, there’s very little visible progress so that can be demoralizing. But what people need to realize is that once you get past the first 50% or to the other side of the mountain, things get really good.
It’s basically been my experience with learning how to surf, which I’ll do for the rest of my life. The other thing is that people should focus on how far they have come rather than how far they have to go because the perspective changes to a positive one.
What is the biggest mental roadblock you had to overcome on your road to becoming a successful entrepreneur? Mine was simply, that it can be done. I didn’t fully believe I could ever support myself without a “real job”, until suddenly I was.
I’m kind of a blend of entrepreneur/day job. So my situation is unique. I think the biggest mental block for me was being ok with uncertainty. Fear of the unknown is a really unfortunate virus that has spread like wildfire through our society. Yet, overcoming this is what has resulted in some of the best things we’ve produced as a society.
What is the absolute best thing you can think of about living the “entrepreneurial dream”? For me it’s personal freedom, but I’d love to hear your take. 🙂
Well, as a surfer, it’s being able to schedule my life around surf conditions. When a big swell hits I can adjust everything so that I can spend my time in the water. I also think that the freedom to travel is amazing. If you’re not traveling and seeing as much of the world as possible you’re only living a small percentage of your life.
Fabian- FriendlyAnarchist.com @FabianKruse
What is your best advice for soldiering on as an entrepreneur, in the face of mind-numbing adversity? (Personal or business adversity) I ask this one because I’ve been struggling with it a bit lately, and I’m certain many entrepreneurs do at some point.
As someone finding myself at the very start of this entrepreneurial journey, I certainly can relate to this feeling. My best advice would be to acknowledge that the world is big enough for you to do your thing. That can be hard for many of us who were taught our whole lives to get good marks and build a perfect CV in order to impress recruiters.
The truth for an entrepreneur is this: Recruiters and CVs don’t matter, your customers do. But, at least if you’re aiming to be (and stay) small, as I do, you don’t need a million customers in order to make a living.
What is the biggest mental roadblock you had to overcome on your road to becoming a successful entrepreneur? Mine was simply, that it can be done. I didn’t fully believe I could ever support myself without a “real job”, until suddenly I was.
I actually thought that business and entrepreneurship were both boring and incredibly hard to do. I really thought you had to compete with the big players, get a credit or an investor, and make a million dollars or fail horribly.
That’s not true, of course: First of all, you don’t have to compete with Wal-Mart, but find an interesting niche (or two) and serve it well.
Secondly, you don’t have to be a “successful entrepreneur” in the typical US American sense of the word. I don’t have a seven figure income. In the past 12 months, I didn’t even have a *five* figure income. This is by design, though: In a time when everybody insists on growing fast and running around with all guns blazing, I decided to grow slowly and organically, and be conscious about what I want to sell and what not.
The lesson is this: Business doesn’t have to work like it has during the last couple of decades. But it doesn’t have to work the way smart-ass online marketers want you to believe, neither! You don’t have to sell bullshit to people just because they buy it. You don’t have to be a big player. You are free to decide to live more frugally and focus on experiences rather than on making your first million. You are free to sell less, but live more.
What is the absolute best thing you can think of about living the “entrepreneurial dream”? For me it’s personal freedom, but I’d love to hear your take. 🙂
I can get up whenever I want in the morning. Or in the afternoon. If I feel like it, I can spend 14 hours at my computer, writing. Or I can go to the beach, swim a bit, have a glass of fine rum, and read a book. If money becomes an issue, I can work more; if the money’s good and the income is flowing, I can do less or work for free for some time. It is indeed a way of great personal freedom.
Another thing that really benefits me is that being a micro entrepreneur and freelancer allows me to do a great variety of things: I write for my blog or others, translate or interpret, do really small web design jobs, outline upcoming projects, take photos, help out in a village here in Colombia, write mails, skype with or meet interesting people, look after my finances, etc. – it’s just great to not being forced to do the same stuff all day, each day. As an entrepreneur, there are always new challenges coming up, and if you get bored, you just dive into another venture.
Karol- RidiculouslyExtraordinary.com @KarolGajda
Specifically, I want to help you achieve your idea of freedom, whatever that may be.
Why 100? It’s not that I think changing the lives of 1,000 or 10,000 (or more) is unattainable. I will do that too. But first I’d like to get to know and directly help 100 people.
Once the goal is reached this Web site will self destruct and I will vanish into the ether. More accurately, I’ll just go hang out somewhere cool, but that doesn’t sound as intense, does it?
What is your best advice for soldiering on as an entrepreneur, in the face of mind-numbing adversity? (Personal or business adversity) I ask this one because I’ve been struggling with it a bit lately, and I’m certain many entrepreneurs do at some point.
Most adversity is a result of being too far into our own heads. Its cliché, but nothing is ever as bad as it seems. Best advice for soldiering on? Don’t make it a choice. There is no other option.
What is the biggest mental roadblock you had to overcome on your road to becoming a successful entrepreneur? Mine was simply, that it can be done. I didn’t fully believe I could ever support myself without a “real job”, until suddenly I was.
Most successful people I know question themselves and their value at some point or another. And that has always been my biggest roadblock. Although I wouldn’t call it a roadblock. More of a speed bump.
What is the absolute best thing you can think of about living the “entrepreneurial dream”? For me it’s personal freedom, but I’d love to hear your take. 🙂
It really boils down to being able to do what I want, when I want, with whoever I want. Maybe the best thing about it is that my life is mostly anti-stress. If anything, I have eustress.
Mary- GoodLifeZen.com @Mary_Jaksch
Mary is also chief editor of WriteToDone.com, a blog geared specifically towards writers of all walks.
What is your best advice for soldiering on as an entrepreneur, in the face of mind-numbing adversity? (Personal or business adversity) I ask this one because I’ve been struggling with it a bit lately, and I’m certain many entrepreneurs do at some point.
Just before I started my journey as a blogger I lost all the inheritance that my mother had left because I trusted the wrong kind of people. I found that the most important thing that allowed to overcome the shock and the despair was that I didn’t look back. I decided not to dwell on my inner stories of regret, blame, and self-doubt.
In order to let go of these thoughts, I started wearing an elastic wrist band. Whenever my thoughts turned back to the financial catastrophe, I changed the wrist band to the other arm. At first the wrist band flew from arm to arm, but in time I learned to dwell on positive thoughts, and let go of negative ones – and that helped me to move forward into my new career as a blogger.
What is the biggest mental roadblock you had to overcome on your road to becoming a successful entrepreneur? Mine was simply, that it can be done. I didn’t fully believe I could ever support myself without a “real job”, until suddenly I was.
I’m an accidental entrepreneur. What held me back at first was that I felt guilty about making money. But now that I’ve built a six-figure online business, I’m happy that I can help so many other people with my income, not just myself.
What is the absolute best thing you can think of about living the “entrepreneurial dream”? For me it’s personal freedom, but I’d love to hear your take. 🙂
I love the freedom that allows me to create something amazing that can enhance not only my life but the lives of many others.
Annabel- GetInTheHotSpot.com @GetInTheHotSpot
What is your best advice for soldiering on as an entrepreneur, in the face of mind-numbing adversity? (Personal or business adversity) I ask this one because I’ve been struggling with it a bit lately, and I’m certain many entrepreneurs do at some point.
There are always hurdles on the road to success or getting the life you want. If you look at any success story it starts with someone who has a dream of getting from A to B but an obstacle stands in their way.
The bigger the goal the more adversities you’ll have to overcome so do focus on the end of the story and the big picture then keep pressing on regardless. Sometimes it seems as if no progress is being make and that’s normal too. Then one day you make ground, try something new and hit a “lucky” break.
The question here holds the answer – soldiering on. No matter what adversities are thrown at you keep moving forward and never give up. Studies show that being able to stick at something is a more important gauge of success than having a high IQ.
To get what you want out of life and achieve your goals you need to persevere. So motivate yourself to carry on trying by keeping your long term goals in mind. Picturing yourself succeeding should help you carry on going for it and raise your spirits no matter what life throws at you.
What is the biggest mental roadblock you had to overcome on your road to becoming a successful entrepreneur? Mine was simply, that it can be done. I didn’t fully believe I could ever support myself without a “real job”, until suddenly I was.
Confidence. I still battle with low confidence and always will. Some days I feel supremely confident and think I can conquer the world and other days I just want to stay in bed and wonder why I bother trying. But I never do. I get up, put on my confident hat and carry on
I also care too much about what other people think of me and my plans and end up being exposed to negativity because of that. Usually the naysayers are people who don’t understand your vision or are scared by it. Even your nearest and dearest can sow seeds of doubt because they don’t want to see you fail.
The fear of failure may be keeping them stuck on a safe path but if you want to achieve your goals then you have to carry on with your risk-taking journey regardless. Understanding your mental roadblocks and what’s causing them can help you become more determined to overcome them and succeed anyway.
What is the absolute best thing you can think of about living the “entrepreneurial dream”? For me it’s personal freedom, but I’d love to hear your take. 🙂
I’ll have to go with personal freedom too. When you work for yourself or create your own business the possibilities are endless. You can choose to work as much or as little as you want. You can set ambitious goals for world domination and a place on the rich list or lifestyle goals like going for a surf every day and living a relaxed lifestyle in the tropics. You choose who you want to work with, when you work, where you work, what you wear and how you get paid for your time. I recommend it and can’t imagine life any other way.
Dan- PersonalBrandingBlog.com @DanSchwabel
What is your best advice for soldiering on as an entrepreneur, in the face of mind-numbing adversity? (Personal or business adversity) I ask this one because I’ve been struggling with it a bit lately, and I’m certain many entrepreneurs do at some point.
You need to figure out what you’re passionate about, what your true talents are, and how you can bridge both, while taking a non-saturated niche in your market. You always need long-term goals, confidence, strong relationships with key players in your industry, and a little luck. You need to drop all of your fears and just make things happen, without questioning yourself too much.
What is the biggest mental roadblock you had to overcome on your road to becoming a successful entrepreneur? Mine was simply, that it can be done. I didn’t fully believe I could ever support myself without a “real job”, until suddenly I was.
The biggest roadblock for me was when I was first starting out and no one would answer my emails. It made me worker harder and reach out to more people though and eventually those people that I reached out to answered me when I had some level of status.
What is the absolute best thing you can think of about living the “entrepreneurial dream”? For me it’s personal freedom, but I’d love to hear your take. 🙂
Personal freedom and having your hobby be your business. I haven’t worked since January when I quit my full-time job.
Matt- LifeWithOutPants.com @MattChevy
What is your best advice for soldiering on as an entrepreneur, in the face of mind-numbing adversity? (Personal or business adversity) I ask this one because I’ve been struggling with it a bit lately, and I’m certain many entrepreneurs do at some point.
Figure out what you need. I know it sounds simple, but this is the biggest obstacle that screws aspiring entrepreneurs up and holds them back from getting where they want to be. Figuring out what you need – not what you want – is a freeing experience. Everybody wants to make a lot of money, or at least enough to be comfortable, support themselves and their family, but it’s figuring out what you NEED, the bare essentials, rent, food, etc, that will help you relax and thrive.
When I started out, I figured out I only needed $2,000 per month to essentially break-even from what I was making at my 9 to 5 (that’s not a lot, people). Once I figured that out, I started hustling, and quickly realized that I was not only getting what I needed, I was far surpassing it and for the first time in my life, actually putting away money into savings.
Money can and will try to hold you back – don’t let it. Odds are you don’t need as much of it as you think.
What is the biggest mental roadblock you had to overcome on your road to becoming a successful entrepreneur? Mine was simply, that it can be done. I didn’t fully believe I could ever support myself without a “real job”, until suddenly I was.
Realizing and accepting that I can’t do it all. It’s hard to be an entrepreneur – it’s even harder to be one who’s trying to tackle everything.
Let other people in – put your walls down a bit and focus on forming partnerships and business relationships with those who possess complementary skills. Don’t focus on the competition, odds are there are a million other people out there doing what you’re doing – but there’s plenty of business for all of us to be MORE than successful.
Instead focus on collaboration – admit when you don’t know how to do something, don’t lie or make false promises to your clients. Be honest and admit when something isn’t in your realm of expertise.
The beauty of forming partnerships, you’ll build a powerful network that will allow you to offer MUCH MORE than you ever could by yourself…
What is the absolute best thing you can think of about living the “entrepreneurial dream”? For me it’s personal freedom, but I’d love to hear your take. 🙂
I love what I do. I wake up every morning and don’t dread ‘going’ to work. Sure, work is still work, I’d rather be vacationing with my wife or hitting up the golf course with my buddies, but work should be more than work – it consumes such a HUGE part of your life that if you don’t love what you’re doing, you need to be doing something else.
I don’t LIKE my job every single day – but I do LOVE what I do. And that’s what it all comes down to…
James- MenWithPens.com @MenWithPens
What is your best advice for soldiering on as an entrepreneur, in the face of mind-numbing adversity? (Personal or business adversity) I ask this one because I’ve been struggling with it a bit lately, and I’m certain many entrepreneurs do at some point.
The thing is that entrepreneurs are those who have decided a path that forces them to face adversity – the very nature of an entrepreneur’s personality is one of, “I’m going to achieve this, come hell or high water.” It wasn’t, “I’m going to achieve this, but only if it’s easy.”
Then we wouldn’t be entrepreneurs, would we? Because the goals we pursue? They’re big ones. Big dreams. And we want them bad. We’re hungry to achieve those goals, and we go after them voraciously.
(Side note: www.petershallard.com has a great free ebook about just this, all for entrepreneurs.)
I think it’s key to always focus on your goal. People will say, “Do what you love,” but the thing is, love is fickle. You fall into it and out of it repeatedly and naturally. But when you know what your ultimate goal is – the honest, true, real one, not just the “I want to be rich” one, then you tend to persevere a little more.
For example, I can tell you my vision of where I want to be in 5 years, down to what I’m eating for lunch that day – achieving that level of success is my goal. So I filter everything I do NOW with, “Do I like doing this? And if I do this, does doing this help me achieve that?” If yes, great. If not, out it goes.
Knowing that what I’m doing helps me get there makes a lot of difference. I think of that ultimately perfect day, and get to work – and I have motivation to stick to it.
What is the biggest mental roadblock you had to overcome on your road to becoming a successful entrepreneur? Mine was simply, that it can be done. I didn’t fully believe I could ever support myself without a “real job”, until suddenly I was.
Good question, this one. I’ve faced many, many roadblocks, but I’ve always had the attitude that I could smash through them – I love a challenge, so it’s always a question of, “Crap, this is in my way. How can I get around it?” Which means that… well, roadblocks never really were roadblocks, because I always found an answer or a solution.
I suppose one roadblock that’s held me back and still is would be a discomfort with flying. If I had the easy ability to walk onto a plane and travel, I’d probably achieve an even higher level of success than I enjoy now – attend seminars, meet colleagues, explore opportunities, etc. But a bad flight ten years ago and the (stupid) decision not to get back on a plane relatively quickly following that even has left me with a good amount of anxiety about flying.
Thing is, I can’t even honestly say I have a fear of flying, because I haven’t even gotten on a plane to test whether I do or not. Maybe I’d sit down and be just fine, telling myself an idiot for having waited so long. Call it pre-flight fear. 🙂 Whatever it is, it’s a major obstacle!
What is the absolute best thing you can think of about living the “entrepreneurial dream”? For me it’s personal freedom, but I’d love to hear your take. 🙂
Ah, jeez, where shall I start? 😉 I love all the perks like making my own schedule, having all my sunny afternoons off, living a prestigious lifestyle, owning my own business, making my own money, etc etc… but that’s not really it.
What I love the most is knowing that I can be whatever I want and do whatever I want. Not in the tra-la-la-skip-off-into-the-sunset-no-responsibilities-all-freedom mindset of “do what I want”, but the opportunity to have any career I choose. I can open any business I’d like. I can figure out what I need to do to make any dream I have happen.
Maybe that’s what I love the most: a life that means I’m not stagnating. That I’m achieving accomplishments and going after goal after goal – and reaching them. That if I want something, all I have to do is figure out how, and then I have all the potential to make it happen.
I also enjoy the fact that along the way, I’ve picked up so many skills and so much knowledge that I’ll always be just fine – no matter what happens, having the entrepreneur mindset lets me recreate success as many times as I please.
Dennis- Earn1KaDay.com @5buckguy
What is your best advice for soldiering on as an entrepreneur, in the face of mind-numbing adversity? (Personal or business adversity) I ask this one because I’ve been struggling with it a bit lately, and I’m certain many entrepreneurs do at some point.
That’s a great question. As the late great basketball coach Jimmy Valvano said as he was battling cancer: “Don’t give up, don’t ever give up!”.
Most IM’ers do give up way too soon on the way to success, but if you have a solid business plan, and you’re confident you have the skills to execute that plan, you will succeed if you keep at it.
I know, it seems frustrating at times when you see others making more money than you do, working less hard than you do. That’s just the way it is sometimes.
95% or more of IM’ers give up short of their goals. That’s a shame because some of them might have been just days short of their breakthrough.
Another thing to keep in mind is: Why are you doing this? It can’t be just for more money. What are you going to do with that money? Be able to quit a job you hate? Make a better life for your children or spouse? Be able to spend more time with your kids rather than have daycare raise them? Move out of the ghetto?
What’s your why? If you have a strong enough one, the only way you can fail is to quit.
What is the biggest mental roadblock you had to overcome on your road to becoming a successful entrepreneur? Mine was simply, that it can be done. I didn’t fully believe I could ever support myself without a “real job”, until suddenly I was.
My sin in the beginning was lack of focus. I used to try everything for a few days or weeks, and then move on. when I learned to focus on one thing at a time, it all turned around for me.
Another common roadblock is that people don’t believe that what they know is worthwhile to others. There’s a perception of “if I know this, so does everybody else, or they can find it easily enough online”. That’s just not true. First, not everybody knows all that you know, and second, most people would rather just have that information or service handed to them on a silver platter than do the work to find it. And they’ll gladly pay for the service to hand it to them on that platter.
What is the absolute best thing you can think of about living the “entrepreneurial dream”? For me it’s personal freedom, but I’d love to hear your take.
To me, it’s freedom and independence. to an extent. I like to be able to work the hours I want, where I want, and call the shots, responsible for my own mistakes, as well as the successes that come.
But more than that, I absolutely love to death the opportunity to help other people, either by encouragement, mentoring, providing a service of some type, or any other way I can.
I like to think that something I’ve done at some point or other has improved someone else’s life (whether it’s their income or otherwise), and that opportunity is more often presented to entrepreneurs, in my opinion.
Jonathan- JonathanFields.com @JonathanFields
I’ve stumbled, tripped and flat-out failed more times than I like to think about.
But, I’ve also evolved, taken a lot of purposeful risks and now, in addition to being a serial lifestyle-industry entrepreneur, I’ve figured out a way to earn a nice living doing a variety of things I love to with people I love to be around.
What is your best advice for soldiering on as an entrepreneur, in the face of mind-numbing adversity? (Personal or business adversity) I ask this one because I’ve been struggling with it a bit lately, and I’m certain many entrepreneurs do at some point.
Before you begin, do everything you need to do to find the sweet spot between what makes you come alive and where there is a pervasive, deep market need. Be utterly convinced you’ve met these two criteria. Then, when the adversity comes, and it always will, reexamine whether those two initial drivers are still valid.
If not, figure out how you need to adapt to the change in assumptions. If so, look at it as reinforcement that what you set out to do is still meaningful, relevant and needed and draw upon that knowledge to refuel the journey.
What is the biggest mental roadblock you had to overcome on your road to becoming a successful entrepreneur? Mine was simply, that it can be done. I didn’t fully believe I could ever support myself without a “real job”, until suddenly I was.
Conventional wisdom. Realizing that conventional wisdom is the collective assumptions of those who have either tried before and failed or more likely never even had the will to try, then made up rationalizations to feel better about their retreat. Never bind yourself by the perceived wisdom or limitations of others. Kick the tires, then draw your own conclusions.
What is the absolute best thing you can think of about living the “entrepreneurial dream”? For me it’s personal freedom, but I’d love to hear your take. 🙂
The opportunity to not only have a deep impact on people, but to build the culture that surrounds you with people, experiences, missions and activities that let you come alive.
Ali- Aliventures.com @Aliventures
What is your best advice for soldiering on as an entrepreneur, in the face of mind-numbing adversity? (Personal or business adversity) I ask this one because I’ve been struggling with it a bit lately, and I’m certain many entrepreneurs do at some point.
Take care of yourself first. You’re not doing you or your biz any favors if you run yourself into the ground. If that means putting your website relaunch or your next product on hold for a bit, then do. Sure, there’ll be some people who sprint forwards like hell, but you’re in this for the long haul.
It’s okay to take a break. It’s okay to lean back when you need to, instead of running forwards. Just have a plan for getting that adversity sorted out, so you can look forward to the day when you’re back on top of your biz again.
What is the biggest mental roadblock you had to overcome on your road to becoming a successful entrepreneur? Mine was simply, that it can be done. I didn’t fully believe I could ever support myself without a “real job”, until suddenly I was.
I find it really, really tough to say “I’m very good at this.” It seems arrogant — but the truth is, I know I am a good writer. I’m learning to get over myself and accept that … because it’s only then that I can actually help people.
I’ve talked to other creative and entrepreneurial types, and I think this is a really common problem. Because we’re so good at what we do, it feels natural. Writing comes very easily to me, and I constantly have to remind myself that it’s not like that for my clients! The easiest way for me to get my head round it is to watch my sister paint … I can’t draw or paint at all, and it looks like magic to me. To her, it’s easy!
What is the absolute best thing you can think of about living the “entrepreneurial dream”? For me it’s personal freedom, but I’d love to hear your take.
I really love bringing the whole of myself to my work. I like being able to be fun and friendly and casual, without a boss breathing down my neck. When I had a day job, I felt like I’d folded all my personality into this tiny tight little package, zipped behind a “professional” look. It took me a while to realize that, as an online entrepreneur, people love to see the real me. 🙂
Ali also co-runs ContructivelyProductive.com with Thursday Bram whose interview is just below!
Thursday- ThursdayBram.com @ThursdayB
What is your best advice for soldiering on as an entrepreneur, in the face of mind-numbing adversity? (Personal or business adversity) I ask this one because I’ve been struggling with it a bit lately, and I’m certain many entrepreneurs do at some point.
Lately, it seems like I’ve been banging my head up against the wall when I’m working. I’ve hit something of a plateau with my business and I’ve been doing this type of work long enough that I would really like to change things up. But at the same time, I’ve got a big pile of personal stuff going on that means I absolutely need to keep money coming it.
In order to keep myself working, the only thing I could think to do is to create a light at the end of the tunnel for myself. I ran the numbers and figured out where I needed to be to take some time off and figure out what my next move is. This approach means that I’m actually doing more work (and more banging my head against the wall) in the short-term, but I’ve found that since I know that there will be a finite end, I can do it. It doesn’t hurt that part of my time off includes an actual vacation for once in my entrepreneurial career.
What is the biggest mental roadblock you had to overcome on your road to becoming a successful entrepreneur? Mine was simply, that it can be done. I didn’t fully believe I could ever support myself without a “real job”, until suddenly I was.
There weren’t a lot of direct mental roadblocks for me in becoming an entrepreneur — I come from a family of entrepreneurs and we’re known in certain circles for being really bad employees. But it did take some shifts in my thinking to realize that I could make money from more creative enterprises. My family tends more towards real estate, selling furniture and other businesses where they aren’t actually creating their products from scratch. It’s a big shift mentally?
What is the absolute best thing you can think of about living the “entrepreneurial dream”? For me it’s personal freedom, but I’d love to hear your take. 🙂
For me, the absolute best thing about being an entrepreneur is that I have this constant sense that I’m winning, in every way possible. My employed friends complain about their commutes — I don’t really have to get out of my pajamas in the morning if I don’t want to.
My employed friends get a small raise fairly regularly — my income keeps going up by some fairly significant jumps. My employed friends spend all day getting told what to do by their bosses — the only boss I have is myself, and while I’m tough to work for, I can always find a way out of doing an assignment I really don’t want to handle.
Thursday also runs as successful consulting business at HyperModernConsulting.com… a woman of many talents!
Ann- SeoSmarty.com @SeoSmarty
Ann is also the founder of MyBlogGuest.com, a very successful forum especially for guest bloggers as well as associate editor for the popular Search Engine Journal.
What is your best advice for soldiering on as an entrepreneur, in the face of mind-numbing adversity? (Personal or business adversity) I ask this one because I’ve been struggling with it a bit lately, and I’m certain many entrepreneurs do at some point.
Yes, we all do and not once during the entrepreneurship career. The advice? I guess it is very personal: different people learn to cope with adversity in various ways. Some take a break, spend time with friends and family. I for one work even harder.
I am workaholic, work is my pleasure and rest. I don’t remember myself not working! Whenever I feel miserable, I just work further until I find encouragement and inspiration again! I do realize it’s a cure for not everyone though.
What is the biggest mental roadblock you had to overcome on your road to becoming a successful entrepreneur? Mine was simply, that it can be done. I didn’t fully believe I could ever support myself without a “real job”, until suddenly I was.
That I will be able to work from home. I love people and company. When I was in the university, I couldn’t even go to the local store without a friend! I always had friends around. Then was my first job and a great team. The thought that I will be left alone was making me crazy!
But I had no choice. I was going to become a new mom and had to stay at home with my baby. But for that fact, I wouldn’t venture to become a solo entrepreneur for a long time, I guess. But luckily, I was forced to! And now I am not afraid! I do plan to create a “real” offline team (currently I rely on freelancers) one day – but that’s distant future as I am not going to leave my daughter with anyone else yet!
What is the absolute best thing you can think of about living the “entrepreneurial dream”? For me it’s personal freedom, but I’d love to hear your take.
Independence. My first and only boss was a great person but he was still a boss. I am Leo, I can’t depend on anyone. I need freedom and independence – only thus I will feel creative and productive enough to be successful!
Fransisco- SocialMouths.com @SocialMouths
Andrea (my wife) and I are in constant development of our own world full of creativity, independence, new adventures and raising our kids to be awesome human beings.
I believe in leadership and change. I love simplicity, truth and honest open communications. I own a creative mind, just like everybody else. I try to help others achieve.
What is your best advice for soldiering on as an entrepreneur, in the face of mind-numbing adversity? (Personal or business adversity) I ask this one because I’ve been struggling with it a bit lately, and I’m certain many entrepreneurs do at some point.
I think the best advice could be taking action regardless of the current circumstances because sometimes we postpone things thinking that is going to get better. Maybe you can’t launch your idea today but you can definitely start taking steps towards it. Launching an idea today is easier than ever, there is no need to spend 6 months writing a business plan or signing a 1-year lease on an office.
I like doing an exercise in which I list the pros and cons of moving forward, it helps me realize that much of what I consider being against me, are my own assumptions.
What is the biggest mental roadblock you had to overcome on your road to becoming a successful entrepreneur? Mine was simply, that it can be done. I didn’t fully believe I could ever support myself without a “real job”, until suddenly I was.
In my case, because I come from a physical business, you know, offices, warehouse and even a call center, my biggest mental block had to do with going virtual, not having a place to drive to in the mornings or not looking at my team face to face. Even while you enjoy checking email in your underwear, it doesn’t feel like you have a business or if you can generate a sustainable lifestyle.
So going virtual was (still is…) pretty heavy. Today my # 1 business tool is Skype.
What is the absolute best thing you can think of about living the “entrepreneurial dream”? For me it’s personal freedom, but I’d love to hear your take.
Being a free agent, which is not the same as “working from home”. I don’t have to be anywhere at anytime, if you look at my calendar you’d probably think I’m a huge loser because I don’t schedule stuff. That’s a choice… and I still do business like that.
I think it’s what you do with it after you already achieved that status. It can help you go from being a “Parent” to being your kid’s best friend, you can get to know yourself or you can increase your TV watching and waste it all, those cooking shows are pretty addictive…
James- InternetMarketingSpeed.com @JamesSchramko
What is your best advice for soldiering on as an entrepreneur, in the face of mind-numbing adversity? (Personal or business adversity) I ask this one because I’ve been struggling with it a bit lately, and I’m certain many entrepreneurs do at some point.
Lets take the concept of mind-numbing adversity. For most people this is a choice. Make sure you are prepared to ‘pay the price’. Align yourself with a goal worth getting that excites you a LOT! Getting a worthwhile result will require energy, effort and resources. If you want the desired result bad enough you will persist and find a way. Most importantly, make sure you are doing the right things.
Too many business operators get frustrated because they are repeating the same wrong tasks over and over again. Peter Drucker ( a genius business thinker) emphasized the point of doing the right things versus doing things right. The final point I have on this mindset attitude is to ‘be like water’. Water flows around obstacles and can endure heat and cold. This comes from 3000 year old Chinese war strategist Sun Tzu.
What is the biggest mental roadblock you had to overcome on your road to becoming a successful entrepreneur? Mine was simply, that it can be done. I didn’t fully believe I could ever support myself without a “real job”, until suddenly I was.
Stepping away from a Top level professional career, $300,000 a year job with benefits with five dependents living in one of the worlds most expensive cities. Deciding that my own business was suffering at the hands of the debilitating ‘day job’ finally helped me shift. I sat next to people who were making $100k per month and in one case $100k per day.
This caused me to get the new (and correct) perspective that I was playing too small a game. I honestly felt like my job was pathetic under-performance on my behalf. I more than doubled my income the first twelve months out of work and than doubles it again the next year. Each year for five years in a row our business has in excess of 200% growth.
What is the absolute best thing you can think of about living the “entrepreneurial dream”? For me it’s personal freedom, but I’d love to hear your take.
I am living versus existing. Not taking orders, not wearing shoes, a tie or expensive suit, living by the beach, doing absolutely nothing (like sleeping in) and feeling good about it, having nice things and spending time with my family… Also I travel all around the world at the drop of a hat.
Jade- JadeCraven.com @JadeCraven
What is your best advice for soldiering on as an entrepreneur, in the face of mind-numbing adversity? (Personal or business adversity) I ask this one because I’ve been struggling with it a bit lately, and I’m certain many entrepreneurs do at some point.
Build a support network. Find people that can help you get through the rough times. Sometimes you will have to pay for that support in the form of consulting and that’s fine.
Seriously. Trying to go it alone will fuck with your head and reduce the amount of work you can do and people you can help. That’s selfish and not fair on yourself.
I’ve had to soldier through a pretty severe mental illness. There have been days where I’ve refused to get out of bed because my problems seemed so overwhelming and have wanted to just give up on my work. I have a darn good team of friends, colleagues, and family around me to help me through those times. They are who I have to thank for being in business today.
( I would like to mention that if you feel sick over a long period of time from the stress of the adversity, see a doctor. I didn’t realize at first that I had anxiety/depression and getting treated has made things so much better. )
What is the biggest mental roadblock you had to overcome on your road to becoming a successful entrepreneur? Mine was simply, that it can be done. I didn’t fully believe I could ever support myself without a “real job”, until suddenly I was.
This is a roadblock that I am still struggling to overcome. I am struggling to understand why people would want to pay for a skill that comes so naturally to me.
I’m a connector. I hook people up with those that can have a dramatic impact on their career. This can be a potential JV partner, coach or potential employee. I’ve done it for free for the past 2 years because it makes me feel good and I wanted to see if my hunches were right.
My main source of income is Dave Navarro, from The Launch Coach. I love this work because Dave has a no bullshit attitude. I’ve gotten into mini arguments with him on how I feel like I don’t deserve to get paid for what I do and he reminded me that the value I provide is worth far more than what he is paying. I have low self esteem so this has been something that has played on my mind a lot as I’ve started to push myself beyond my insecurities.
But you know what? I am kinda awesome at what I do. Putting a dollar sign in front of my work doesn’t make it any less valuable. If anything, it means I attract the people that respect my time and are willing to take action. It has been a fascinating learning process and I’m really fascinated to see what other roadblocks I encounter.
What is the absolute best thing you can think of about living the “entrepreneurial dream”? For me it’s personal freedom, but I’d love to hear your take.
Put simply, purpose. I am now contributing something to the world and, in small ways, changing peoples lives.
So – I’ve talked about having anxiety. What I didn’t say was that I’ve only had a couple of part time jobs and can’t hack part time work let alone full time work. I got out of high school and was faced with the real world and, due to a lot of stress in real life, had a nervous breakdown. Now, there are a lot of limitations with what I can and can’t do. And it’s cool, I’ve made my peace with it.
As I started getting better, I was really frustrated at how it felt like I wasn’t accomplishing anything. I could barely take care of myself let alone assume any work responsibilities. Then I fell into my work and gosh it just sets my heart on fire.
My business has allowed me to make a real impact on people. A real impact, often in the space of a couple of emails. I can write blog posts that can change careers and touch peoples lives. I am making a difference in an industry that I’m passionate about.
This is what life is freakin’ about. I didn’t think I’d be well enough to get a any sort of employment and next month I’m going off to Blogworld. In a way, I’m glad I got sick because it has allowed me to find, and live, my dream.
Remy- OrangeDisaster.com @ODWebProduction
What is your best advice for soldiering on as an entrepreneur, in the face of mind-numbing adversity? (Personal or business adversity) I ask this one because I’ve been struggling with it a bit lately, and I’m certain many entrepreneurs do at some point.
Get up and get dressed every day. Think you have a job, look like you have a job, act like you have a job! For me, its all a mental game. If I think about all the set backs then I end up getting set back. The clients/work/what-have-you isn’t going to fall into your lap, you have to get up, get serious and go get it!
What is the biggest mental roadblock you had to overcome on your road to becoming a successful entrepreneur? Mine was simply, that it can be done. I didn’t fully believe I could ever support myself without a “real job”, until suddenly I was.
Mine was the idea of going ‘all in.’ I didn’t think I could do it, yet at the same time I knew that if I didn’t I wouldn’t get anywhere that I wanted to be. The hardest part has been telling myself – now after diving in the pool – that I can swim and that I do know how.
What is the absolute best thing you can think of about living the “entrepreneurial dream”? For me it’s personal freedom, but I’d love to hear your take.
Time off when I need it! I can go to church and do all the things that I want to do without having to check in or give 2 weeks ahead notice! Also, I love talking to people my age about work. “What do you do?” I ask. “Oh I work at Subway while going to school for a Poly Sci degree. You?” I smile…. “Oh I own a website design company.”
Sonia- CopyBlogger.com @SoniaSimone
I’m the marketer for people who hate marketing. My superpower is creating better customer relationships with incredibly effective communication.
That, and I make a kickass chocolate cream pie.
Sonia is Senior Editor at CopyBlogger and also runs the show on her own blog Remarkable-Communication.com.
What is your best advice for soldiering on as an entrepreneur, in the face of mind-numbing adversity? (Personal or business adversity) I ask this one because I’ve been struggling with it a bit lately, and I’m certain many entrepreneurs do at some point.
This was the most important issue for me, how to keep going. Because it does take a lot of time, and there are long “dark periods” when nothing seems to be happening. I think what helped me the most with this was connecting with a few good friends who were on the same path, and who had a lot of energy and a lot of faith.
There are always times we lose faith in ourselves and wonder if we should keep plugging away. Those are the times when it’s great to have friends in the same boat who can encourage us to keep going.
I also actually got a ton of encouragement from my own audience, even when it was quite small. Because I always tried to focus relentlessly on helping people, it seemed like every time I wanted to pack it in, I’d get an email from someone saying “Thank you so much for this (whatever it was).
It really made a difference.” I’m a big believer in Zig Zigler’s advice, “You can get anything you want if you help enough other people get what they want.” That was something of a lighthouse for me, when I would feel lost I could orient myself around that.
What is the biggest mental roadblock you had to overcome on your road to becoming a successful entrepreneur? Mine was simply, that it can be done. I didn’t fully believe I could ever support myself without a “real job”, until suddenly I was.
It took me a really long time to believe that entrepreneurs could be “people like me.” I thought you had to be able to accept all kinds of crazy risks, and be some kind of fearless macho stereotype.
But the more I look around, the more I realize that the entrepreneurial stereotype is totally wrong. It’s the humble ones who look before they leap who really build success. The macho risk-taker makes himself very visible, but he doesn’t often make his company successful.
What is the absolute best thing you can think of about living the “entrepreneurial dream”? For me it’s personal freedom, but I’d love to hear your take.
For me the very best thing is to have a vision of something cool to create or do, and just doing it. Without asking permission from some committee, without getting shot down by executives who feel threatened by big ideas. The corporate world was a really painful place for me. I’m finding that building a fabulous, profitable, successful company is the best revenge. 🙂
Nathan- NathanHangen.com @NHangen
What is your best advice for soldiering on as an entrepreneur, in the face of mind-numbing adversity? (Personal or business adversity) I ask this one because I’ve been struggling with it a bit lately, and I’m certain many entrepreneurs do at some point.
It’s one thing to say “keep going,” but if what you’re doing isn’t working, you really have to learn why it isn’t. Just working isn’t going to work…you need to work on something that has potential.
I’d say that more than anything, don’t be afraid to make drastic change in order to make something work. Yeah, you can’t quit, but that doesn’t mean you have to keep doing what isn’t working. Try new products, new angles, new people, new writing, new art, etc. Experiment and do more of what works, less of what doesn’t.
What is the biggest mental roadblock you had to overcome on your road to becoming a successful entrepreneur? Mine was simply, that it can be done. I didn’t fully believe I could ever support myself without a “real job”, until suddenly I was.
Never being happy in a single niche or role. I love doing lots of things, and I always struggled with the idea that I have to pick something and do it. It doesn’t work for me. So in that sense, I think the hardest part was overcoming the programming that told me things had to be done a certain way. Giving myself permission to try and fail.
What is the absolute best thing you can think of about living the “entrepreneurial dream”? For me it’s personal freedom, but I’d love to hear your take.
Being able to wake up without feeling like the world is going to end if I don’t want to. I can create my own schedule and make as much or as little money as I want. It’s stressful, but it’s so great to be free and in control of my own life.
Rob- TheLifeDesignProject.com @RobGranholm
Rob is also the creator of ITArsenal.com… a kick ass site devoted to us morbidly lacking in geek speak technophobes.
What is your best advice for soldiering on as an entrepreneur, in the face of mind-numbing adversity? (Personal or business adversity) I ask this one because I’ve been struggling with it a bit lately, and I’m certain many entrepreneurs do at some point.
Reboot your brain often. The constant learning, testing, launching, life juggling, and paralysis that ensues when wrapping your brain around everything that needs to be done as an entrepreneur is frustrating. I’ve been there (heck I live there), staring at your website, or glaring at others who seem to be making so many moves when you can’t figure out a 5 word tagline.
First, know that you’re not the only one who’s mind-numbed, then quickly move to reboot and get back into the fray. How? I look at a “top level” document every day to remind myself what the heck I’m doing (in life and business) and to keep my goals in front of me.
I try to talk with other entrepreneurs often to commit myself, get enough sleep, and take one action a day (non-social media) for building my business. When all that doesn’t work and it feels like I’m moving an inch an hour, it’s time to take a few days off to recharge.
What is the biggest mental roadblock you had to overcome on your road to becoming a successful entrepreneur? Mine was simply, that it can be done. I didn’t fully believe I could ever support myself without a “real job”, until suddenly I was.
The biggest mental roadblock I’ve run into is thinking about my business vs. acting on it. I tend get stuck studying others successes, playing with new tools, or drafting plans or “potential” products for world domination when I should be zoning in and executing. I’ve learned that focusing on raw experience is more important than success, until you have success. I’m still in the trenches practicing this.
Things that help produce? Turning off the Internet, finally launching a product (Don’t wait, just do it. The expectant customer makes you move!), creating and then buying into my own hype, and using my weaknesses as strengths. I now put myself in positions to plan and think for other entrepreneur launches, (as tech support) while I work on my own.
What is the absolute best thing you can think of about living the “entrepreneurial dream”? For me it’s personal freedom, but I’d love to hear your take.
I foremost love having the opportunity to help others with the skills God has given me, technology and communication! I also purposely build business that lines up with my lifestyle so I’m doing what I enjoy but also creating personal freedoms to pursue life’s adventures. Life’s for living! Long vacations, fast cars, and constant challenges.
Maria- Red-Slice.com @RedSlice
What is your best advice for soldiering on as an entrepreneur, in the face of mind-numbing adversity? (Personal or business adversity) I ask this one because I’ve been struggling with it a bit lately, and I’m certain many entrepreneurs do at some point.
There is so much and I’m learning more every day but I’d say the big one is to stay true to your mission and purpose and why you started your business. If you have not clearly articulated why you are doing what you’re doing and what success means TO YOU then go, grab a glass of wine and WRITE IT DOWN. It’s too easy to get distracted and sidelined by stress, opportunities and what other people might think.
There are days when I think I’m not doing enough and days when I’ve overextended myself and I have to remember that I started this business to gain flexibility, work with people I enjoy working with, give myself time to pursue some other artistic passions and that I only have to take in so much money to meet my “success standard.” That helps me take a breath and stop spinning my wheels. Everything else is just noise or other people’s issues – it has nothing to do with your goal.
What is the biggest mental roadblock you had to overcome on your road to becoming a successful entrepreneur? Mine was simply, that it can be done. I didn’t fully believe I could ever support myself without a “real job”, until suddenly I was.
I had to overcome my corporate brainwashing that people who want to maintain a small business and not go IPO can’t make a real living. Once I stepped out onto the entrepreneurial brink, an entire subculture was revealed to me that I never saw from my cubicle walls. Boutique owners, consultants, nutritionists, tech experts – there is a whole world of people out there doing it, every day.
True, my situation was helped by my husband having a full time job with benefits, but I’ve seen countless others just diving in and doing it on their own – with a little planning and a lot of guts. And they are the very best inspirations and resources to which I turn. I also had to accept that I can go into business for myself and keep myself small and that is okay. I don’t have to turn myself into a global agency with thousands of employees and headaches to be successful. See Question #1!
What is the absolute best thing you can think of about living the “entrepreneurial dream”? For me it’s personal freedom, but I’d love to hear your take.
Definitely the flexibility to hang out with my dog in the office all day, grab a coffee with a friend, and all of that. Sure, as an extrovert, I miss the collaboration and teamwork (and stability) that comes from corporate, but the best part of all of this?
For as long as I decide to maintain my business, I make the rules. I can say what I want, turn down a high-maintenance client, scale my work up or down as I see fit, and deliver what I think is the right solution. I don’t have to work with people who are mean or nasty if I don’t want to.
No one’s breathing down my neck, vetoing my ideas, “tweaking” my materials, or telling me I shouldn’t say this, or I can’t offer that. I am totally in charge. Scary? Absolutely. And doing my own books and dealing with contracts can suck most days.
But I get to be ME in every aspect of my business and do what I think is right. It is indescribable how much stress on me that alleviates – and I work three times as many hours as I did in corporate, but I’m happier. I love that!
Jenn- JennDize.com
What is your best advice for soldiering on as an entrepreneur, in the face of mind-numbing adversity? (Personal or business adversity) I ask this one because I’ve been struggling with it a bit lately, and I’m certain many entrepreneurs do at some point.
For me, it’s all about having the right motivation. There has to be something that is more powerful than whatever else you’re facing. For me, it’s my children. It doesn’t matter what I’m going through, I know that I always have to keep going because of them. I always want to keep going because of them.
If you feel like giving up, consider why you are doing this in the first place. It can’t be just because you want to “make a ton of money.” It has to be more real than that.
People always seem amazed when they find out that I quit my job without knowing about IM right before my first son was born. It was pretty crazy! However, there was not a doubt in my mind that I would be able to stay home with him as a stay at home mom and still earn money. I knew I was, somehow, going to make it work.
I got started as a ghostwriter when he was a newborn, and nearly immediately started making as much as I had as a teacher. It wasn’t because I had any sort of business experience — I just had no other option. I didn’t allow myself to see any other option.
This is true for me even today. It’s 3 years later. I’m still staying home with my little boys, I earn a great income, and I’m driven to keep soldiering on because I’m a mommy. My purpose in life is to raise great little humans. Staying home with them and providing a nice life for them is why I do what I do. There is no other option, so nothing will stop me.
What is the biggest mental roadblock you had to overcome on your road to becoming a successful entrepreneur? Mine was simply, that it can be done. I didn’t fully believe I could ever support myself without a “real job”, until suddenly I was.
That’s a tough one. I didn’t really have a mental roadblock when I first got started. I have had them as I try to increase my income and achieve more success. I have a self-diagnosed “fear of success.” The first time I heard that term, I was positive that that description fits me.
I have the skills and desire to achieve more — to grow my business and take my income to the next level. First, I have to get over my fear of success. I have to fully know that I can reach my income goals. I don’t know what the answer to this is — I’m still searching. Regardless, I have no doubt that I will someday overcome this roadblock 🙂
What is the absolute best thing you can think of about living the “entrepreneurial dream”? For me it’s personal freedom, but I’d love to hear your take.
I love not having to answer to anyone. I remember telling my grandmother from the time I was little that I wanted to be retired already 🙂 I wanted to get through school and retire. Funnily enough, I feel like I’ve done just that.
Sure, I work — I work hard. But it doesn’t feel like work. I get to spend a ton of time with my kids and work on a business I enjoy. It’s the best knowing I can do what I want, when I want to do it. I don’t want a 9-5 job ever again.
Tammy- RowdyKittens.com @RowdyKittens
What is your best advice for soldiering on as an entrepreneur, in the face of mind-numbing adversity? (Personal or business adversity) I ask this one because I’ve been struggling with it a bit lately, and I’m certain many entrepreneurs do at some point.
Work on cultivating a sense of happiness in your life. I know that sounds cheesy. But I truly believe if you work on being happy, you will be happy. Right now I’m reading an incredible book called, The How of Happiness. The author, Dr. Sonja Lyubomirsky, points out that 50% of happiness is determined by a genetic set point, 10% is determined by life circumstances (whether you are healthy, married, rich, poor, etc.), and 40% is the result of voluntary actions.
Dr. Lyubomirsky argues that “becoming happier doesn’t just make you feel good;” being happier results in multiple fringe benefits. For example, happier people are more productive on the job, social, energetic, charitable, physically healthier, earn more money, and are more likely to overcome adversity. 🙂
I highly recommend picking up a copy of The How of Happiness. It’s well worth the money.
What is the biggest mental roadblock you had to overcome on your road to becoming a successful entrepreneur? Mine was simply, that it can be done. I didn’t fully believe I could ever support myself without a “real job”, until suddenly I was.
The biggest mental roadblock was overcoming my lack of confidence. I didn’t believe I could support myself without a traditional job. But that started to change after I did more reading and networking with my blogging buddies.
They gave me the extra encouragement I needed when I was feeling down. So if you’re ever stuck in a rut or stop believing in yourself, I highly recommend seeking out a support network. Having friends and family who believe in you is so important. They can help you get through the “dip.”
What is the absolute best thing you can think of about living the “entrepreneurial dream”? For me it’s personal freedom, but I’d love to hear your take.
For me it’s personal freedom. 🙂 Creating my own small business has given me the opportunity to structure my life on my own terms and pursue my dreams. Don’t get me wrong, I’m very grateful for the many opportunities I had in the traditional employment world. I learned many marketable skills. But in the end, I discovered working for someone else wasn’t a good fit for me.
Tia- BizChickBlogs.com @BizChickBlogs
What is your best advice for soldiering on as an entrepreneur, in the face of mind-numbing adversity? (Personal or business adversity) I ask this one because I’ve been struggling with it a bit lately, and I’m certain many entrepreneurs do at some point.
The best advice I could give someone facing adversity is to step outside of yourself, look at the situation, and re-prioritize. Take care of things – if you’re facing personal adversity, you might want to get that worked out rather than ignoring it. No one will, on their death bed, wish that they had finished a project or worked harder. As an entrepreneur, we have the luxury of working to live instead of living to work. Nothing is more important than physical and emotional well-being.
What is the biggest mental roadblock you had to overcome on your road to becoming a successful entrepreneur? Mine was simply, that it can be done. I didn’t fully believe I could ever support myself without a “real job”, until suddenly I was.
The biggest mental roadblock I had to overcome as an entrepreneur was the disbelief that I could charge what I was worth, rather than what I thought someone would pay. It is scary to raise your rates in a time of economic struggle, but I don’t think that’s what holds people back in this area. It’s the thought that you could lose a client over your rates. To this day, that has never happened to me.
What is the absolute best thing you can think of about living the “entrepreneurial dream”? For me it’s personal freedom, but I’d love to hear your take.
It sounds silly, but for me, it’s knowing that I never have to get someone’s permission to go to the doctor, or to come into work a little late, or to have a me-day. My time is my own to do with it what I wish. I will never have to ask for permission (unless I go back to working for someone else). I cannot imagine having to do that again.
Wille- WillieCrawford.com @WillieCrawford
What is your best advice for soldiering on as an entrepreneur, in the face of mind-numbing adversity? (Personal or business adversity) I ask this one because I’ve been struggling with it a bit lately, and I’m certain many entrepreneurs do at some point.
When I encounter adversity, I silently say to myself, “This too shall pass,” reminding myself that I’ve survived everything that life has thrown at me thus far. I also remind myself that there are always those who have it worse than I do. I only need to spend a little time at a local hospital, just sitting in the lobby to confirm that fact.
Then I tell myself to just start taking action, and before I know it, I’ve generally stopped focusing on the adversity, or it doesn’t seem so big anymore.
What is the biggest mental roadblock you had to overcome on your road to becoming a successful entrepreneur? Mine was simply, that it can be done. I didn’t fully believe I could ever support myself without a “real job”, until suddenly I was.
I grew up with a scarcity mentality, and a belief that money was somehow evil, and that the rich just took advantage of the poor. I had to spend time around those who had an abundance mentality, and let that gradually rub off on me. I also had to learn that having more money also enabled me to do more good.
What is the absolute best thing you can think of about living the “entrepreneurial dream”? For me it’s personal freedom, but I’d love to hear your take.
It’s personal freedom for me too. After spending 20 years, 10 months in the U.S. military, where you never really knew where you’d be at sundown, I learned to treasure that freedom of choice. That’s also why I’m a bit of a workaholic too. I want to have enough financial freedom to not have to worry about paying bills, to travel when I want to… taking long vacations, and to stop working when I decide to really retire.
Abby- AbbyKerrInk.com @AbbyKerr
What is your best advice for soldiering on as an entrepreneur, in the face of mind-numbing adversity? (Personal or business adversity) I ask this one because I’ve been struggling with it a bit lately, and I’m certain many entrepreneurs do at some point.
This has got to be the be-all, end-all question for entrepreneurs, the one that keeps us up at night. My best advice for soldiering on comes down to three key things: love {for what you’re doing and for helping the people you help}, vision {the big picture of your life and how this enterprise fits into it}, and desire {you have to have that in spades to keep on going}. Sometimes we lose our grip on one or two of those keys, but as long as we keep holding onto at least one of them at a time, we can get through.
What is the biggest mental roadblock you had to overcome on your road to becoming a successful entrepreneur? Mine was simply, that it can be done. I didn’t fully believe I could ever support myself without a “real job”, until suddenly I was.
My biggest mental roadblock so far has been the income potential piece. I observe other creative entrepreneurs out there who are making a better living online than they ever dreamed they could, and also probably better than they could earn in a traditional job.
But sometimes a creepy voice inside me wants to taunt me and tell me that this won’t be possible for me. I just try to kick that’s voice’s a$$ to the curb and remind myself that if others {who are just as creative and smart as I know myself to be} can do it, then so can I.
What is the absolute best thing you can think of about living the “entrepreneurial dream”? For me it’s personal freedom, but I’d love to hear your take.
For me, the best thing about living my entrepreneurial dream is to know that I create my own work in this world based on my passions and my innate talents and that I encourage and support other people in moving deeper into their dreams. That’s powerful stuff.
Kelly- StickyEbooks.com @StickyEbooks
What is your best advice for soldiering on as an entrepreneur, in the face of mind-numbing adversity? (Personal or business adversity) I ask this one because I’ve been struggling with it a bit lately, and I’m certain many entrepreneurs do at some point.
When I began my blog to start getting out there as a business, there were moments I was convinced it was absolutely pointless and no one would read it. One day someone emailed me saying how much they appreciated the information I was providing, and I printed it out and put it up where I could see it. I’ve since started a file of emails I call “ego boosters” to remind me that I’m on the right track and remember the good responses and encouragement I get from time to time.
On a more practical note, make sure you’re doing everything to keep your “burn rate” in check. By this I mean, make sure you’re getting some good ol’ cash money coming in first — enough income each week (clients, side jobs, day jobs) before doing less directly profitable stuff, like blogging and networking.
It’s true that you need to do a lot of marketing, so it’s about finding a balance, but make sure your bottom line is covered so you can relax a little. Putting the pressure for your entire income on a new business is just an express ticket to burn out, and it’s a big gamble. Even when your income is totally from your business, make sure it’s diversified (clients, products, etc.) so you can roll with any fluctuations (I am still working on this).
What is the biggest mental roadblock you had to overcome on your road to becoming a successful entrepreneur? Mine was simply, that it can be done. I didn’t fully believe I could ever support myself without a “real job”, until suddenly I was.
My biggest mental block at first was the idea of it even being possible. The idea that people would pay me for such specific skills and that I would find clients from “out there” on the Interwebs. It’s just amazing at how connections build upon each other and there is a market for almost anything.
Another big one for me was putting myself out there – getting more visibility. This meant blogging, doing teleclasses, being interviewed, launching a product and teaching a course online. I’m not really into being in the spotlight, I am more collaborative by nature. But it just took some practice to get more comfortable being out there on virtual stages.
What is the absolute best thing you can think of about living the “entrepreneurial dream”? For me it’s personal freedom, but I’d love to hear your take.
Number one, I absolutely relish never having to ask someone for time off. But beyond that, the best thing about creating a business is knowing I’ve created something new that didn’t exist before. It’s a really cool feeling to step back and look at this growing enterprise and see my experiments and energy paying off.
I imagine an inventor feels the same way – a tweak here and there and suddenly the thing you’ve built has a life and momentum of it’s own. It’s very empowering and makes you feel like there must be so much more that’s possible.
Ana- TrafficGenerationCafe.com @WebTrafficCafe
What is your best advice for soldiering on as an entrepreneur, in the face of mind-numbing adversity? (Personal or business adversity) I ask this one because I’ve been struggling with it a bit lately, and I’m certain many entrepreneurs do at some point.
I read comments on my blog. There’s nothing more inspiring to me than to see strangers coming back to my blog again and again, learning, using my advice, asking questions, debating me on issues, growing and helping me grow; strangers who somehow become friends. Who would’ve thought it’s even possible?
What is the biggest mental roadblock you had to overcome on your road to becoming a successful entrepreneur? Mine was simply, that it can be done. I didn’t fully believe I could ever support myself without a “real job”, until suddenly I was.
“Why not me?” was the question I had to answer for myself over and over. If someone else can build a successful blog with floods of daily visitors, why not me? If someone can get their website on the first page of Google, why not me? If someone can build a realistic income online, why not me? Things got a lot easier once I was able to honestly tell myself “Yes, it can and will be me.”
What is the absolute best thing you can think of about living the “entrepreneurial dream”? For me it’s personal freedom, but I’d love to hear your take.
Having purpose. I always enjoy seeing that there is more to life that the little cocoon I live in.
Pat- SmartPassiveIncome.com @PatFlynn
What is your best advice for soldiering on as an entrepreneur, in the face of mind-numbing adversity? (Personal or business adversity) I ask this one because I’ve been struggling with it a bit lately, and I’m certain many entrepreneurs do at some point.
Facing adversity is part of the job description of being an entrepreneur. Nothing comes easy, but it’s those challenges that shape who we are and what our businesses become.
Honestly, my best piece of advice would be to never be afraid to ask for help. Help can come in many forms, such as advice, answers to specific questions, someone to help with certain tasks, or simply just someone who listens.
When starting out as an entrepreneur, so many people (myself included), have a kind of pride that goes along with doing and figuring everything out on their own. But, when I started to ask for help from people who I knew had more experience than me, and after I joined mastermind groups where I could discuss my businesses, my profits began to skyrocket.
What is the biggest mental roadblock you had to overcome on your road to becoming a successful entrepreneur? Mine was simply, that it can be done. I didn’t fully believe I could ever support myself without a “real job”, until suddenly I was.
The biggest mental roadblock on my entrepreneurial journey was a lack of confidence. I would often contemplate, “Am I doing this right?” or “I don’t think this will work.”
Not good.
Not only does a lack of self-confidence slow you down, but it shows in your work. It’s like watching someone make a presentation that you can tell doesn’t believe in what they’re saying. It’s just not believable.
What helped me is just to simply be confident! Don’t let the reason you fail be because you were not confident with your decision.
What is the absolute best thing you can think of about living the “entrepreneurial dream”? For me it’s personal freedom, but I’d love to hear your take.
The best part is having the freedom to spend time with my family. I’m able to be at home with my wife and 8 month old son, without the fear of ever missing any of my boy’s firsts.
Many people work 9 to 5 to support a family, but it’s kind of ironic that most of their day is spent away from them. It just doesn’t seem right. I pinch myself every day, because I really am living the dream.
John– HiLife2B.com @CJAnyasor
My goal is to achieve a financially-independent, location-free lifestyle by Sept. 19, 2011.
I’m also a firm believer that you can make a living doing what you love, and create a lifestyle all your own.
What is your best advice for soldiering on as an entrepreneur, in the face of mind-numbing adversity? (Personal or business adversity) I ask this one because I’ve been struggling with it a bit lately, and I’m certain many entrepreneurs do at some point.
Before I started on the path to entrepreneurship, I always used to tell myself, “I’ll never give up! All I have to do is push harder than the rest.” Unfortunately, I was being naive. The reality is that you’re going to want to quit so many times, not because the work isn’t fun anymore, but the results you get (at least in the beginning) can be very emotionally taxing.
One day, your stats are way up and you have lots of traffic coming to your site. And because of that you feel great; you’re making progress. The next day, maybe nobody comes and you feel as if it’s your fault. You start second-guessing your decisions and changing things up to appease your now non-existent audience.
The solution is to just take it one step at a time, no matter what adversity lies ahead. Forget about getting big numbers and receiving approval; what matters the most is that you’re doing good work. People will start reaching out to you when they’re ready and the numbers will get better when the time is right.
What is the biggest mental roadblock you had to overcome on your road to becoming a successful entrepreneur? Mine was simply, that it can be done. I didn’t fully believe I could ever support myself without a “real job”, until suddenly I was.
I have to agree that biggest mental roadblock for me was believing that making a living online is possible. At first, I couldn’t comprehend that I was the same as the people who made thousands of dollars online every month. I used to think that they had something that I didn’t.
And then it hit me like a ton of bricks. They did in fact have something special that I lacked; belief.
They believed in what was possible, in what those before them had already achieved. I was actually no different. Everyone doubts what sounds impossible, but to see for yourself what’s possible yields much more reward and satisfaction.
In the end, I decided to believe. The result? I made over $200 in one day.
What is the absolute best thing you can think of about living the “entrepreneurial dream”? For me it’s personal freedom, but I’d love to hear your take.
The best thing about the “entrepreneurial dream” is getting paid to do what I love without working under a boss. I’m able to reclaim my time. I don’t have to work for the majority of the day just make money anymore. I’m free to slave away a mere two hours in the afternoon and then experience life afterwards.
What also appeals to me is the freedom to be able to live and work from anywhere. It’s great that I don’t have to sit behind a desk to get my work done; I could be in Guam or Brazil for all I care.
Of course, I don’t recommend focusing on the dream. It’s just a picture of my ideal lifestyle. What matters most are the steps I take each day to get there.
Scott- ScottHYoung.com @ScottHYoung
What is your best advice for soldiering on as an entrepreneur, in the face of mind-numbing adversity? (Personal or business adversity) I ask this one because I’ve been struggling with it a bit lately, and I’m certain many entrepreneurs do at some point.
Steve Martin once described his road to becoming a comedian as being “more plodding than heroic” and I think the same applies to entrepreneurs. There are many moments of self-doubt and frustration, but patience more than heroic discipline is more important. I ran my business for five years before I was able to make a full time income from it.
What is the biggest mental roadblock you had to overcome on your road to becoming a successful entrepreneur? Mine was simply, that it can be done. I didn’t fully believe I could ever support myself without a “real job”, until suddenly I was.
Probably my biggest was believing I should, or even could, do it alone. You need other people whether they are partners, mentors or even just peers. I’m sure many more extroverted entrepreneurs wouldn’t have made my mistake, but I feel my biggest amount of waste came from not talking to enough people about what I was doing and asking for advice and help.
What is the absolute best thing you can think of about living the “entrepreneurial dream”? For me it’s personal freedom, but I’d love to hear your take.
The lifestyle that being a small business entrepreneur creates can be wonderful (otherwise I wouldn’t be here), but for me it’s always been the creative control in my work. Being able to write, produce and share the things I care about trumps location independence, flexible working hours or other much-hyped visions of online entrepreneurship.
Danielle- WhiteHotTruth.com @DanielleLaPorte
What is your best advice for soldiering on as an entrepreneur, in the face of mind-numbing adversity? (Personal or business adversity) I ask this one because I’ve been struggling with it a bit lately, and I’m certain many entrepreneurs do at some point.
My advice is to not soldier on. Let me unpack that…too often, we push, and we plow, and we override our deeper instinct and intuition. We ignore fatigue and red flags. If a project you’re doing is starting to feel like a chore, if it’s not lighting you up, if it’s feeling like you’re working for someone else — even though you’re supposedly working for yourself, then you need to lay your burden down and put your energy where it will grow and create a return for you.
When you focus on your true strengths and you follow your enthusiasm, you generate the momentum that is essential for getting good stuff out the door, and sustaining your self through the adversities of creativity and business.
I rarely push myself. I always focus. And that’s made all the difference in getting to where I want to be.
What is the biggest mental roadblock you had to overcome on your road to becoming a successful entrepreneur? Mine was simply, that it can be done. I didn’t fully believe I could ever support myself without a “real job”, until suddenly I was.
I used to think in order to be a robust and enlightened entrepreneur that I needed to collaborate with people who saw the world differently than I did — that diversity of paradigms made things stronger. Big wrong. As a solopreneur and artist, it’s critical that I collaborate with people who approach business that same way I do. And once we’re on the same page in terms core values, then it all becomes about diversity of skills and strengths.
What is the absolute best thing you can think of about living the “entrepreneurial dream”? For me it’s personal freedom, but I’d love to hear your take.
I’m so free it makes my giddy. Sovereign. Righteous…Free. I play with people I respect and adore. I strategize on the beach. I pull all-nighters if I’m inspired. I nap. I serve in a way that feeds my soul. Free.
Liz- Successful-Blog.com @LizStrauss
People visit her blog to learn, swap strategies, and meet each other. She’s been called a thought provoker, an über connector, an idea machine. No one questions that what she brings is one-of-a-kind authenticity.
Strategic, intelligent, and nice is a powerful combination.
What is your best advice for soldiering on as an entrepreneur, in the face of mind-numbing adversity? (Personal or business adversity) I ask this one because I’ve been struggling with it a bit lately, and I’m certain many entrepreneurs do at some point.
Sometime in your life you have been successful, mostly because it never crossed your mind to fail. It might have been when you finished high school or university. It might have been when you learned to read … the point is that part of being successful is that we’re sure, actually determined to make our goal.
When roadblocks or obstacles show up, we just move them out of the way. It never crosses our mind to turn back because we see ourselves already at the end with that diploma or that skill set. So my advice is be in with all you have … be determined. Decide (as in “kill off all other options”) that you’re going to do this and you will.
Anything less and you’re secretly planning to fail.
What is the biggest mental roadblock you had to overcome on your road to becoming a successful entrepreneur? Mine was simply, that it can be done. I didn’t fully believe I could ever support myself without a “real job”, until suddenly I was.
I so love what I do. I can’t NOT do it. I truly WANT to give it away. It’s not that I don’t know the value of what I do. It’s that I find it boring to work on problems that are centered around me. What got me to reach the “escape velocity” that my dear friend, Chris Brogan describes was finding two great partners who found what I do useful and who turned my value proposition into a puzzle to solve. It became fun to make my own business model a case study to work on with them by my side. We found ways to trade on our skills that meant we all grew from every conversation and our businesses did too.
What is the absolute best thing you can think of about living the “entrepreneurial dream”? For me it’s personal freedom, but I’d love to hear your take.
We all grew up fitting ourselves into someone else’s job, becoming leaders on someone else’s path. Now we have this incredible opportunity to be leaders on our paths. We can not only grow a business, but grow as human beings at the same time. I feel fairly certain that it’s the way that we get to be the person that we were meant to be.
Very lucky those of us who even get that chance.
Matt- NicheWisdom.com @MattLevenhagen
I have always been attracted to running my own businesses because I LOVED the idea of ZERO limits to my income. When you work for yourself, there is no one there to build a ceiling for your income.
I also love the freedom it gives me in terms of time. I work when I want. I take breaks when I want. I can drop everything to go do something with my family and friends. I set my own hours… I don’t even use an alarm clock! I get up when I get up!
Matt is also founder of XtremeProfits.com a very profitable membership site where he teaches others how to succeed just as he has.
What is your best advice for soldiering on as an entrepreneur, in the face of mind-numbing adversity? (Personal or business adversity) I ask this one because I’ve been struggling with it a bit lately, and I’m certain many entrepreneurs do at some point.
Being an entrepreneur can certainly have it’s good days and bad days. I believe a big difference between someone that gives up at some point and those that keep pushing forward, is having a clear VISION and PURPOSE for one’s life and business.
But not just a vague, wishy-washy vision and purpose.. you must want it badly enough!! You must hold something in your minds eye that you can get really enthusiastic about and passionate about.
AND for those that already are running a business full-time and have achieved.. but need to find the juice to keep the motor running, then comes down to envisioning what will happen IF you DON’T keep going; fearing it completely.
Like for me, if I fail to keep going, I have developed a picture of myself in my mind having to hunt for a job, work for someone else.. etc, etc.. and it’s ugly! Having to give up the lifestyle I’ve created for myself… THAT is what keeps me going; protecting what I worked so hard to gain.
And I think that is what motivates and keeps every successful entrepreneur and business person going.. the difference is vision and purpose.
What is the biggest mental roadblock you had to overcome on your road to becoming a successful entrepreneur? Mine was simply, that it can be done. I didn’t fully believe I could ever support myself without a “real job”, until suddenly I was.
I wasn’t sure in the beginning if it was truly possible that I could do this full-time, but I did make a little affiliate money right away so I knew there was potential…
…but my real mental roadblock was figuring out which thing to focus on. I remember in the beginning I tried a lot of stuff; I was scattered and trying to find the magic bullet.. chasing with the herd.
And one day finally realizing if I was going to make this work, I needed to FOCUS my energy at one thing. Once I did that and became a specialist, put everything else out of my mind, learned how to not get distracted, it all began to gel and I finally made what I needed to go full-time online and replace my offline income.
What is the absolute best thing you can think of about living the “entrepreneurial dream”? For me it’s personal freedom, but I’d love to hear your take.
Freedom is it for me too. Money’s, money.. right? You can make money at a lot of things. But you can’t make your own hours at a lot of things. Or get up when you want to, work when you want to, take a break when you want to, vacation when you want to…
I don’t have to drive anywhere and deal with traffic. I don’t have to deal with office politics, bump heads with co-workers or meet someone else’s deadlines.. or make someone else rich.
Waking up every morning being my own boss, doing my own thing and building it for ‘me’ and not someone else.. that’s a great dream to be living!
Darren- ProBlogger.net @ProBlogger
What is your best advice for soldiering on as an entrepreneur, in the face of mind-numbing adversity? (Personal or business adversity) I ask this one because I’ve been struggling with it a bit lately, and I’m certain many entrepreneurs do at some point.
I’m not sure that this is ‘the’ answer – but for me one of the things that helps me keep on keeping on is simply doing something that matters.
In everything that I do I’m attempting to make the world a bit better both directly (for me its about helping my readers improve their lives by giving them good information) but also indirectly (one of my main motivations is to build a business that is profitable so that I’m able to use some of that income to help others). I find both of these things incredibly motivating and while there are tough times it is often these things that pull me through.
What is the biggest mental roadblock you had to overcome on your road to becoming a successful entrepreneur? Mine was simply, that it can be done. I didn’t fully believe I could ever support myself without a “real job”, until suddenly I was.
One that I’m currently going through reaching my capacity. Until about a year ago I was able to keep things running in my business largely by myself. It was a juggling act at times but I was happy to be a bit of a one man band and things worked pretty well that way. However there came a time where I couldn’t keep things going alone.
I’ve experimented with a variety of ways of growing beyond myself (outsourcing, crowd-sourcing, contracting and employing) but to this point have not quite found the right mix… yet.
It’s partly a logistical roadblock but also partly mental – moving from a one person operation to a company with multiple people is something that can be hard to get your head around.
What is the absolute best thing you can think of about living the “entrepreneurial dream”? For me it’s personal freedom, but I’d love to hear your take. 🙂
It’s just who I am. Since I was a young boy I naturally was drawn to entrepreneurial activity. I was a regular on the doorsteps of my neighbours presenting them with opportunities to buy all manner of things, I spotted opportunities to sell different products to class mates and would lay in bed at night dreaming of the businesses I could start and grow.
So for me the best thing about this life I’m living is that it just feels right – it’s a fit, I enjoy it and love that I’m fortunate enough to be in a position to follow my dreams.
Glen- ViperChill.com @ViperChill
What is your best advice for soldiering on as an entrepreneur, in the face of mind-numbing adversity? (Personal or business adversity) I ask this one because I’ve been struggling with it a bit lately, and I’m certain many entrepreneurs do at some point.
Have a clear focus for what you’re hoping to achieve and find people who managed to overcome the same struggles you’re currently facing. It was easy for me to stay motivated to make it on my own when all I had was a low-paying job and a college course I hated. Focus on what you’re trying to achieve, rather than the things you don’t like or aren’t working out.
What is the biggest mental roadblock you had to overcome on your road to becoming a successful entrepreneur? Mine was simply, that it can be done. I didn’t fully believe I could ever support myself without a “real job”, until suddenly I was.
I think the biggest mental block for me was to accept that this path simply won’t appeal to everyone. I think that when I started out, if I had someone close to me who was also trying to achieve success online, I would have made a lot more money, or at least been able to work for myself much earlier.
It was surprisingly hard to ignore my friends who advised me to stay in college and focus on getting a “real job” rather than continuing to follow my dreams. I’m glad I did ignore them though.
What is the absolute best thing you can think of about living the “entrepreneurial dream”? For me it’s personal freedom, but I’d love to hear your take.
For me I would agree with you: Freedom. I get to work the hours I want, on the days I want, and on projects I choose. It almost makes me feel like I’m bragging when I type that, but the feeling is amazing. Last month I had to work in an office for a day, and I absolutely hated it. It reminded me how fortunate I am and I was quite surprised at how difficult I found it.
Yaro- Entrepreneurs-Journey.com @YaroStarak
Yaro is also creator and owner of BlogMastermind.com, where he teaches how to be the best blogger you can be and find success online.
What is your best advice for soldiering on as an entrepreneur, in the face of mind-numbing adversity? (Personal or business adversity) I ask this one because I’ve been struggling with it a bit lately, and I’m certain many entrepreneurs do at some point.
The key is to keep focused on actions – some kind of action towards completing the most important task each day. I recommend you focus on celebrating each little success and try and get at least two hours of productive work done every day at the start of the day, before you check your email or browse the web.
What is the biggest mental roadblock you had to overcome on your road to becoming a successful entrepreneur? Mine was simply, that it can be done. I didn’t fully believe I could ever support myself without a “real job”, until suddenly I was.
For me the biggest roadblock was belief in any outcome that I had yet to experience. One of the first goals I wanted to achieve, which to be honest felt like a pipe dream, was to make $1,000 a day. At the time I was struggling to make $500 a week, so it was a very far away goal. A few years ago I reached my goal. It came to me slowly without me realizing I had met it, but once I did I felt that I could really experience anything I put focused energy towards.
What is the absolute best thing you can think of about living the “entrepreneurial dream”? For me it’s personal freedom, but I’d love to hear your take. 🙂
The best thing is freedom of choice. I’ve never had a full time job in my life and avoiding the 9 to 5 has been the single most powerful motivation I’ve ever had to run a business. I love that I choose how my days go – which sometimes includes lots of work – but only ever on my terms. This includes traveling when I want to, for as long as I want, or staying at home and focusing on friends and family with a little work thrown in.
Lisa- OutSpokenMedia.com @LisaBarone
What is your best advice for soldiering on as an entrepreneur, in the face of mind-numbing adversity? (Personal or business adversity) I ask this one because I’ve been struggling with it a bit lately, and I’m certain many entrepreneurs do at some point.
Don’t listen to stupid people and remember why you started down this path.
As soon as things get hard, maybe even before they do, people are going to tell you that you’re crazy for staying with this “entrepreneur thing”. They’re going to tell you to hurry up and to get a job like everyone else. They’re going to try and “save you” by placing you back on a path of mediocrity. Don’t listen to these people.
They don’t know anything about you, your hunger, or what motivated you to begin with. They don’t know anything about creating their own future. As the super smart Naomi Dunford recently said, your loudest detractors are the ones with the most invested in the status quo. Who cares what they think? They’ve chosen to be average. You trust yourself and what you know you can do.
What is the biggest mental roadblock you had to overcome on your road to becoming a successful entrepreneur? Mine was simply, that it can be done. I didn’t fully believe I could ever support myself without a “real job”, until suddenly I was.
I think I’m right there with you. When you’re starting out it’s hard to accept that even though you work out of our house, in your pajamas, that you have a “real job”. And when you believe that (or…don’t believe it) it affects your business. You don’t take yourself seriously, you don’t take your work seriously and you almost feel guilty for being able to profit off your talents.
You don’t fully commit to what you’re doing because you’re waiting for the “sham” to be up and the day you’ll have to join the rest of the workforce. That was something I definitely struggled with when we first formed Outspoken Media. The idea that I had value, that I had a job, and that I could support myself doing solely this was something I had to learn to trust. But once you do trust that, you become really dangerous. The world opens up for you.
What is the absolute best thing you can think of about living the “entrepreneurial dream”? For me it’s personal freedom, but I’d love to hear your take. 🙂
The best thing for me has been the professional freedom. I’ve said this in interviews before, but as someone who spends her day blogging and interacting with people, it’s nice to be able to do that as Lisa and not worry about what a boss or supervisor may say about the conversations I choose to start.
I like to live on the edge of topics and sometimes that can get a little controversial for some people. I’m okay with that and I trust my audience to be okay with it too. For me, that’s created an authority and an ‘outspokenness’ that I never had professionally before.
Hesham- FamousBloggers.net @Hishaman
What is your best advice for soldiering on as an entrepreneur, in the face of mind-numbing adversity? (Personal or business adversity) I ask this one because I’ve been struggling with it a bit lately, and I’m certain many entrepreneurs do at some point.
Inside each one of us there is a complete world, my advice is to discover yourself before trying to discover what’s out there. I think entrepreneurs must know themselves, their inner powers and abilities, and what they really want, then the next steps are much easier.
What is the biggest mental roadblock you had to overcome on your road to becoming a successful entrepreneur? Mine was simply, that it can be done. I didn’t fully believe I could ever support myself without a “real job”, until suddenly I was.
My simple one word answer to this would be Time. I see Time as a Big main challenge. In today’s market you can clearly see that Time beat Quality.
What is the absolute best thing you can think of about living the “entrepreneurial dream”? For me it’s personal freedom, but I’d love to hear your take. 🙂
Personal freedom is one of the most driving reasons for living the entrepreneurial dream, I will add to this that in some cases -like mine- we are forced to leave our full time job behind, this happened when I had to move to another country, and to be honest, I am in love with my entrepreneurial life.
Sarah- SarahProut.com @SarahProut
What is your best advice for soldiering on as an entrepreneur, in the face of mind-numbing adversity? (Personal or business adversity) I ask this one because I’ve been struggling with it a bit lately, and I’m certain many entrepreneurs do at some point.
The best advice I could offer is that you stay true to your vision as an entrepreneur. If you’re not loving what you’re doing then it might be time to move onto another idea. I’m a strong believer that our emotions are guiding the direction we should head in. If you’re feeling crummy about something then that’s a good indication to tweak the process a little bit somehow. And also, self-belief is a huge issue as an entrepreneur. The important thing to remember is to focus on what you love to do.
What is the biggest mental roadblock you had to overcome on your road to becoming a successful entrepreneur? Mine was simply, that it can be done. I didn’t fully believe I could ever support myself without a “real job”, until suddenly I was.
I still have mental roadblocks all the time! I think that’s just part of the natural creative process. There seems to always be a breakdown before a breakthrough. The biggest concern is consistency of income but somehow (through the magic of the Universe) it’s always fine and everything works out for the best. Try not to fuel concern or worry. Just pay attention to what you do want.
Corbett- ThinkTraffic.net @ThinkTraffic
Corbett also runs the wildly popular blog FreePursuits.com, where he talks about working for yourself and living the life you want.
What is your best advice for soldiering on as an entrepreneur, in the face of mind-numbing adversity? (Personal or business adversity) I ask this one because I’ve been struggling with it a bit lately, and I’m certain many entrepreneurs do at some point.
As an entrepreneur, longevity is something you should strive for. You have to commit to doing whatever it takes to succeed, but without committing to one single idea, or path or even business. Commit to yourself that you’re an entrepreneur for the long-haul, and realize that it might take years to build a successful business. That long-term view will help get you through the failures and road blocks along the way.
What is the biggest mental roadblock you had to overcome on your road to becoming a successful entrepreneur? Mine was simply, that it can be done. I didn’t fully believe I could ever support myself without a “real job”, until suddenly I was.
My biggest mental obstacle in building a successful business was probably self doubt. Entrepreneurship is an emotional roller coaster. One day you’re on the cusp of ruling the world, and the next you’re days from becoming homeless. It isn’t really all that dramatic, but that’s what went on in my head. It took gaining some small successes before I could start to see the reality and feel more even. From there, success started building on itself.
What is the absolute best thing you can think of about living the “entrepreneurial dream”? For me it’s personal freedom, but I’d love to hear your take. 🙂
For me, the best part of being an entrepreneur is the fulfillment I get from doing what I love for a living and being solely responsible for my future. It’s an incomparable feeling.
Johnny- JohnnyBTruant.com @JohnnyBTruant
What I do doesn’t make sense. I don’t do internet marketing correctly at all, and my search engine stats are terrible. I don’t write about the things that make me money. I don’t have a big email list, and I don’t contact the list I do have often enough, or in the right way. I’ve never spent a dime on advertising. I swear too much and never, ever act “professional.”
And in nine months, I went from literally having never made a cent online to making five figures a month.
What is your best advice for soldiering on as an entrepreneur, in the face of mind-numbing adversity? (Personal or business adversity) I ask this one because I’ve been struggling with it a bit lately, and I’m certain many entrepreneurs do at some point.
You just have to do it. You just have to keep soldiering on in the face of adversity. There’s really no secret there, but the people who make it are those who keep going, even when they can’t see a light at the end of the tunnel.
What is the biggest mental roadblock you had to overcome on your road to becoming a successful entrepreneur? Mine was simply, that it can be done. I didn’t fully believe I could ever support myself without a “real job”, until suddenly I was.
Two things: First that there is just so much to learn. When you first start and you know nothing, you feel like a total idiot at times, but if you work hard enough and long enough, the results will come. Second, a weird thing happens with time when you’re on the Internet.
Often I’ll send an email in the morning and by the afternoon I’m wondering why the hell they haven’t answered me until I realize I haven’t really given them enough time to respond. Time moves at a different pace when you’re starting something new and you’re on your own. It seems like you’re working your ass off and not seeing any results. It takes faith until things start to happen.
What is the absolute best thing you can think of about living the “entrepreneurial dream”? For me it’s personal freedom, but I’d love to hear your take. 🙂
Totally agree. The best thing for me is freedom to do what I want, when I want, with the people I care about around me. It’s not about the money and material things, but it used to kind of be money when I first got started. I thought it would be awesome to have loads of cash, but when I went to a movie in the middle of the day with my wife and son when everyone else was at work, I realized it really was about the personal freedom that I have to do what I want, when I want.
John- JohnPaulAguiar.com @JohnAguiar
I am a Blogging Internet Entrepreneur that works with SEO, PPC and Social Media Marketing, Mentoring.
I’m also the #1 Uncle in the world! “That’s what my nephew says anyway”
What is your best advice for soldiering on as an entrepreneur, in the face of mind-numbing adversity? (Personal or business adversity) I ask this one because I’ve been struggling with it a bit lately, and I’m certain many entrepreneurs do at some point.
I been through a few issues on my entrepreneur journey, both personal and business.
As far as personal, I think family and your health is priority, but at the same time, you need to continue on your journey to reach your goals with your business. During adversity, I think the best thing you can do is keep at it, work when you can, even if you only have 1 hour a day, make it the most productive hour you can.
For business adversity, I think the same applies, just keep working, the goal is to continue going forward each day even if it is small step. Once you stop working and moving forward, that’s when your business will suffer. For me my adversity came from not having the resources to do things I wanted in my business, so best thing you can do is rethink, find different ways to get results, read, learn. There are many ways to get the same results you want, you just have to rethink and take action and text.
What is the biggest mental roadblock you had to overcome on your road to becoming a successful entrepreneur? Mine was simply, that it can be done. I didn’t fully believe I could ever support myself without a “real job”, until suddenly I was.
For me, it was information overload..having all this information, but not acting on it, afraid of failure. When I started my funds were low, so any new marketing or idea that took money made it hard to jump and take action, with fear of failing and losing that money.
I really don’t remember what or when I overcame this, but I know I read a lot, and when you read people telling you to take action enough, you start to take action lol.
You need to get your head to a point that says, I can fail from not trying, or I can maybe fail from taking action.
What is the absolute best thing you can think of about living the “entrepreneurial dream”? For me it’s personal freedom, but I’d love to hear your take. 🙂
I have to say freedom, the ability to do what I want when I want is something I wish more people felt. I had a Kidney Transplant in 2002.
Also when you’re an entrepreneur, you can work 60 hrs a week and not even blink or care, when you luv what you do, and you’re doing it for you, work isn’t work.
Another benefit that I never thought about, but have enjoyed, is all the other entrepreneurs I meet online every day, being able to talk to other people who are doing what I do and get it, is awesome.
TeeVee- TeeVeeAgguire.com @TeeVee2
What is your best advice for soldiering on as an entrepreneur, in the face of mind-numbing adversity? (Personal or business adversity) I ask this one because I’ve been struggling with it a bit lately, and I’m certain many entrepreneurs do at some point.
What has helped me is having a core group of friends that are also entrepreneurs and on the same journey as I am. I have family and friends that support me, but what has helped me the most are those folks that I can truly unload all my stuff on and they will understand my gibberish. I feel that they can truly relate to what I am going through and offer their suggestions to keep my head up and push through.
What is the biggest mental roadblock you had to overcome on your road to becoming a successful entrepreneur? Mine was simply, that it can be done. I didn’t fully believe I could ever support myself without a “real job”, until suddenly I was.
My biggest mental block at the beginning (and to some extent now) is that I have anything of value that someone would pay me for. It was AHA came when I truly realized that I am an “expert” in several topics. Then realizing that someone would gladly pay me to pass along my expertise was mind blowing. I imagine that a lot of people that get into any type of business online have trouble accepting this idea because we are so accustomed to just showing up to work, punching in, and picking up a check. It was tough for me to accept this until I surrounded myself with others that were already doing this. In fact I was the only one that had a “real job”… so the peer pressure was intense.
What is the absolute best thing you can think of about living the “entrepreneurial dream”? For me it’s personal freedom, but I’d love to hear your take. 🙂
FREEDOM to live my life on my terms has to be the mostest bestest thing about my life now. I am doing all those things that I have always said I wanted to do. Boxing. Salsa dancing. Improv. Yoga. Take care of my body. Jump off a plane. Mentor. Love life and not curse waking up every morning because I had to go to work. To think that I can now give back to my community and give hope to those that see none is extremely gratifying. But the BIGGEST payoff for me in having my freedom has been that I now am able to be a better father.
Teevee also runs the show at VisuallyVerbal.com, BestEbookCoverDesign.com, and BuildAWebsite.MyV2M.com. Whew… Teevee are you exhausted yet?!
Erika- RedHeadWriting.com @RedHeadWriting
What is your best advice for soldiering on as an entrepreneur, in the face of mind-numbing adversity? (Personal or business adversity) I ask this one because I’ve been struggling with it a bit lately, and I’m certain many entrepreneurs do at some point.
If the adversity is mind-numbing, you need to ditch the source of the adversity. A numb mind isn’t productive for being your best self in business…or anywhere, really. I suggest getting a few “front stabbers” in your life – people who will tell you how it is, any time of the day or year and to your face. People you can trust. Lay it down for them and let them help you decide what you should pick back up and leave behind.
What is the biggest mental roadblock you had to overcome on your road to becoming a successful entrepreneur? Mine was simply, that it can be done. I didn’t fully believe I could ever support myself without a “real job”, until suddenly I was.
Mine? That this is a j-o-b. I think Carol Roth says it best – if you have a “jobby” (a hobby disguised as a job), it ain’t a job. You need to treat yourself like a client, serve your self FIRST each day and do some serious legwork. Jonathan Fields talks about creating the avatar for your target demographic – who they are, their pain points, what they value. I add to that by saying you should ask yourself HOW you want to be unpopular. After all, if you’re serving everyone, you’re serving no one (an unpopular doesn’t mean unlikable). And then ask yourself about the four P’s: passion, pricing, process and profitability – four key elements you need to bring into any business.
What is the absolute best thing you can think of about living the “entrepreneurial dream”? For me it’s personal freedom, but I’d love to hear your take. 🙂
It’s simple: that I’m the one who built my business. My relationships. My achievements. Everything I have I earned and didn’t rely on a company to provide. I went out and got every piece of business – and once I had it, it was up to me to keep it. So it’s kind of a package. How I feel every day about owning my own business: you know how things are…wouldn’t you LIKE for them to be another way – one that makes you wake up every day jazzed to do it all again? That’s MY prize.
There you have it BGB’ers… straight from the horse’s yappers. (Interviewees please forgive me for calling you a horse! 😉 ) So how about you? How do YOU handle personal and business adversity as an entrepreneur? What are YOUR mental roadblocks? What’s the best thing about being an entrepreneur to YOU? Drop your thoughts in the comments below! And if you’d like to download the PDF version of this post, feel free. You can also distribute it to anyone you think would be inspired, but please don’t change it or republish any of the content without my permission. 😉
Warmest
