Entrepreneurship is fun. But it’s also a lot of work. And more often than not, the not-so-sexy parts of the job go unmentioned. Many outside the field imagine that our days are full of glamorous travel, parties and events, multi-million dollar pitch competitions and capital raises. But entrepreneurs know the tremendous amount of work, risk and responsibility that goes into building a successful business.
And what’s often captured in the media and sensationalized on TV is far from reality. We sacrifice nights, weekends, family gatherings and our social lives to make sure things get done right. Think about all the subtitles that come with being an entrepreneur. We are magicians – for magically coming up with cool ideas and figuring out how to get those ideas funded. We are problem solvers because we find solutions for every challenge we encounter. We are leaders who build teams, processes and products. We are negotiators who know how to make clients happy, close deals and understand the many contracts we must address.
Add to the list inventor, collaborator, relationship counselor, motivator, mediator, travel agent, bookkeeper, marketer, juggler, and my favorite, miracle worker, because when all else fails, we must be able to turn lemons into lemonade.
On any given day, I’m the CEO, marketing manager and janitor. I make strategic decisions about finance, product launch and client relationships. I also deal with accounting, budgets, contract negotiations, and HR issues. I simultaneously manage business development and client delivery. And at the end of the day, I’m still responsible for making sure the dishes are clean and the trash has been taken out.
It’s simultaneously exciting and mundane.
They say, on average, it takes about three to five years for a new business or start-up to reach stability. And now I can see why.
When I look back on the last couple of years, it’s thrilling to see how much growth has occurred. No amount of classroom preparation or work experience could ever have prepared me for the reality of starting a business. Quite simply put - you must do it to know it.
In hindsight, are there things I may have done differently? Sure. Are there different decisions I may have made? Sure. But, those have also been some of my greatest lessons learned.
As I enter year 3, I’m looking forward to delegating more. I’m also excited about taking risks and making decisions that get me closer to stability.