Entrepreneurship was more of a calling for me. I enjoy what I do. The idea was born after an unpleasant personal experience. I was in a situation where I could not resolve my issue as a consumer. So I had this service and product in mind that would provide a platform for consumers where they can freely voice their concerns and seek solutions. That's what I went towards, and that's how I became an entrepreneur. I just chose to provide extra service to the community that needed it. I found a niche that drove me to succeed and accomplish something in that niche. That was really to sacrifice my time and my efforts for that cause.
I became an entrepreneur when my twin daughters were 5 because I wanted more time with them. But, I have since realized -- and coined a term -- that what I really wanted was the Entrepreneur's Freedom Trifecta, which puts my thriving at the center. The Trifecta includes the following: Time freedom — This is the ability to do what you need to do for your life, family, and business and still have time left over for rest, pleasure, and joy. This means being available for your loved ones but also being able to work on the creative projects you want to work on. Pursuit of Meaning Freedom — This is the ability to do work that brings you most alive and to have the capacity and space to work on projects that light you up and bring meaning to your life. Identity Freedom — This is the prerogative to show up as yourself and be yourself. When you can say what you believe and not worry about the fallout of losing a client, you are experiencing identity freedom.
I have IT skills and knowledge, specifically in blogging and marketing, which I used to assist aspiring bloggers in their journey when I first started in 2015. Because blogging and WordPress were less common and advanced in the past compared to today, I wanted to use my knowledge so they could achieve their goals more easily. I began as a blogger and realized that there are many people who require assistance in blogging and other related areas. From then, I decided to launch a separate website and company, TheWPX, dedicated to assisting people in the same niches. As an entrepreneur, I am my own boss and am able help people in whatever way and to whatever extent I want, all while making money. At the same time, I have more flexibility and can make my own decisions on how I can make a difference and use my skills to help people solve their problems, as opposed to being an employee or a part of a larger company.
I have been a cannabis consumer for many years and was always frustrated by the false information surrounding it, therefore I chose to become an entrepreneur to destigmatize my industry. There are many misconceptions about cannabis, and just as many old stereotypes that linger about who consumes cannabis and for what reasons. Therefore, as an advocate for cannabis products, I was motivated to find new ways to provide accurate data, inform people of the benefits of its use, and to challenge the false beliefs and stereotypes that are placed on those who use cannabis. It was my frustration with these preconceived notions that made me want to challenge such outdated thinking and I knew the best way to do so was to enter the industry and is why I chose to become an entrepreneur.
Professional Keynote Speaker, Podcaster, Live Stream Host, and Autism Advocate at CrazyFitnessGuy
Answered 3 years ago
When I was younger my parents were told I wouldn't be able to walk without braces or crutches. They were also told I wouldn't be able to read higher than a second-grade level because I am Autistic. But that didn't stop there my parents were given a huge list of things I wouldn't be able to do. I have overcome nine ear surgeries, eight years of bullying, a school district failed attempt at special education, and I never had braces or crutches to help me walk. Furthermore, I am currently in college reading and writing at a college level. The reason why I became a motivational speaker and Autism advocate is that I wanted to shine hope for the Autism community. I also wanted to educate people about what it is like to be Autistic from my point of view. Everyone just focuses on the negative parts of Autism. Sure being Autistic is challenging, but what in life is not challenging? Getting help from insurance is hard, and managing my own business is challenging, but rewarding.
I chose to become an entrepreneur because 24 more years in a windowless office wasn't my plan. My coworkers were counting down the years until they could retire with their pensions and other benefits while staying late, skipping lunch, and squirreling away vacation days. Meanwhile, as a neurodivergent person, I'd spent most of my life trying to make an office job work for me and found it simply didn't. Becoming an entrepreneur allowed me to do my best work and to do it in ways that worked for me. I designed offers that allowed me to show up for my clients, solve problems, collaborate, and create in new ways. I shifted my schedule to prioritize myself and those I love. And I now have a business that makes my industry more accessible to entrepreneurs like me. I became an entrepreneur because my job is not a countdown to the life I want: It is the life I want.
I think anyone in the food industry is inherently rebellious, and regular cubicle jobs would kill us. That rebellious spirit is why so many cooks become entrepreneurs, be it through opening a restaurant or consulting or something creative like a blog. I do all three! I became an entrepreneur because I need to do something new every day, and must constantly be challenged in order to thrive. This mindset is a poor match for corporate life, but essential for entrepreneurship. So it ended up being a great fit!
A Stanford graduate and former educator, I left my career to scale my candle company because I love challenging myself and learning new things. Entrepreneurship has no cap on learning: there are always new skills to develop, new trainings to attend, new opportunities to step outside of my comfort zone. Being an entrepreneur is being a lifelong learner on steroids. It's a constant balancing act of maintaining laser-sharp focus on what your business goals are while also being up on new opportunities and rapidly changing tools. The daily challenges are all in the pursuit of something uniquely mine that I get to share unabashedly with the world - that is why I became an entrepreneur.
After 20 years climbing the corpoate ladder & achieving the office with a window, I discovered it wasn't as cool as I hoped. That's why I quit it all to call my own shots & design my lifestyle around travel. Now, I run my own business helping other business professionals acheive travel freedom while keeping their steady paychecks, using minimal (if any) PTO, and not waiting for retirement. I turned my passion for travel into a new career!
I was the kind of kid that was able to get straight A's while skipping class half the time. I went to school for pharmacy and passed without much effort. Even working as a pharmacist was boring, to say the least. There was no challenge after you got the hang of things and all you had to do was read up on new drugs occasionally. Not to mention, your salary after 20 years is uncomfortably close to your salary as a new pharmacist. Because of that, I was getting paid well but going crazy. But, as an entrepreneur, there's no limit to the upside potential in terms of salary. And, it's the most challenging thing I've done. I love it. I'm never done learning. If I become proficient in one aspect of the business, there are ten other aspects waiting for me.
To me, being an entrepreneur isn't about building and scaling a massive company. That is one way to make a lot of money, but you also get lots of headaches and demands on your time. I became an entrepreneur to become a balanced person where I could work hard, be creative, be me and have more agency over my priorities and how I spend my time. In 2018 I was frustrated by not having this type of balance in my life, so I built a side hustle while working full time and engineered my exit from corporate work. Now I host a growing podcast <https://www.careercloud.com/careercloud-radio> and teach people how to explore their way to work alignment.
There wasn't a role that incorporated all of the things that I loved, so I had to resort to having them as hobbies. However, I was so unhappy at my job that I quit without a plan or savings. I felt work was a place that got the most of my time and we all should spend time doing what we enjoy. I started my PR and production company Artiste House after I realized how much I enjoy amplifying the work of creatives and projects that directly impact my community. I would've never gotten the opportunity to lead such amazing projects while working for someone else, and I'm glad I took the jump.
Basically, I chose to become an entrepreneur because I wanted to stop living for the weekend. I had over a decade of experience doing what I love on the side- camping and writing about it- and it felt like the only way to truly live life on my own terms. I get to spend more time with my family, I do what I love every day- its a win win! It was only made possible by support from family and friends, hard work to lay a foundation before leaving my job, and using my day job as an opportunity to learn more about business.
I chose to become an entrepreneur because I wanted to have the freedom and flexibility to create something that I was truly passionate about and to have the opportunity to make a positive impact on the world. I also wanted to have the chance to be my own boss and take control of my own destiny.
Before I started my health and wellness business, I used to work in sales for a leading pharmaceutical company. The job wasn't that bad in terms of pay and benefits. However, the hours were absolutely terrible. I was hardly at home with my family, and I used to travel a lot across state lines. I felt overwhelmed, and I needed to break out of that routine. So, after postponing for a few years, I decided to start my own business. At least that way, I could choose my own hours, put in the work, and still manage to be home with my kids. The first few months were, of course, hard. But once the business gained traction, I found myself much free and more creative than I had ever been.
Work encompasses so much of our lives and gives us the opportunity to find out what we are made of, so I chose to be an entrepreneur because of the opportunity it gave me to define so much of who I am. Our businesses are more than just a way in which we earn income, it also provides us real opportunities to put ourselves through the test on so many levels from both a professional and personal standpoint. Whether it is facing the challenges of competition, economic conditions, or overcoming obstacles through innovation, no other endeavor gives us the opportunity to define ourselves like entrepreneurship. In addition, it also creates unique ways to gain human connections and build some of the most important relationships of our lives. For these reasons I chose to become an entrepreneur as and have been rewarded by learning something new about myself everyday.
When you constantly have ideas or vision for what could be made better, and you have a high enough tolerance of risk that you feel it's actually riskier to just be normal and follow the statu quo then it is to create something from nothing...then I don't think you have a choice in the matter...that means you're an entrepreneur.
My drive to become an entrepreneur developed when I realized my potential to think outside the box to create solutions. My passion for understanding problems and finding clever solutions to tackle them led me down the entrepreneurial path. My skills and entrepreneurial spirit have helped build eLocker into one of the most successful tech start-ups in recent years. My team and I have created a platform that encourages new and innovative ideas, promotes transparency, and allows us to make decisions that we feel are right for our business without taking unnecessary risks. Exploring innovative solutions and having the courage to take calculated risks have been essential to our success. This makes it essential that entrepreneurs are equipped with both elements: passion and decisiveness. This is why I pursued entrepreneurship as a career. It offers a place to follow my passions while aiming for success.
I chose to become an entrepreneur out of my desire for a life full of new experiences. My uncommon example is that I created a business plan not to make money, but because it was the best way for me to gain skills and knowledge in many different fields that I could apply beyond business. The process of creating and eventually launching my own product or service has been extremely difficult and challenging, yet rewarding as well as mentally stimulating. It also gives me the autonomy to decide when and how much I work, what type of tasks I focus on each day, which products or services I focus on creating, and with whom I collaborate or work. All these factors combined have led me to believe entrepreneurship is the right career road for me moving forward.
One of the advantages of being an entrepreneur is being able to not just come up with innovative solutions, but be a part of the evolution and change that helps facilitate processes, makes tasks easier or provide different ways that either shape or cater to consumer behavior. Being able to have that vision and be part of the process is such an exciting and rewarding feeling.