Don’t Lie, You Didn’t Become An Entrepreneur To Save Kittens

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Admit it, you became an entrepreneur because you wanted to make money. We all did. But somewhere along the way, money became less important. The thought of starting something from scratch and building a lasting legacy was more enticing. The following are thoughts from my own entrepreneurial journey and my realization of the truth.

The Money Draw

The lure of being able to make millions drew me in at first. It seemed like entrepreneurs had a great lifestyle, great satisfaction when they go to work and also make a ton of money. I want that too. Who wouldn’t want to be able to buy the latest gadget? They also go around speaking about how they built a company that makes millions. That seems like a lot of fun. I’m in. How do I get started?

The Realization

Then the realization hits. It’s not a get rich quick scheme. It’s not even like winning the lottery. It’s about hard work, persistent efforts, and going against enormous odds. I had to make a decision. Would I continue down this entrepreneurial path knowing it will be an uphill battle or should I stick to my normal 9-5 day job with a guaranteed salary increase every year? I chose to see how deep the rabbit hole will go. I figured I could do both; do this on the side while maintaining a day job.

The Upward Journey

Months into the entrepreneurial path, I quickly got discouraged. I had started a consulting company but was not getting anywhere. I had no clients. I didn’t even have any leads. Worst of all, I didn’t know how to find them! I was persistent and I started meeting people at networking events. I started to tell them what my company does. Slowly, I’m gaining traction, but it wasn’t with my company. The traction I’m seeing is with myself. I start to be more relaxed at networking functions. I start to realize I “belong” with the other people in the room. I start to meet other like-minded people. I start to learn about internet marketing. I start to learn about building websites using WordPress. Most important of all- I start to learn what being an entrepreneur was all about; it’s about self improvement in all areas of life. Does this sound familiar?

Changing The World

I reached the conclusion that a company is only worth building if it will change the world in some way. Yes, it has to be profitable or else it will not last very long, but what the company does has to provide value to the people it serves – its customers. No longer was making money my primary motive in building a company (or even a website). It has to be about how I view the world and what I like to change about it. The company will make money only to support the vision I have about it, not the other way around.

For me, the best way to earn a living is my current 9-5  job. But as I said, it’s no longer about making money – it’s about changing the world. That’s why I am still an entrepreneur.

Why are you an entrepreneur? For money? In order to save kittens?