According to an entrepreneur there are two types of people in the world – Entrepreneurs and ‘The Others’, and the problem with ‘The Others’ is this:
“In the dream you came, and across the soft carpet of my reverie you walked. In hobnailed boots…”
This can resonate with an entrepreneur who has been misunderstood or maligned, because ‘The Others’ can accuse an entrepreneur of being selfish, obsessive, geeky, a little weird and focused to the point of cruelty.
The term ‘The Others’ grew out of a conversation I had with a friend and dedicated entrepreneur who, like most entrepreneurial men and women, believes that it is ‘The Others’ who need to ‘get the show’.
Entrepreneurs are capable of making great sacrifices to achieve their goals and compartmentalizing parts of their lives as an idea grabs them by the throat, in their quest to become cutting-edge creative pioneers. Inevitably, they often leave little mortals in their wake and are the driving force behind enterprise and innovation.
Now this could lead to some challenging conversations, especially if an important person in your life happens to be an entrepreneur. And I know because my dad was one. Consequently, my mother’s life was occasionally desperate, sometimes challenging, often highly glamorous, but never dull.
Unique and incomparable, an entrepreneur can overcome massive setbacks and “keep going through it all.” They are made of a special type of metal; flame-tempered steel that is cool to the touch, but to ‘the others’ is red hot. So don’t get too close or you’ll burn your fingers.
The entrepreneurial mind never really sleeps; there is hardly any left and even if he does he is alert to another idea, another opportunity that for the average person could be exhausting. An entrepreneur ‘sees’ opportunities that other people cannot. They ‘buy into’ ideas and concepts with a fervent enthusiasm that is unnerving to the average Joe Soap. For example, they will be the ones scribbling some notes on a napkin in a restaurant and then returning to headquarters to put another plan into action, before the person accompanying them has had time to eat the cheese and crackers.
Every once in a while, an entrepreneur can seem to doze off and not pay attention, until you’re forced to ask, “Did you even hear a word I said?” It’s nothing personal, sometimes they are literally on another planet.
My father’s entrepreneurial streak was always close by. I have memories of the whole family traveling halfway across the country just to have a picnic on a piece of land my dad had earmarked for commercial development. Once he even dropped me and my four younger sisters off at a children’s playground in Lisbon to have fun so he could attend a meeting.
He had an insatiable curiosity about everything, which he took to the extreme. She had an extension phone installed in every room of our house (even the downstairs cloakroom), so she wouldn’t miss a call.
Entrepreneurs define their lives by their own code and often ignore advice. For them, a mistake is a ‘learning experience’. They lavish admiration on anyone whose achievements dwarf their own, and seek to emulate those who move and shake their industry in a never-ending quest to improve and advance.
They look forward to the next experience, and soon tire of the predictable and the pedestrian. The further you progress, the greater your ambition and ability to live your life on your own terms.
Their inner strength and resourcefulness is a source of inspiration to the enlightened beings that exist on the perimeter, but to ‘The Others’, for example, anyone with no drive, ambition or courage at all, this could be perceived as selfish neglect. An entrepreneur is not prepared to leave the course of his life in the hands of anyone else. For them life is always a matter of “let’s make it happen!” or “what if?” or “how does that work?” and they are ready to wake up, step up, and demand more.
Sometimes the entrepreneurial gene can lie dormant for years and only kicks in through adversity, so it doesn’t have to be born that way.
It’s also the ultimate weapon for self-preservation, which is why a HUGE number of dyslexic entrepreneurs didn’t do well in school, but eventually did. It can also become a positive channel for criminal energy, which could otherwise lead to a prison sentence or self-destruction.
So, if you’re very close to an entrepreneur, here’s a tip, don’t trample or pour cold water on their ideas. They are a force of nature, a tidal wave, so catch the energy, enjoy the experience or stay away…