This entrepreneurship journey has been wild….
Nobody tells you that when you become an entrepreneur you are suddenly the I.T guy, the HR lady, the tired accountant, and the overwhelmed operations manager (TRYING to keep things organized). You are also the lead consultant/subject matter expert, the sales leader, the project manager, the financier, AND the overzealous and creative visionary. You literarily go from knowing how to do 1 JOB (subject matter expert) to doing 6-7 jobs you don’t really know how to do that well…..It’s like going to your office and saying to your entire team, “don’t worry I'll do ALL your work for little to NO money” 😂…… Like everything in adulthood, this also seems scammy!
I don’t know that I always wanted to be an entrepreneur. Actually, I know I didn’t want to be one, BUT as my brain and my life would have it, I am one. I say my brain because I’m pretty sure I have ADHD however I'm choosing to look at the positive side of things. Research tells us that people with ADHD are 300% more likely to be entrepreneurs. Something about having multiple thought processes going at the same time allows them to easily wear multiple hats. When you combine that with their short-term memory issues, they often forget that they have overcommitted themselves anyways hahhhah - it’s not funny, it's just my life lol…..what was I saying?? Oh yea, that being an entrepreneur just happened to me. It was almost inevitable because both my parents are entrepreneurs, both my brothers as well, I guess we are just a family of creative doers.
Although I am creative, capable, passionate, and literarily went to school for entrepreneurship, I sometimes HATE being an entrepreneur. It’s tedious and it’s mentally, emotionally, and physically draining. Being an entrepreneur in 2022 also looks like dancing on the internet for clients 🙃🙃. Nobody tells you how lonely and sometimes isolating it can be, nobody tells you that sometimes you are FILLED with crippling doubt because you don’t know if a decision you are about to make for your business will actually pay off. Nobody tells you about making money in your “off-season”, and nobody tells you that you might have “off-seasons” (pssst…. No one cares about their career in the summer). I find myself asking questions like “Do I take a break when my clients/business naturally takes a break?” Well, you have business bills that don’t know about your off-season so maybe not….But maybe it could be an opportunity to take on some corporate clients? Well, yea but they might draw out discussions until September when you NOW have your busy season….Who the hell knows what to do?
Don’t even get me started on hiring LOL….., guys I started my career as a recruiter like it was my ENTIRE job to hire people, and when I tell you hiring for my business has been a rollercoaster 😂😂😂. I had one girl in interviews who told me that I should change the name of my business based on her “research”; I had maybe 2 people who no-showed in interviews. I finally hired an AMAZING intern at the tail end of last year, great personality, great work ethic, and FANTASTIC skillset…y’all she GHOSTED me!!! after 2 months of working for me. Like she didn’t answer my email, Whatsapps, phone calls, Instagram, and LinkedIn DMs just nothing 😂😂. I can laugh about it now because I went on to hire someone else but wow that was a tough time.
What about time management? My specific brand of entrepreneurship is the “Side Hustle” and it requires NEXT level coordination. Before we dive into time management, I just wanted to speak on this idea of the Side Hustle…. So many people in the entrepreneurship community don’t count side hustlers as entrepreneurs because they have not quit their job to pursue entrepreneurship full time and to that, I say taaaaa (ta, means shame on you lol). Just because I choose to do it on the side, does not mean I am not doing it. I personally believe in building my business as well as building my career, like I’m 30 fogossake, I don’t want to do 1 thing for the rest of my life, I want to explore, and building both avenues allows me to. I also believe in getting consistent income! Business is RISKYYYY, I don’t want to be stressed about paying my rent, so sue me for wanting guaranteed income. NOTHING in business is guaranteed ohhhhhh, all these people making 6 or 7 figures as entrepreneurs, ask them if it comes in consistently. I like predictability with my finances ABEG. I know some entrepreneurs are going to fight me on this one and yes I know “TeChniCALly YoR InComE cAN Be ConSISTent” but it requires a level of planning that I just don’t have right now **laughs in ADHD** anyways I digress, time management is the BANE of my existence. Between my calendars, productivity tools, and energy levels I still find myself frantically writing down content ideas at 10:15 pm on a Sunday night…..please tell me I’m not the only one. I haven’t figured it out completely because it’s seasonal but maybe I will one day.
Lastly, let’s talk about impact! I know, that I know, that I know that I was born to influence and impact the nations, it’s quite literarily my purpose, and that’s why I keep going. Sometimes I lose sight of it in this entrepreneurship journey,( I mean I just spent this whole blog complaining) but honestly knowing that I’m impacting people’s lives keeps me grounded and keeps me going. If you are thinking about entrepreneurship, I would recommend that you have a STRONG “Why”, and a strong motivation for why you are doing this….are you trying to create generational wealth so your family doesn’t just survive but thrive? are you trying to impact a nation? are you solving a problem that personally affects you? Are you called to it? Whatever the reason, spend time cultivating that “why" write it down - Habakkuk 2:2 says to write the vision down and make it plain, this is what keeps you going. My “Why” is a combination of statistics and empathy. I do this work as a career coach because according to CERIC center for advancing career development in Canada, approximately 70% of Canadians experience career regret! Like they chose the wrong career/job out of fear, out of comfort, or based on their parents and they feel stuck! I also do this because according to “Designing your life” by Bill Burnett & Dave Evans 80% of people have NO defined passion whatsoever and the narrative “follow your passion” is unfair to most people and is a horrible way to coach someone through building a meaningful career. I do this because I speak to unhappy, unhealthy, overwhelmed people on a daily basis and they all say the same thing, their jobs are making them sad, sick, and tired. Spending 40-50hours out of your 112 waking hours a week in an environment you hate or is draining is no way to live. This is my “WHY”. I often say to myself, “who is counting on you to do your part, so they can live?”
ALL of that to say “become an entrepreneur, they said….it would be fun they said” well they are not wrong. It’s not always easy or exciting but it is WORTH it unless it’s not LOL, you be the judge of that. Learning to let things go that are no longer serving you is just as important as knowing when to double down to hit your goals.
FINALLY, finally, ** shameless plug** if you do need career advice, hit me up at fitdconsulting.com or follow my IG page at footinthedoor_consulting.
Bye for NOW
Ibiyemi