Become an Entrepreneur, "It will be Fun they said !!! "

I have never had so much fun in my life as being an entrepreneur and being the 'master of my destiny.' The adrenaline coarse's through your veins as you court customers and fend off fierce competition. You are driven to win, create something unique, something special and something that has your 'DNA' embedded into its very existence.

The freedom to create your future does come at a stiff price. Not having the security and predictability of belonging to the big corporate mothership means that every ripple in the market is amplified and you have to learn quickly to paddle, tread water or duck under the shockwaves as they grow in magnitude and frequency.

You get to surf many waves of different magnitudes and forces, but the one assurance you have is that you will never ride the same types of waves for long and over time you will become comfortable with being uncomfortable, or you will drown.

Start off in the shallow water, and have fun frolicking in the freedom of choice and deciding where and what you will pursue. It is quite acceptable to be dunked a few times as you start to learn to read the tides, the shifting currents and the quicksand. In every business, there is an ebb and flow that you have to be able to read, the tempo of the market and being able to adjust your 'go-to-market' and forecasts accordingly. Your products and services will need to be re-fined as the market shifts, and you have to anticipate and respond to business risks quickly.

Once you have mastered the basics, it is time to surf to the deeper water, where the waves are more powerful, and the rewards and thrill are even more exhilarating. But beware, in these deep waters lurk 'sharks.' As your business grows, the risks are more significant and are sometimes disguised as opportunities.

Once you ride a big wave, you crave the next one and many struggles to go back to a stable, more predictable lifestyle. An entrepreneur is always working, constantly networking and always searching for the 'fix' of the next big wave. The higher the risk, the greater the reward for putting your entire existence on the line as you pursue the ultimate thrill.

I have met many entrepreneurs who despise the choppy waters. They believe that life will calm down once they make a few million or build a sustainable product. A true entrepreneur will always search for that next big wave since it is the ride that is the natural attraction, not the result. They learn their lessons, grow stronger and aim toward the ultimate thrill.

Enjoy the ride, enjoy being terrified, embrace the fear and ride the wave to thrive another day. Towards the end of your life, you will look back at an entire life of success, failure and ups and downs and know that you did not play it safe but rode this wave called life.

Credit: Scot Oldford