The Gritty Reality of Entrepreneurship

vatch vletto Dec 28, 2024
The Gritty Reality of Entrepreneurship

Starting your own business often seems glamorous from the outside. You see the success stories, the luxurious lifestyles, and hear tales of quick riches. But the truth, which I felt compelled to share after a recent conversation with one of my friends who is a creator, is starkly different.

 

“Believe you can and you’re halfway there.”

– Theodore Roosevelt

 

The Two-Year Itch

 
Recently, I celebrated my two-year anniversary of running my own business. Instead of feeling celebratory, I was overwhelmed with frustration and disappointment. I hadn’t hit my financial targets, and the constant comparison to others in the entrepreneurial space left me feeling like I was falling behind. 

Here’s what my friend told me:

The Myth of Overnight Success
 

Many in the entrepreneurial world paint a picture of instant success. Tales of making massive profits within the first few years, buying expensive cars, and jet-setting around the globe. But this is not the norm. 

 

For the vast majority, entrepreneurship is:

 
A Struggle: It’s a battle that can last 5 to 6 years before you see significant fruits of your labour. 
 
Unpredictable: There will be years where you might make less than the previous one.

 

 

The Real Entrepreneurial Spirit

 

Entrepreneurship isn’t about the fast cars or the freedom to work from anywhere. 

 

It’s Endurance. 

 

It’s about getting knocked down and choosing to stand up again because your “why” is stronger than your “why not.”

 

Isolation: Sometimes envying those with stable jobs, wondering if that path would be easier.

 

The Light at the End

 
But here’s the kicker – if you persist.
 
Invisible Progress: You’re building something behind the fog. All the small steps, the knowledge, the failures, they compound.
 
Breakthrough: There comes a moment when all that invisible work pays off dramatically. For my friend, this didn’t start until after five years when I began to see real, compounding progress.
 

Message to Aspiring Entrepreneurs

 
To myself, and to anyone reading this who feels like a failure because you’re not where you thought you’d be:
 
  • You’re Not Alone: Your situation is not unique; it’s the norm.
  • Keep Climbing: Even if you can’t see how far you’ve come or how far you have to go, keep moving.
  • Ignore the Noise: Don’t compare your journey to the embellished stories of others. Their path does not dictate yours.
 
The entrepreneurial journey is one of resilience, patience, and faith in your own process. It’s not about how quickly you get there, but that you keep going until you do. 
 
Remember, the struggle is part of the story. Keep pushing, and one day, the fog will lift.
 
This blog aims to provide a dose of reality to those romanticising entrepreneurship, offering solidarity to those in the thick of it, and hope for those who feel like they might never reach their peak. 
 
Keep climbing.
 

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