We live in a world without borders, so to speak. The world is getting flatter and our communication methods are getting more direct or indirect, depending on how you look at it. Everything around us is constantly changing and we spend most of our precious free time trying to catch up and tune in. I’ve never been so busy in my life and yet sometimes I feel like I have nothing to do, it’s a strange puzzle. Everyone has this pent up energy inside just waiting to burst out. It’s time to tame the beast and do what you love.
About 18 months ago, I decided to try starting my own company in my second year of college with a few friends. With a few internships under my belt, I felt pretty confident and thought, “How hard can this be?” The first thing I realized was that my formal education up to this point had in no way prepared me for the endeavor I had just undertaken. It was a combination of delight and fear combined into one nice package.
Thanks to this, I can now safely call myself an entrepreneur; though I’d say I’ve been alone all my life. It only gave me “authority” in the eyes of those who could make judgments, since this word is used too often. My whole life has been entrepreneurial; from how I look and ask questions to how I conduct business. The general definition of an entrepreneur is misleading. It’s not just someone who started his own business, but a way of thinking that dictates Everybody You doing.
A 9 to 5 work day is not what most people think they like. As an entrepreneur, I gave up the eight-hour day many years ago. The work I do is done when she does too. This means waking up at 4 am or staying awake until sunrise. As an entrepreneur, I would say that I easily work more than 40 hours a week and do not see myself in another job.
Now when I say work, I mean pleasure. I started my own company, so everything I do helps my child become stronger. While it’s not just fun and games, I work with the people I need, do what I love, and inspire others to do the same. It’s also a very enriching experience as I can easily say that I learned more by going out there and doing it myself than anything I could have learned in class.
So this is my calling to you to do what you are passionate about. As Steve Pavlina so eloquently put it: “Ready, shoot, aim.” There is no better time than now, so go ahead and do it!
Trace Cohen is the former director of marketing for Brand-Yourself.com.
