The Entrepreneurial Journey: What have you done for an Entrepreneur lately?

 Jeff Bezos (1999) in Amazon.com HeadQuarters

In Life and Business, we all take different journeys or paths to where we are today.  For most people, that journey is a rocky one. For Entrepreneurs, the journey is a roller-coaster ride with many, many ups and downs. If this is something that doesn't interest you or scares you, don't be an Entrepreneur because it is probably not your calling or passion. A lot about entrepreneurship is counterintuitive.  And when I say counterintuitive, this means the outcome is not expected.  A great example that happens to most Entrepreneurs concerns your support network. Many Entrepreneurs will find out at the beginning of the venture that many people may want you to fail, this includes your close friends, family, relatives, and former colleagues.  Maybe, it could be that they are jealous or they just don't understand what entrepreneurship is all about.  Sometimes, it hurts you that this person who wants you to fail is your wife/husband, girlfriend/boyfriend, your best friend, or even a close mentor.  Think about it Entrepreneurs are humans too and we have feelings. Entrepreneurs are also the economic engines of the economy so they deserve more respect than is usually given.

The inspiration for this article was one of our Twitter followers and a fellow Entrepreneur, Fred Blumenberg, with the Twitter handle @TheRealFredLee.  He posed this question as his pinned Tweet, "Has this happened to you?"  He made the statement below to some other Twitter power users about support in life and entrepreneurship (SEE BELOW).

To be honest, Entrepreneurs don't really get much respect and are often misunderstood. This is why you have to have a thick-skin to criticism and understand how to filter out feedback.  All feedback will not be positive or even helpful as an Entrepreneur. Normally, the only other person that may understand your situation or feelings is a fellow Entrepreneur.  One of our other Twitter followers with the handle @ryantnt stated succinctly what entrepreneurs endure.

In the link below is another example of individuals going through the Entrepreneurial Journey.  This in the sense that they were disrespected, ignored, told that they were crazy, and basically laughed at by everyone.  As confident Entrepreneurs, they got the last laugh when you look at their Facebook and Bitcoin fortune.  Tyler Winklevoss said in an interview, "We've turned that laughter and ridicule into oxygen and wind at our back."

How the Winklevoss Twins Found Vindication in a Bitcoin Fortune

The BIG question for you is this.  How have you as a wife/husband, girlfriend/boyfriend, BFF, VC, Mentor, Entrepreneur, Banker, or a member of the Media supported an Entrepreneur lately?  It reminds me of that Janet Jackson song by a similar title, "What have you done for me lately?"  Yes, I grew up during the 80's and 90's so I remember this Janet Jackson song.  Most Entrepreneurs are already thick-skinned, positive and very focused on achieving their passion.  But with a positive, supporting network, the Entrepreneurial Journey will have less downs and more ups.  So go back to this question when thinking about entrepreneurship.  

What have you done for an Entrepreneur (me) lately?