Being in love is great. Being in love with your business, when you’re an entrepreneur, is even better. Waking up each morning knowing you are getting to do exactly what you love is more than most people could ever say about any job they have had. Although there are days when tossing in your hat seems like a viable option, remembering how much you love your job can quickly snap an entrepreneur out of that mentality. Different business owners also have different reason why they love their business. It might be the products or the customers they deal with, or it could even be the fact that they are the ones in charge of it all. The reasons are as varied as the businesses themselves.
#1 – Scope of Learning
There's a lot to love about being an entrepreneurship but what I love most is the scope of learning. While I still enjoy writing code, once I stepped away from and embraced the many facets of entrepreneurship, I found that I was just as excited to learn about new things as I was when I was first starting school. To be successful in your own company requires a diverse knowledge that just isn't afforded to you in the age of hyper-specialization as someone else's employee.
Thanks to Mike Catania, PromotionCode!
#2 – Creating Things from Nothing
I created Bow Tie Strategies – a boutique public relations firm – five years ago. I am exhausted everyday, but I love what I do, the clients I get to interact with on a daily basis, and the opportunities presented to me to grow my business. Working 60 hours a week is far more enjoyable than working 40 hours a week doing something or for someone I hate. I've been there and it truly is an energy drain. I thoroughly enjoy creating things from nothing and watching them develop, which makes being an entrepreneur so great. Creating something that is my own and I get to decide which direction my company heads or what clients we serve, is the ultimate satisfaction.
Thanks to Rusty Foster, Bow Tie Strategies!
#3 – 2 Things
There are two things I really love about being an entrepreneur: (1) Creating something from scratch into the way it should be, free of corporate interests or constraints, and (2) Working with bright, talented and driven people who want to build and change things. CoverWallet is dedicated to helping small business owners, making their lives easier and helping their businesses to grow. This is important to me because there are millions of small business owners in the U.S., many of whom depend on keeping their business afloat to support themselves and their families. I also care deeply about the CoverWallet team. They are an extremely talented group of individuals who are reshaping this industry.
Thanks to Rashmi Melgiri, CoverWallet!
#4 – Doesn't Feel Like Work
You realize that you’ve found your golden ticket when working around the clock doesn’t feel like work at all. I eat, sleep and breathe Bombelle (my company) and love every minute of it. I’m learning things I would not have learned otherwise, challenging and pushing myself farther and forcing myself to live outside the box. The skills I’ve learned since starting this venture are incredibly valuable, for any career endeavor and in all facets of life. I’ve met amazing people along the way, some have even become my closest friends. By shifting my priorities and having to become selfish with my time, I now tend to meet most people through entrepreneurial or networking events and panel discussions; these people are driven, innovative, interesting and hard working. It’s a whole new world! And when my entrepreneurial celebrity idol posts wearing my product on social media twice, I’m reassured that I’m onto something.
Thanks to Barbara Dolak, bombelle!
#5 – Use Creativity & Clinical Skills
After 18 years of being a therapist and working for other people, I found myself in a very burnt out crispy state. I wanted to take my clinical expertise and training as a coach to work with clients from a higher vibration standpoint. Most therapy clients come to you because they have to, coaching clients work with you because they want to. So, I went out on my own for the first time and started Nicole Lewis-Keeber Coaching. I am a money and mindset expert and I help my clients reveal and release blocks to money and success so they get unstuck and can have a business that is successful sustainable and that they love. What I love about being an entrepreneur is that for the first time in my life I get use my creativity and clinical skills in working with clients one on one, I get to create programming and build something out of nothing and watch it help people. There is nothing more satisfying than seeing your clients have transformation and thrive. I feel fulfilled professionally, personally and spiritually in my work in a way I could never have if I was working for someone else. I also love that I can take a stand in my business, it is my desire to help women become more financial stable and to have financial freedom. I always say I want them to Master their mindset, heal their heart empower their future and make some damn money. I feel as if I am doing my part to improve our future as a country for our women by helping them step up into their own businesses so they are free. I get to be a part of the solution to gender and money inequality. That is what I love most!
Thanks to Nicole Lewis-Keeber, Nicole Lewis-Keeber Coaching!
#6 – Pretty Much Everything
I own Lazy Italian Culinary Adventures, which offers culinary tours to Italy. I love pretty much everything about being an entrepreneur, but by far, the most beloved part is working from home and working on my own. I run my business out of my house and not having a commute and not having to deal with office politics is just delightful and priceless. I have complete control of my day. I decide if I want to work 2 hours or 10, and most times it’s 10, which is just fine by me because for once, I actually love what I do. I love having control over my destiny and deciding how my day progresses. Being able to set up an appointment without having to ask permission from anyone is ideal for me. I’ve never liked the idea of having to ask for permission for things such as an afternoon off or a doctor’s appointment. My lifestyle works just fine for me. The second thing I love most is being able to take people to Italy, especially for the first time. Generally, people are happy when they’re on vacation and being around people who are in a good mood or celebrating a special occasion with a trip to Italy makes for ideal week.
Thanks to Francesca Montillo, Lazy Italian Culinary Adventures!
#7 – Freedom
I love being an entrepreneur because I have freedom of time, freedom to execute my ideas, and the ability to build a legacy. At an early age, I knew I was not meant to be managed. My employers said I wasn't using my time wisely, my ideas were too big or not executable, and that if I wanted to grow with the company I would need to do better. When I became an entrepreneur I discovered that each of these things was absolutely subjective and that my time is spent wisely brainstorming and executing my biggest ideas and leaving behind a service that others will always remember.
Thanks to Emore Campbell, The Wedding Experience Curator!
#8 – Creating Products & Watching it Materialize
I absolutely love creating a product and watching it materialize. There are only a few skin care company’s on the market that provide quality personal care products. I like being one of them. Consumers are demanding chemical free skin care options. Blu Skin Care products are non gmo, paragon free, no artificial colors or preservatives as well as proudly boasting the USDA Certified Organic Skin Care seal. We are the solution to their problem.
Thanks to Zondra Wilson, Blu Skin Care, LLC!
#9 – Building Something Larger Than Self
The best part of being an entrepreneur is being a part of something larger than your self. Humans accomplish amazing things when they work together as teams. Ideas evolve and transmogrify into animals, bigger and stronger than they could have been imagined on their own. Friendships grow and respect develops. Bonds are formed where bonds did not exist before. People's lives are improved. Self-discovery moves into overdrive. All of this is possible because an entrepreneur somewhere took a risk. It's the best part of starting a business.
Thanks to Dan Green, Growella!
#10 – Setting the Direction
A positive professional change I have experienced as an entrepreneur is that I love being my own boss and setting the direction of my business. I no longer have to waste time with corporate politicking or sudden changes in management direction – I am management. Of course now the burden is 100% on me which was an unexpected challenge for me – all my decisions matter. In a corporate organization of thousands of people – many times the decisions you make and work you do don't always have a great impact or change the course of the company. When running your own company, particularly a small one, everything you do has an impact.
Thanks Kelly Hsiao, Block Island Organics!
#11 – Adventure & Satisfaction
What I love most about being an entrepreneur is the constant sense of adventure and satisfaction in building a business that fulfills a real need in the market. I am an engineer by trade but also a consumer in life, so being able to couple technical skills with customer experiences in order to create a safer, more secure, and hopefully superior alternative to traditional marketplaces is hugely rewarding. Being an entrepreneur not only allows me to go deep and get dirty but affords me the incredible opportunity to see and then realize the big picture as well.
Thank you to Dr. Lucas Lu, 5mile!
#12 – Inner Growth
There are many positives to being an entrepreneur, but for me, it's the inner growth I experience on a daily basis. Being an entrepreneur presents so many different situations that truly challenge myself as a person and encourage me to learn and grow in ways I've never experienced before. It's the epitome of a transformation and so very rewarding to watch yourself and a career you love grow to levels you may not have experienced working for someone else. Although challenging and stressful at times, the journey of an entrepreneur is the most rewarding to date.
Thanks to Megan Saulsbury, Canyon PR!
#13 – Providing Opportunity & Stability
The thing that I love most about entrepreneurship is providing opportunity and stability for others. As any employer, coaching others and seeing them grow personally, professionally, and financially right before my eyes, and knowing that I played an instrumental role, gives me a great sense of accomplishment and pride. I also firmly believe that the more people one helps to become successful, the more successful one becomes him/herself. Aside from hard work, this principle has been the single greatest reason why I have reached the majority of my business and professional goals.
Thanks to Cory Collins, Ample Opportunity, Inc!
#14 – Give Back in a Meaningful & Impactful Way
I love being an entrepreneur because it allows me to give back in meaningful and impactful ways to my community. Whether it is providing pro bono PR services to nonprofits such as The FLITE Center of Broward County through The Pontes Group, or giving back a portion of proceeds from ticket sales for the Fort Lauderdale Pizza Festival to Feeding South Florida – it bring me no greater joy than being able to playing a small role in moving the dial. There is a saying that says, ‘alone you can go fast, but together you can go far.’ I have always tried to incorporate that all that we do.”
Thanks to Lais Pontes, The Pontes Group!
#15 – Finding a Little Zen
I’ve been an entrepreneur my entire life – starting with my first lemonade stand at 5 years of age. I loved creating a business that was inspired by my own challenges as a home cook coupled with my desire to create a business to employ adults who are differently-abled like my own son. Being part of a movement to inspire people to find a little Zen in their life has been one of my greatest joys.
Thanks to Meg Barnhart, Zen of Slow Cooking!
#16 – Use One of My Super Powers
I love being an entrepreneur because I get to use one of my super powers: being resourceful. Being an entrepreneur means that every single day I face a list of new challenges and I get to figure out how to overcome each one. It's a little bit like putting together a 5,000 piece puzzle by yourself. As an entrepreneur, I get the opportunity each day to add pieces to my big puzzle by developing products, growing our team and ultimately finding the glue that holds all the pieces together (distribution!).
Thanks to Kelly Barker, PREP Cosmetics LLC!
#17 – Spending Time with My Family
I love the freedom of being an entrepreneur. I worked for a few law firms before I bought MyCorporation and, while I enjoyed the work, began to realize I was missing out on what was truly important to me which was spending time with my family. Being a business owner is hard work, but I love that I'm able to have much more freedom and secure the future of my family and be a part of their lives.
Thanks to Deborah Sweeney, MyCorporation.com!
#18 – Freedom to Create Products Aligning with Business Philosophy
I love being an entrepreneur because of the freedom to create products instantly that align with our business philosophy. If we have an idea for a new product, we create it right away and test the market. There's no one to check in with, no meetings to go to. I love to work and it's fun–we make chocolate, teach chocolate & wine and chocolate & beer pairing events, and host corporate and charity events. Even though I often work many hours in a day for days on end, I love the freedom of creating my own schedule. I definitely embrace the work hard play hard concept and generally take one trip per away per month. This is the only way I can truly stop working. During the winter it's a ski trip, in the spring is mountain biking, summer's are good for camping or international travel. It's usually a 4-5 day trip, although when I travel internationally it's longer. However even when traveling, I'm usually writing another book just because I like to write.Our company is also actively involved in charity work, and I don't have to check in with anyone when I want to sponsor a big event. We just do it. Overall I would say I like the freedom of being an entrepreneur, but not necessarily as it relates to time (as any entrepreneur knows, time is what we're generally short on!). I just like being able to take the company in the direction the market is moving without having to argue with anyone about it!
Thanks to Julie Pech, The Chocolate Therapist!
#19 – Creating What People are Drawn To
As the founder and owner of BuckWHAT Foods, there are definitely pluses and minus to being an entrepreneur. The best part is creating something that people are actually drawn to. It feels amazing to receive positive feedback on my products. Not all days are created equal, and there are definitely some tough ones, but the good ones outweigh the bad. There is nothing like the sense of reward and accomplishment when taking a huge risk. Like a runner's high, it keeps you coming back for more.
Thanks to Leeann Rybakov, BuckWHAT Foods!
#20 – Use My Analytical Brain & Creative, Artsy Mind
I run my own culinary consulting firm and it's been a liberating, challenging, somewhat psychedelic experience building it from the ground up. I love being able to use both my analytical brain, making strategic business decisions based on numbers and facts, as well as my creative and artsy mind, putting my heart and feelings into flavors and textures on a plate. To me, running is a successful business is just the beginning; I find fulfillment in being able to help others and realizing something greater than myself. Focusing on the experiential aspect of my business for both my consulting firm and my dinner tasting restaurant has been the biggest source of personal happiness for me. It’s amazing to see a group of strangers enter an environment you’ve created for them and shed their defenses to engage with themselves, each other, and the atmosphere in a way they didn’t anticipate.
Thanks to Jenny Dorsey, Chef Jenny Dorsey!
#21 – Seeing People Regain Their Lives
What fuels my passion as an entrepreneur is seeing people regain their health, their strength, their sleep – and ultimately their lives! I love nothing more. I'm Dr. Jason Loth. Even after being a chiropractor specializing in sports injuries for over 17 years, I never grow tired of the thrill of seeing a patient progress from barely able to get around to thriving. But in the course of my career, one issue cropped up over and over, with patients from every walk of life – sleep problems. People struggle so badly to get the deep, restorative sleep they desperately need. Even I experienced problems – and I'm a chiropractor and fitness lover! I realized that the problem lay mainly in unsupportive pillows that leave the body out of alignment and uncomfortable all night, resulting in tossing and turning. So I set out to find a solution and added inventor to my list of life goals. The result is the SpineAlign pillow. Customizable and made of natural, loose material that breathes (unlike most pillows out there), the SpineAlign pillow works for both side and back sleepers of all sizes. The difference my clients have experienced in their sleep has been life-changing. And I am so blessed to be a part of that.
Thanks to Dr. Jason Loth, SpineAlign.com!
#22 – Working on My Passion
I love being an entrepreneur because I am working on something I am really passionate about and it really makes me happy seeing the vision for Varieteas come to life. Another great part is meeting other business owners and brainstorming how we can help each other. I have met many business owners that are now friends because we have bonded over entrepreneurship and the problems we face growing our businesses. I really like working with my team on growing our business because we are so connected and great ideas come from every member of the team. Lastly I really enjoy the feedback from new customers when they try our product out for the first time and really buy into and understand our vision.
Thanks to Nick Ehret, Varieteas!
#23 – Part of a Movement
Being an entrepreneur means many things to me but being part of a movement is the one that sticks out. I believe in applying the tools of smart business to create positive social change—social entrepreneurship. There's a groundswell of social entrepreneurs who are changing the way we look at creating social good; identifying a problem and bringing a solution to market. Giving consumers better (eco-positive, socially conscious) options for the things they buy. I'm proud to be part of that movement and believe that we're just seeing the beginning. My work building GrowOya has allowed me to advocate positively in two areas of passion for me: 1, re-connecting people to their food systems through growing their own food (it's easy and we make it even easier), and 2, providing a highly efficient watering system that saves gardeners massive amounts of water in the face of growing nationwide water conservation issues. Market forces are powerful and it keeps me going every day to see so many entrepreneurs leveraging that for good.
Thanks to Brant Cheetham, GrowOya!
#24 – It's Mine to Build
I love that the business is mine to build and there’s nobody to blame but me. If you believe in yourself, then it is great to be fully accountable for the results you bring to the business. When everything rides on your shoulders, the fate of your business is squarely in your hands. There is nothing more empowering than the determination of maintaining success in a business you created. On the other hand, if you fail, the responsibility is yours and no one else’s. You get all of the glory and all of the blame. That type of responsibility makes you steadfast, strong-willed, and determined to never give up.
Thanks to Andrew Fiebert, Listen Money Matters!
#25 – Be My Own Boss & See My Own Scorecard
After years of a medical career, I love the entrepreneurial aspect of running these three businesses because I can be my own boss and see my own scorecard each quarter. It has also allowed me to learn about things I never knew existed, meet people I probably never would have met, challenge me against a competition I was never up against before, and learn from my employees as much as they learn from me. Furthermore, I can plan my day according to my kids' extra-curricular activity schedules.
Thanks to Dr. Howard Bennett!
#26 – Wake up Dreaming of the Possibilities
For a long time I questioned my 9-5 life behind the computer. Crunching numbers as a CPA was safe and came with a guaranteed biweekly pay cheque. But I was unhappy and I felt trapped. So I decided to walk away in December 2016 and pursue my passion of connecting and empowering people. Entrepreneurship has been the most liberating experience. I wake up happy dreaming about the possibilities. I have fresh ideas about my business and a new sense of self and where I want to go in life. I am also able to work from anywhere and I am solving a unique need within my community.
Thanks to Chioma Ifeanyi-Okoro, My African Corner!
#27 – Follow My Own Unique Path
20 years ago, I left behind with appreciation and blessing 15 years of being honored to work for some powerhouse executives who were also great leaders. They encouraged me to follow my own unique path, they mentored me to have the courage to step out of the office and the boardroom and to step onto the street of my own dreams. The ability to risk everything for the vision and passion I found for my own goals was far bigger than the fear of failure or the loss of the cover of corporate acceptance and credibility. I have always had the heart of an explorer, and in the role of entrepreneur I found a freedom, and a flexibility to change and grow that was always readily available to me inside more structured businesses. I love the adrenaline of uncertainty, the excitement of creation, the challenge of holding a team on track, and ultimately the knowledge that my own work and vision and focus will be the thing that leads or loses. I suppose the non-conformist side of me loves working without a net….. and I have never regretted taking the great education from corporate worlds and mixing it with a little positive madness that allows me to come at situations in new and exciting ways.
Thanks to Claire Parr, Live in the Vineyard & Yountville Live!
#28 – Following in the Footsteps of My Grandfather & Father
I have been fortunate enough to be an entrepreneur for over twelve years following in the footsteps of my grandfather and father who were also entrepreneurs. I learned from them that in order to be a successful entrepreneur you need to put in the work. That like anything else it takes complete determination, focus and drive to make your dreams come true in business. I have been lucky, since we started the private music-food-wine festival called Live In The Vineyard (LITV), to see some of my dreams really come true working with brands and musicians who I am fans of. For example we have a partnership with Southwest Airlines that has grown over the years and they now have one of their Boeing 737 aircrafts in their fleet decaled with our logo and host surprise pop-up concerts at 35,000 feet in the air for their customers, which we help curate. Being an entrepreneur means never being able to turn off because you are responsible for every success that happens and every failure, the good, the bad and the ugly, always lands on your shoulders which can be a blessing and a curse. You have the freedom to go after what you want, with no boundaries or anyone there limiting you, and that can be incredibly rewarding, especially for us watching LITV become one of the most sought after tickets across the country. That didn't happen overnight so you have to stay on top of what you are building while also being flexible with the ever-changing industry and economy. The important thing is to always stay true to yourself because all you have in this world is your name and how you are to work with. It's not easy but I wouldn't change being an entrepreneur for anything in the world.
Thanks to Bobbii Hach Jacobs, Live in the Vineyard & Yountville Live!
#29 – Time to Take Control
I never initially thought about running my own business, however after years of working for others, under their direction, schedule and ideas of what was important work, I decided it was time for me to take control of the excessive hours I was giving to companies on their priorities. The final decision happened when while working for a corporation, I planned a trip to visit family and was told it wasn’t a good time for the company for me to take time off and had to cancel my trip. At that moment I understood clearly that my time and freedom was a priority and I wanted to have my career revolve around my life and not the other way. What I most value about being an entrepreneur, the freedom to be creative, to decide on what projects I spend my time and how I spend my time. I work harder than I ever have and I have built my business to be successfully run around my values both personally and professionally. When you are doing work you love, able to work your business around what you value I believe both the customer and entrepreneur is served at the highest level possible.
Thanks to Elizabeth Miner, Thrive This Day!
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