We live in a world without boundaries so to speak. The world is getting flatter and our methods of communication are becoming more direct, or indirect depending on how you look at it. Everything around us is changing constantly and we spend most of our precious free time trying to catch up and tune in. I have never been so busy in my life and yet feel like I have nothing to do sometimes, it’s a strange conundrum. Everyone has this pent up energy inside them just waiting to break lose. It’s time to tame the beast and do what you love.
About 18 months ago I decided to try and start my own company as a sophomore in college with a few friends of mine. With a few internships under my belt I was feeling pretty confident and thought “how hard can it be?” The first thing I realized is that my formal education up until that point had prepared me in no way for the endeavor I just undertook. It was a combination of exhilaration and fright all bundled together in a nice package.
I can now safely call myself an entrepreneur because of this; though I would argue that I have been one my entire life. This only gave me the “credibility” in the eyes of those who might pass judgment, as the word is zealously overused. My entire life has been lived entrepreneurially; from the way I look at and question things to the way I conduct business. The general definition of entrepreneur is misleading. It’s not just someone who has started their own business but a mindset that dictates everything you do.
The 9-5 workday is not something that most people would say that they enjoy. As an entrepreneur I threw away that confining eight hour day years ago. The work I do gets done when it has too. That means waking up at 4am or staying up till the sunrises. As an entrepreneur, I would say that I work more hours than 40-hour week easily and couldn’t see myself doing anything else.
Now when I say “work,” I mean fun. I started my own company so everything I do nurtures my baby to make it stronger. While it’s not all fun and games, I get to work with the people I want, do something I’m passionate about and get to inspire others to do the same. It is also a very enriching experience as I can easily say that I’ve learned more by getting out there and doing it myself then anything I could have learned in the classroom.
So it is my calling to you, to do what you’re passionate about. As Steve Pavlina put it so eloquently, “Ready, Fire, Aim.” There is no better time then now, so get out there and do it!
Trace Cohen is the former chief marketing officer of Brand-Yourself.com.
