GRACE MASHABELA CONSULTING

The World’s Biggest Lie

The biggest, oldest and longest running myth in the world regarding entrepreneurship is probably that those who get into it do so to attain “success”. Years of witnessing how an idea and its realization can turn a mere mortal into a hero has tricked people into a wrongful perception of entrepreneurship.

Let’s first discuss success: what is success to you? Some say it is the attaining of money, lots of it. Others say it is fame and very often fame brought on by lots of money. A rare few however view success as the achievement of one’s personal best, even in the face of adversity. This is the definition I like the most because it suggests that a lot of us are already successful!

If a young graduate is earning money as a temp in a restaurant and using part of his intellect and education to do this work, is he unsuccessful? If your back breaking work ethic is helping you spend a bulk of that hard earned money on your children’s school education and not a holiday to the coast, how unsuccessful are you?

How about the lady with an immense pay cheque, no assets and more debts than she can handle in one lifetime: how successful would you say she is? Or a man who will fly to the trendiest soiree anywhere in the country but does not know how his child is going to pay for university in a few years- what does success mean to both father and child? How useful is a high flying big spender to the world if he never contributes any of his time, skills, talents or passions to his community and to those in need of a little uplifting?

Understand the Fundamental Differences

Not all entrepreneurs will be celebrated- let’s first start there. Steve Jobs was splendid and on any good day I’d kiss the ground that Seth Godin walks on. Be that as it may, not every wildly talented entrepreneur needs to be in the public eye to change the world for the better. In fact, not a single entrepreneur is obliged to make a difference in the world, although it would be nice if all would. All that is required of an entrepreneur is that they show courage in the face of impossible adversity, remain refreshingly unique and innovative and never give up.

The very rich are also not a blueprint for those who aspire to turn their great ideas into profitable ventures. An entrepreneur’s responsibility is to turn profit, sustain his business and grow so his idea could expound beyond what he first imagined. It is good to remember that making money is a tool to achieving something bigger, which is your personal best!

 Go For It!

“My parents say entrepreneurs are not successful” is one of those things one gets to hear more than once in their lifetime. It is a presumption that refuses the changing of the times, a myth that has not been completely obliterated, even by the so-called success stories of celebrated entrepreneurs. Perhaps the biggest obstacle to overcome when thinking of entrepreneurship is that it is high risk and thus bound to yield big losses. Yes, there is a level of disregarding some boundaries in the hopes of achieving remarkable success. However, risk is designed to be managed, either through appropriate planning or by making a string of well thought out considerations and decisions. Bottom line is, success is foremost a choice. And to make good on any choice you have to act on it, to go for it!

What is success to you?

What does success mean to a dreamer? What does it mean to someone whose every daydream belongs to a single goal, aspiration or idea? What would it mean for you to finally act on your desire, be spurred on by your passion?

Decide what success means to you and keep a mental picture of this with you through your journey. When you have realized that mental picture, grow beyond it by adopting a new vision. The biggest myth about entrepreneurship is that those who venture into it do not achieve success. The easiest, most effective way to bust this myth is to contextualize success, in other words to define success on your own terms. You can be successful at taking the first step and starting that new venture you’ve been dreaming of. Success could come in the form of breaking even, turning around a struggling business, putting a spin on a redundant product or service or creating work for people who would have never dreamed of being given a third of a chance. The key is to blow your mind open to all sorts of possibilities and opportunities that the word “success” creates.

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Grace Mashabela Consulting partners with driven entrepreneurs to help them to create, begin or grow their business ventures. Visit www.gmconsulting.yolasite.com for more information or email gracemashabelaconsulting@gmail.com with your queries.

© RSGG Mashabela 2013

The World’s Biggest Lie

The biggest, oldest and longest running myth in the world regarding entrepreneurship is probably that those who get into it do so to attain “success”. Years of witnessing how an idea and its realization can turn a mere mortal into a hero has tricked people into a wrongful perception of entrepreneurship.

Let’s first discuss success: what is success to you? Some say it is the attaining of money, lots of it. Others say it is fame and very often fame brought on by lots of money. A rare few however view success as the achievement of one’s personal best, even in the face of adversity. This is the definition I like the most because it suggests that a lot of us are already successful!

If a young graduate is earning money as a temp in a restaurant and using part of his intellect and education to do this work, is he unsuccessful? If your back breaking work ethic is helping you spend a bulk of that hard earned money on your children’s school education and not a holiday to the coast, how unsuccessful are you?

How about the lady with an immense pay cheque, no assets and more debts than she can handle in one lifetime: how successful would you say she is? Or a man who will fly to the trendiest soiree anywhere in the country but does not know how his child is going to pay for university in a few years- what does success mean to both father and child? How useful is a high flying big spender to the world if he never contributes any of his time, skills, talents or passions to his community and to those in need of a little uplifting?

Understand the Fundamental Differences

Not all entrepreneurs will be celebrated- let’s first start there. Steve Jobs was splendid and on any good day I’d kiss the ground that Seth Godin walks on. Be that as it may, not every wildly talented entrepreneur needs to be in the public eye to change the world for the better. In fact, not a single entrepreneur is obliged to make a difference in the world, although it would be nice if all would. All that is required of an entrepreneur is that they show courage in the face of impossible adversity, remain refreshingly unique and innovative and never give up.

The very rich are also not a blueprint for those who aspire to turn their great ideas into profitable ventures. An entrepreneur’s responsibility is to turn profit, sustain his business and grow so his idea could expound beyond what he first imagined. It is good to remember that making money is a tool to achieving something bigger, which is your personal best!

 Go For It!

“My parents say entrepreneurs are not successful” is one of those things one gets to hear more than once in their lifetime. It is a presumption that refuses the changing of the times, a myth that has not been completely obliterated, even by the so-called success stories of celebrated entrepreneurs. Perhaps the biggest obstacle to overcome when thinking of entrepreneurship is that it is high risk and thus bound to yield big losses. Yes, there is a level of disregarding some boundaries in the hopes of achieving remarkable success. However, risk is designed to be managed, either through appropriate planning or by making a string of well thought out considerations and decisions. Bottom line is, success is foremost a choice. And to make good on any choice you have to act on it, to go for it!

What is success to you?

What does success mean to a dreamer? What does it mean to someone whose every daydream belongs to a single goal, aspiration or idea? What would it mean for you to finally act on your desire, be spurred on by your passion?

Decide what success means to you and keep a mental picture of this with you through your journey. When you have realized that mental picture, grow beyond it by adopting a new vision. The biggest myth about entrepreneurship is that those who venture into it do not achieve success. The easiest, most effective way to bust this myth is to contextualize success, in other words to define success on your own terms. You can be successful at taking the first step and starting that new venture you’ve been dreaming of. Success could come in the form of breaking even, turning around a struggling business, putting a spin on a redundant product or service or creating work for people who would have never dreamed of being given a third of a chance. The key is to blow your mind open to all sorts of possibilities and opportunities that the word “success” creates.

--

Grace Mashabela Consulting partners with driven entrepreneurs to help them to create, begin or grow their business ventures. Visit www.gmconsulting.yolasite.com for more information or email gracemashabelaconsulting@gmail.com with your queries.

© RSGG Mashabela 2013