What exactly is the truth about being an entrepreneur? It boils down to your own perception of what you feel it should mean to you. To me, being an entrepreneur means empowering others by sharing my gifts and experiences and living my life to the fullest. When I decided to travel the path of the entrepreneur, I was so excited to be my own boss, have the ability to affect others, and embrace the freedom to choose how I wanted my life to look. Little did I know about everything I would experience.

When I began, I was like a kid on Christmas morning sharing with my family and friends the journey on which I was about to embark. The reactions I received were not exactly what I had hoped for; there was little support and a lot of cynicism. Also, I was new to business and stumbled more times than I thought was possible. Dealing with marketing, sales, creating a company, auto responders, and web sites, what did I get myself into? This was all a different language. Today I can laugh at myself, yet while I was in the midst of dealing with some of these issues, I was contemplating sticking my head in the sand. Yet I still moved forward.

As time went on with little support from those closest to me and little results, I became overwhelmed and frustrated. Although I was determined to succeed, these obstacles pushed me to my limits. I started researching all of these topics on the internet. Do you have any idea how much information about this is on the internet? I started spiraling out of control due to information overload. Who is the expert, who do I listen too? Some experts tell you that in “x” amount of days you will have a magnificent business. Well I fell for it and believed that within a month’s time, if I followed their steps, I would have a thriving business. That didn’t happen, and there were times I was ready to give up.

Instead of giving up, however, I looked closely at myself and realized that what I was doing was not working. I took a close look at my environment, figured out what did work for me and started laying a strong foundation. I accepted that a successful business takes time to develop. It requires determination in dealing with difficult obstacles and challenges. I learned to utilize my creative brilliance every day to create, even if it is only a five minute tip posted to twitter or my FaceBook page. As long as I am engaged in a project it flows. If it doesn’t flow, then I get up and do something else for a while to clear the path. Usually the answer will just come to me.

My best piece of advice for any entrepreneur is to ignore the naysayers in your life. It is their insecurities and issues that they are portraying. You are doing something they can only dream about. Do not stop sharing your gifts because society or your family feels that the path you are on is not the right one. Either they will fall by the way side as time goes on, or they will become your biggest fans.

When my husband saw how I was going after my business, he became my biggest supporter. That means more to me than anything. With him behind me, I have the foundation, within a creative environment, which allows my business to soar.

Whatever comes your way on this path, it is your choice how to respond. Is it a good opportunity? Do you feel excited or do you want to run for the hills? Remember any mistakes or failures are really all learning experiences to get you on the right path and the best way to help your clients.

Do what makes you happy and joyous. It is your life. Live it to the fullest. This is how I live. My greatest success is helping someone create their environment while working on their business, pursuing their dreams, so that they do not give up on themselves.

Some tips for you:

1. Do not lose hope or lose sight of your goals.
2. Challenge yourself every day.
3. Push past your boundaries.
4. Persevere in the face of fear.
5. Believe in yourself and that you can do it.
6. Give everything except up.

2 Comments so far. Join the Conversation

• admin posted on April 28, 2010
  Thanks Julie. It really makes a huge difference if those closest to you support you.
• Giulietta posted on April 28, 2010
  Hey Tricia! Excellent tips for entrepreneurs, especially #'s 4 and 5. If we believe in ourselves we can do anything. I've ...