My father passed away suddenly in August 2017. I realized he was my support system. It actually makes sense. Now I understand why I felt so alone during this process. He was the one who believed I could be an entrepreneur in the first place.
You might be wondering, why is this important? It doesn't matter if you're a people person or a lone wolf. We all need a support system because we are social beings.
What happens if we're looking for our support system in the wrong place?
When you start working for yourself, the people who may be most indifferent are often your family and friends. You should be prepared for this. It hurts, especially if they (perhaps unconsciously) underestimate your abilities.
You'll have family and friends who might want to do business with you, but most of them won't hire you (at first) because they won't believe they should pay you for what you're doing. They'll want you to give them the products or service for free or almost free. They'd rather pay someone else quietly, and that's fine. They have the right to do business with whomever they want. So do you. If this is your situation, you should start looking for a support system that's separate from them.
No successful entrepreneur in the past has succeeded alone. They all needed support. They surrounded themselves with like-minded people who believed in them, who fell in love with their ideas, and who helped them dive into the uncertainty. Here's a quote I love to use from Steve Jobs: “Great things in business are never done by one person, but by a team of people.”
Find a mentor who is aligned with your ideas and beliefs.
Before finding a mentor, you need to know where you are in your entrepreneurial journey. You need to find someone who has already gone through the initial stages. As they say in Puerto Rico, "someone who's scraped their knees." A mentor or business coach can guide you and evaluate your business model to offer guidance, suggestions, recommendations, and an action plan. Best of all, they'll do so objectively and always with your best interest in seeing you grow.
“I am successful, I don’t need a mentor or a coach”
There's no room for ego here. To take your business to the next level, you must keep learning and maintain a student mindset at all times. Don't be proud of your initial success; use it as motivation to continue learning.
Make yourself noticed!
You should always be connected. Social media platforms like LinkedIn are a great resource for young entrepreneurs. LinkedIn will help you find and connect with people who share your skills and competencies. Make building your social media presence a priority.
Are you not "very social"?
It's been really hard for me too (I know, I'm an introvert), but I'm sorry to tell you that you need to start changing your mindset if you want to be an entrepreneur. Business is about relationships. You can't have a business if you can't connect with people! These events have changed my life. I've met new people, formed alliances, and identified new business opportunities!
I wanted to meet someone who could help me in the process (a mentor)
Part of the entrepreneurial process is training. So, while looking for training events, I stumbled upon Sarinette's event. The funny thing is, it was the first (and only) ticket I ever bought for a VIP event, and I attended knowing nothing about her as a speaker or the concept behind her organization (ASK Leadership Team). All I knew was that she (Sarinnette Caraballo) was a John Maxwell-certified coach. It was the best investment I ever made. The knowledge, the experience, and the people I met completely changed my life.
I won't deny that I miss my dad every day; I'm always thinking about him. God knew how much I needed someone like Sarinette, and I'm eternally grateful.