Entrepreneurs operate as present-day superheroes

I used to love comic books! My favorites were Batman and Superman. Now, there’s a series of stamps based on the old comic book heroes, including Aquaman, The Green Lantern and many others. I’ve enjoyed sending get-well cards with Supergirl on the stamp. These stamps made me nostalgic and got me to thinking about the everyday heroes that we meet. You’ve probably run into a few of them today. They’re called entrepreneurs.

These people, whether they’re male or female, have traits in common:

1. They’re brave. Remember how the superheroes used to step out on ledges and save people? They had no fear because they knew they couldn’t fall. Entrepreneurs are brave because they know that they can fall. They have a great idea. They think it will work, but they are smart enough to know that they can lose everything.

2. They’re invincible. They may be quaking inside, but they put on the uniform of invincibility (a suit, a uniform, a smile) and they step out into the unknown. True entrepreneurs have to be great at self-talk because everyone else they know will tell them that they will probably fail, that what they’re doing has never been done or has been done too much. They are invincible in their belief in themselves.

3. They’re larger than life. Entrepreneurs are people who make statements by their choices. They are able to produce great things because they have a nicely developed ego. Some might call them brash. I call them brave. Entrepreneurs must stand out in a crowd of competitors.

4. They’re faster than a speeding bullet. Entrepreneurs are fast thinkers. They have to juggle many balls all day long. They also have to out-scheme the competition and move quickly when they get ideas. Think of some of the great ideas you’ve seen: pet rocks, pop beads, temporary tattoos, bottled water and many others. Entrepreneurs don’t take the time to think that it won’t work. They think, “I’ll make it work!”

5. They know when to go to the Bat Cave or the Fortress of Solitude. Entrepreneurs have to have time and a place to think and plan. If they don’t, they lose their super powers. The greatest entrepreneurs take real vacations, enjoy a day off and lay off the caffeine.

These heroes are all around us. We don’t notice them – not because they are invisible, but because they are seamlessly providing services.

When I was in out-placement (training people to get jobs when they had been laid off), we administered a test called Career Anchors. The test showed what general area a person should enter. There were categories such as management, artistic, analytical, etc. I came out an “individual contributor,” which is perfect for someone who speaks and writes. Some have said, “Doesn’t play well with others,” but we’ll let that pass.

I gave this test to hundreds of people and very few tested highly in the entrepreneur category.

Being an entrepreneur is not for everybody. In fact, it isn’t for most people, because there is such risk involved. That’s why I applaud entrepreneurs. They take risks so the rest of us can have better services, better products and better entertainment.

How many articles have you read about great men or women who were scoffed at when they began their endeavors? Land in the swamps of Florida? Who would move down there? A restaurant you can drive through? Never work. Why is a singing bass funny? Nobody will buy one. A show where Donald Trump fires people? Nobody will watch it. A live music city in the Ozarks? Too far out of the way.

Do you have a great plan or an idea? Go for it! What do you have to lose? If your answer is “money,” go for it today, but plan for tomorrow. Surely, you do need financial backing and planning, but entrepreneurs dream and then their dream becomes a reality.

My friend, Paula Shumaker, gave me “Jump In!”, the motivational book written by Mark Burnett, creator of “Survivor,” “Contender,” “The Apprentice,” and other shows. I have seen his name on the credits of many shows and I just assumed he was some Hollywood big-shot producer. Well, he is, but he didn’t start that way.

First, he’s British. Secondly, he arrived in California without a dime in his pockets. Thirdly, he started as a nanny to rich kids. Then, the entrepreneur came out. He decided that everyone in the world wanted to see Venice Beach and its unusual population of fire-eaters, skaters and beach boys. He rented a fence and covered it with T-shirts, which he priced at $18 a pop. Initially, nothing happened until he became a super entrepreneur and started selling instead of just standing there. He made a fortune. It was this seed money that took him into his other ventures. He jumped in!

Successful people always jump in. They’re scared. They know they might fail, but they put on the cape of invincibility and, faster than a speeding bullet, they’re on top!

Sinara Stull O’Donnell is a professional speaker and writer through Springfield-based SinaraSpeaks. She is the author of “Be The Star Of Your Life: Are You Ready For Your Close-Up?” She can be reached at sinara1@sbcglobal.net.[[In-content Ad]]