One of the things that I’ve been talking to other entrepreneurs lately is the importance of surrounding yourself with the right people.
As an entrepreneur we’re doing things that other people think are crazy, right?
We’re pursuing big opportunities. We’re taking risks that they may think are nuts, and people who care about you may not even realize that they are doing it.
They may hold you down or hold you back. They are doing that to keep the world comfortable for them, which may not be the best thing for you.
That could be a really difficult thing to experience, particularly if they are somebody that you love, right?
Somebody whose opinion you really value but just because you love them doesn’t mean that their opinions about your career, entrepreneurship, and chances are right or are good for you.
Finding the Right People for You
You’ve got to be deliberate about finding other entrepreneurs to put yourself around. People who understand your challenges, who have missed payroll before, who have found themselves in really hard situations and gotten through it. People who have been able to see the upside of what it is that they are doing and the risk that they are taking.
Because that is also what you are doing, right?
You are pushing through to try to get to that upside, and that can very uncomfortable for a lot of people.
It makes sense if more people were comfortable with the challenges. There would be a heck of a lot more entrepreneurs because they don’t really want to work in the job that they hate. But they are not comfortable with that.
You got to find people who have pushed through that, who understand that and can support you in it and do it from a logical way. In a way, you need to employ strategies that are most effective to help you get through to that other side, reach your goals, and get past those obstacles.
Groups and Organizations for Entrepreneurs
I found that you’ve gotta be very deliberate about finding your people. There are organizations out there that have been super impactful for me as an entrepreneur. EO in particular, Entrepreneur Organization.
It’s a global organization of entrepreneurs. One of the best things I ever did was joining that group. Many of my best friends in the world are from that group, and they have local chapters all around the world.
But there are all kinds of other organizations like that. You can find organizations that are specific to your industry. You can even find great online groups. There are many entrepreneurs that I’ve connected with online that I have never met in person.
They are all over the world and we have great relationships. We are able to support each other and oftentimes do business together.
So, they are out there. You’ve just got to be deliberate about finding them. Don’t let proximity be a barrier in this. It’s not just the people who are immediately near you. You got to go out and find the right people.
