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What Makes an Entrepreneur?

What Makes an Entrepreneur?

Entrepreneurs - the fastest growing area of our economy. What makes these strange people, risk takers and wealth generators tick? Why do entrepreneurs take risks, endure pain, fatigue, and embarrassment? What makes them run? Is it money, fame, rock and roll or sex?

None of the above!

Entrepreneurs might want and enjoy those rewards but what drives them and what distinguishes them from an overachieving employee or salesperson is the desire to create. That's it. Are you an entrepreneur? Do you pass the test? Many overachievers are not entrepreneurs.

Leonardo Da Vinci, Thomas Edison and the Wright Brothers were entrepreneurs. They had dreams to create new horizons for humanity. A vision, inspiration and most importantly the belief that, "I can do that", is the defining image of an entrepreneur.

How do you motivate an entrepreneur? Tell them, "It can't be done". Entrepreneurs love an impossible challenge. They will prove you wrong. It took Edison 10,000 attempts to create a light bulb that burned for several seconds. That persistence is the essence of an entrepreneur.

Not everyone who starts a business is an entrepreneur. Some do it out of desperation, or until they get a real job. They might become entrepreneurs one day, but they must move their mind set from 'I can't do that' to one of 'can do'.

What does it take to succeed as an entrepreneur?

The ability to learn what is needed to make your dream come true - and to acquire and apply those lessons and skills. Successful entrepreneurs go past the dream stage. Many have the potential to be successful. They have dreams, great ideas and they may even be right. But imagine if Edison quit after 1,000 attempts. He could rightly rationalize that it couldn't be done. After all who would expect him to try 1,000, 2,000 or even 5,000 times? It took 10,000. Nobody cares about the failures. The results count. We now have light bulbs.

George Cohon, senior Chairman of McDonalds Canada & McDonalds Russia, endured 14 years of negotiation and posturing to open the first McDonalds restaurant in Russia. It was the most successful grand opening they ever had. They served over 30,000 customers that first day. But it took 14 years of running around, being nice to Soviet bureaucrats and pleading with his board to get there. Cohon had no idea it would take so long but he knew he could do it. I suspect that Bill Gates was not motivated by money. The power of effecting change and growth is more intoxicating. Money is only a wonderful by-product. That is what sets entrepreneurs apart.

Entrepreneurs are dreamers. They see things that others can not. They want to create change and growth. They believe in themselves. They want to control their destiny. Successful entrepreneurs seek out, acquire and practise the skills they need to succeed. Successful entrepreneurs do what they have to, to get to where they want to be.





What Makes an Entrepreneur - To learn more about this author, visit George Torok's Website.

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Cheryl Matthynssens

Cheryl is a life skills coach, licensed Chemical Dependency Counselor and a 20 year entrepreneur.  Cheryl's dedication to achieving a life of balance led to her expanding her teaching from the simple managing of life's daily challenges to adding financial well being as well.  A direct marketer with DrinkACT, she is gaining ground in the online community with her concepts of making sure business owners, entreprenuers and employees have well rounded life styles.  She opened up a small affiliate site - The Balance Guide-  to help others find resources for mental and emotional well being.  Visit Cheryl's blog to see more of the diversity beyond business she has began offering online at www.thebalanceguide.blogspot.com

- Visit Cheryl Matthynssens's Website

Stephanie Robey
Stephanie Robey is President and CoFounder of Pivot Positive, LLC - an Internet marketing business focused on helping people start work at home ventures. Previously, she was employed at The Search Agency with over 20 years experience in graphic design and 10 years experience in online marketing. She was responsible for launching the Conversion Path Optimization (CPO) unit where she and her team have conducted hundreds of optimization tests for online companies across multiple verticals.

She is a successful entrepreneur having started and sold 2 companies and remains on the board of directors of the third, PhotoSpin.com   Stephanie began her career in the direct marketing realm creating and producing direct mail for many of the major cable television companies and directly attributes her understanding of Internet marketing to those early offline experiences.  Stephanie is a graduate of San Diego State University with a BFA in Graphic Arts and also holds an Executive MBA from the Graziadio School of Business and Management at Pepperdine University.

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Jay Kubassek
(Jay's Full Bio: EvanCarmichael.com/jaykubassek)  In five years, Canadian-born entrepreneur Jay Kubassek went from selling mufflers at a Midas franchise to revolutionizing Internet marketing with the 2004 launch of CarbonCopyPRO, a online marketing education company, now worth over $20 million with customers in over 160 countries.

 

As an independent film producer, his upstart film fund Aliquot Films is currently producing a films with Spike Lee and Abel Fererra (starring Ethan Hawke and Dennis Hopper.)

 

Jay's entrepreneurial spirit is irrepressible. He’s the owner of five companies, a professional speaker and trainer, international real estate developer/investor, extreme sport enthusiast and emerging philanthropist. 

 

Jay resides in NYC with his wife Jamie, son Milo and dog Cooper.  Visit Jay's official website: www.JayKubassek.com - Visit Jay Kubassek's Website


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George Torok
(Visit George's Website) EC George Torok is the bestselling author of Secrets of Power Marketing, host of the weekly radio show, Business in Motion and the Speech Coach for Executives. http://SpeechCoachforExecutives.com Claim your free copy of "50 Power Marketing Ideas" at http://www.powermarketing.ca View videos at http://ca.youtube.com/georgetorok Read marketing insights at his marketing blog http://georgetorok.blogspot.com/ Learn about the radio show at http://www.BusinessinMotion.ca/ Arrange your motivational business speaker at http://canadian-motivational-speake r.com Find profitable networking tips at http://Business-Networking-Tips.net

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