As an elementary school student, I was always fascinated by Yoruba proverbs especially the literal English translation; the one that particular took my interest was the one about a king’s palace; “when the house of a king burns down, he will build a more beautiful one”. It never truly made sense until I gave up a high-paying job to independently start my own business. First things first, this article is specifically for those who have been called to entrepreneurship.
If you are called, no human needs to tell you because the signs will be very clear – from dissatisfaction at the work place despite the huge salary to seeing opportunities where your colleagues see problem; a knack for creating things for fulfillment purpose and an obvious leadership trait. This is definitely not an exhaustive list but if you are called you will know. However, I will like to make a distinction between “called” entrepreneurs and “circumstance” entrepreneurs.
The latter are forced to entrepreneurship due to circumstances like job loss or money attraction while the “called” has a default entrepreneurship mindset frame. There is a constant unsettling voice in their minds that make them uncomfortable with the status quo. If you have settled on which particular category you fall into – either “called”, “circumstance” or none – then I can move to the most important issue of moving from high paying employee to starting your own business.
I am dedicating a 3-part article series in order to justify this topic. This is the first of 3 series where I will be highlighting some fundamental truth I have discovered on my journey in entrepreneurship. Are you aware that the major difference between a salary worker and a successful self-employed is their mindset? You cannot borrow a salary worker mindset to a self-employed operation and vice versa. This is so important that I cringe when salary workers want to have business by the side.
The rationale appears smart but that is what it is – an appearance – grow the business by the side and when the business is matured enough, leave the paid employment to the mature business. This cannot be effective for the fundamental reason of difference in mindset. Imagine pouring water into a cup filled with water; the water will never enter the cup, it will keep overflowing. This is what happens when a salary worker tries to operate a business venture.
There is a common thread that intertwines every self-employed entrepreneur that has succeeded in leaving paid employment – the beginning was always challenging and difficult. The challenging and difficult period is what most “called” entrepreneurs try to avoid by all means that they decide to start a business by the side to circumvent these periods. Anybody that tries to circumvent this period is like a man building a house without foundation.
This challenging and difficult period is what I will term the wilderness period – its function is simply to remove the salary worker mindset and replace it with a self-employed entrepreneurship mindset. For anything new to come to your life, the old one must go – the two cannot exist in the same space just like introducing water into a water-filled cup. The bible puts it this way; you cannot pour a new wine into an old wine skin, it will simply burst.
It’s amazing how people want to hold on to the old and they want the new introduced. The king in the Yoruba proverb will never have built a better palace if the old palace did not burn. Don’t bother wasting your time sourcing business by the side and have someone run it; if for some wonderful reason, the business succeeds and you leave your job to take over the business – all the decisions you will take will crash the business back to it’s humble days.
If you are truly “called”, you cannot jump classes; it is impossible – it will always catch up with you. Also there is the divided concentration thingy while working and doing business – one persons business must suffer – it is either yours or your employer. However, there are things you can do while working that is void of conflict that can make the wilderness experience less excruciating. I will discuss this with you in the next series of articles. Have a wonderful day!
