Entrepreneur: Weirdo or Force of Nature?

According to an entrepreneur there are two types of people in the world – Entrepreneurs and ‘The Others’, and the problem with ‘The Others’ is this:

“You came to the dream, and you walked on the soft carpet of my dream. With spike boots …”

This can resonate with an entrepreneur who has been misinterpreted or maligned, because ‘The Others’ can accuse an entrepreneur of being selfish, obsessive, geeky, a bit weird, and focused to the point of cruelty.

The term ‘The Others’ came from a conversation I had with a dedicated and entrepreneurial friend who, like most entrepreneurial men and women, believes that it is ‘The Others’ who need to ‘accept the program’.

Entrepreneurs can make great sacrifices to achieve their goals and compartmentalize fragments of their lives while an idea has grabbed them by the neck, in their quest to become creative pioneers at the forefront. Inevitably, they often leave lesser mortals in their wake and are the driving force behind enterprise and innovation.

Now this could lead to some challenging conversations, especially if an important person in your life is an entrepreneur. And I know because my dad was one. Consequently, my mother’s life was occasionally desperate, sometimes challenging, often very glamorous but never dull.

Unique and incomparable, an entrepreneur can overcome massive setbacks and “move on regardless.” They are made of a special type of metal; flame-tempered steel that’s cool to the touch, but for “the others” it’s red hot. So don’t get too close or you will burn your fingers.

The entrepreneurial mind never really sleeps; He hardly rests and even if he does, he is alert to another idea, another opportunity that for the average person can be exhausting. An entrepreneur ‘sees’ opportunities that other people cannot. They ‘believe’ in ideas and concepts with a fervent enthusiasm that baffles the average Joe Soap. For example, they will be the ones scribbling some notes on a napkin in a restaurant and then returning to headquarters to put another shot into action, before the person accompanying them has had time to eat the cheese and crackers.

Occasionally, it may appear that an entrepreneur falls asleep and is not paying attention, until he is forced to ask “Have you heard a word I have said?” It’s nothing personal, sometimes they are literally on another planet.

My father’s entrepreneurial streak was always close. I have memories of the whole family traveling half the country just to have a picnic on land that my father had set aside for commercial development. He even once left me and my four little sisters on a playground in Lisbon to have fun and to attend a reunion.

He had an insatiable curiosity about everything, which was carried to extremes. I had a telephone extension installed in every room in our house (even in the downstairs cloakroom), so as not to miss a call.

Entrepreneurs define their lives according to their own code and often ignore advice. For them, a mistake is a “learning experience.” They lavish admiration on anyone whose accomplishments overshadow their own, and seek to emulate the movers and shakers of their industry in a never-ending quest to improve and advance.

They eagerly await the next experience and soon tire of the predictable and pedestrian. The more you progress, the greater your ambition and your ability to live your life on your own terms.

Their inner strength and ingenuity inspires the enlightened beings that exist on the perimeter, but for “The Others”, for example, anyone without drive, ambition or courage, this could be perceived as a selfish oversight. An entrepreneur is not prepared to assign the direction of his life to anyone else. For them, life is always a matter of “let’s make it happen!” or “what if ??” or “how does that work?” And they’re ready to wake up, step up, and demand more.

Sometimes the entrepreneurial gene can lie dormant for years and is only activated through adversity, so you don’t have to be born that way.

It’s also the ultimate weapon of self-preservation, which is why a LOT of entrepreneurs were dyslexic underperforming in school, but ultimately won. It can also become a positive channel for criminal energy, which could otherwise lead to a prison sentence or self-destruction.

So, if you are very close to an entrepreneur, here is a suggestion, do not stomp or spill cold water on their ideas. They are a force of nature, a tidal wave, so catch the energy, enjoy the experience or get out of the way …