SA: Do you think everyone can be an entrepreneur? Are they born or made? How can you tell if the entrepreneurial life is right for you (or if you're right for it)?
RW: The greatest lesson I have learned in life is that no on can predict the future. People I "thought wouldn't make it, have... and people who had the education, money, contacts... failed. It is truly up to the individual. My answer to what makes an entrepreneur? "An entrepreneur is a person who takes passionate action. A person who keeps going and finds a way to make it happen." The only way you can tell if the entrepreneurial life is right for you is to go out into the real world and try it. No business plan or test can tell you that. And by the way - if its not right for you - THAT IS OK! It is really about "being human" - doing what works for you. No one else knows you better than you.
SA: I heard you have "3 Rules to Live By" that helps an entrepreneur's progress. What are these and how do they work?
RW: The three rules that apply to your business and your life:
- Speak from your passion - It energizes you to go forward and it inspires other people to help you. Most people don't like what they are doing - you walk in all "inspired" and they want to help. Plus Passion = Benefit.
- Listen to others - Truly listen to them. Your own small business is not all about you but getting others to help. Someone has created a business similar to yours - talk to them, discover what works and what doesn't. They have contacts and ideas that will save you time, money, and frustration.
- Write it down - The biggest frustration my clients have is if they lose something (a contact for instance), so write it down. It frees your brain to think of other ideas, and it connects your idea to the real world. You become a doer rather than a dreamer. And by writing it down, people can now help you achieve it because they understand what you need. People are there to help, they just don't always know how.
Then my big "overall rule" is "Dream Like a Child, Decide as an Adult." Every day wake up and observe the world through a child's eyes - see what is new and where the opportunities are. Ask for help. Then as an adult, use your intuition, knowledge, and heart to decide what is the next best action to take --- and TAKE IT!