January 22, 2017

By: 
Rachel Strella

Entrepreneurs Are Not “Unemployed”

entrepreneurs

Last night, my husband and I decided to watch the movie, The Social Network. I’ve seen it before, but my husband had not, so of course, I was fine watching a movie about social media.

There’s a scene in the movie that I can’t get out of my head… and it had nothing to do with social media. Sean Parker (played by Justin Timberlake), founder of Napster, converses with a Stanford student named Amy.

Amy discovers Sean isn’t a student and asks, “So, what do you do?”

He explains, “I’m an entrepreneur.”

She replies, “You’re unemployed.”

I hear this response often from people who work for another company – you know, those who are not entrepreneurs.  Their reaction is only elevated when they find out I work from home.

I’m working in my pajamas and playing around on Facebook all day.

To them, what I do is not a real job. It’s a ‘little venture.’ In fact, this is how a former client once labeled my business.  Needless to say, he’s a former client for a reason.

The irony is that I don’t feel what I do is accurately labeled as ‘entrepreneurship.’ By default, yes. But, for me, I run a business. A real business with real customers, real staff, real work and real money. It’s more than a little venture – it’s how I found my Purpose.

Talk with any business owner and most of them will agree: what we do is very real and it’s also very challenging. We are responsible for everything, including our own paycheck. We don’t just show up and get paid. Granted, I know that no job is secure anymore and I also know that many people work very hard for their paycheck. I’m only asking that business owners – a.k.a entrepreneurs – are respected as much as anyone who works for someone else.

Entrepreneurship is not for everyone and that’s OK. In fact, embracing entrepreneurship is sometimes a generational preference.  Last year, Inc. Magazine drew insights from the annual Global Entrepreneurship Report to conclude that, “millennials seem to have a greater zest for the world of business ownership, while baby boomers seem to have more interest in a different route.”

Some who decide to pursue self-employment do so because they become disenchanted with companies that fail to live up to their core values. That’s what lead my husband to join the ranks of entrepreneurship. He spent 14 years in retail management for a Fortune 500 company. He believed in the company’s values of offering service and integrity to their customers. He realized that the company fell short of both, most the time.  He gave his days, nights, weekends and holidays – for all those years – because he thought he was serving the greater good. The reality was that this company alienated their best customers… their employees.

I was disenchanted with every job I held after college. I knew that I must be my own boss because it was the only way I could have the authority to deliver the results that I had worked hard to produce.  Like most people who strike it out on their own, it took me years to fully articulate my core values – my real ‘why.’ I realized that I wasn’t looking for just a job or even a career. Both seemed to indicate that we need to work for someone else to meet an end-goal: make a living – and, if we’re lucky enough to have a career, move up the ladder.

That’s a rat race. I am changing the game because I believe we create our own luck.

I had a conversation with my protégé, recently, who told me that she believes everyone needs to do two things in life: serve someone else (ex: waiting tables) and run their own business. She doesn’t care if we fail at them. The point is that the experience offers perspective.

I agree. And next time someone discovers that I’m an entrepreneur – or a business owner, as I call it – I still agree with my coach when he says, “People who don’t do it, can’t understand it.”

Subscribe To Our Blog
Subscribe To Our Blog
Categories

5 comments on “Entrepreneurs Are Not “Unemployed””

  1. hi I do love this I'm an upcoming entrepreneur, in n social media marketing, I'm happy to read this . What I'm looking for is someone who mentor me , l want to start my own company in my country so I'm searching everyday on internet fortunately l come across this Page, please your help is kind appreciated. thank you

    1. Ndoro,

      Thanks for reaching out to me on all networks!

      I receive a lot of requests for information from budding social media professionals like yourself. There are times I mentor individuals, and I really enjoy it, but I’ve had to limit this to 1 person at a time. Last year, I decided to create a program exclusively for social media managers, if you have any interest. Here’s the link to the program: http://bit.ly/strellasmmprogram

      I also offer a one-hour ‘instant’ consult, if you’re looking for less of a commitment. Here’s info about this: http://bit.ly/consultwithrach

      Please let me know if you have any questions, and again, thanks for reaching out.

      Best of luck on your journey!
      Rachel

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

We offer full-service social media management including: content development, posting to designated social media channels, dedicated advertising campaigns, social media audience building, monitoring and engagement on social media sites, and monthly progress reports.

Commitment to Excellence
Communication
Service
Relationships

Blogging
Business Advice
Entrepreneurship
Social Media Strategy
Social for Business
Social Media Manager
Twitter
Facebook
Marketing Strategy
LinkedIn
Banks/Credit Unions
Health/Wellness
Compliance/Legal
Construction
Real Estate
Coaches/Consultants
Home Improvement
Broadcasting/Media
Transportation
IoT/Tech

Strella Social Media
1412 N. 6th Street
Harrisburg, PA 17102

Social media is all about relationships. Join our community and keep the conversation going! We love to get to know people on a deeper level! Connect with us on the medium of your choice and tell us what you love about social media.