It’s been over a CENTURY since we’ve experienced anything like 2020, when the Spanish Flu ravaged global communities in 1918.
With a dizzying amount of disruption and discord, the world as we knew it is gone. It feels like a giant Who Moved My Cheese skit, only it’s more than cheese that moved.
During this crazy year, many professionals found themselves in the midst of an unplanned career shift, and have wondered, “What’s next?”
Some are choosing the path of entrepreneurship, albeit reluctantly. According to a report by the Wall Street Journal, new business applications are increasing at a rate faster than the US has seen since 2007. As of September 2020, there were 3.2 million applications for employer identification numbers, compared to 2.7 million at the same point in 2019.
Having made the leap from employee to entrepreneur over two decades ago (after 9/11), I have three recommendations for the reluctant entrepreneur:
- Trust the process.
Big changes like this don’t happen “to us” but rather “for us.” Change becomes difficult when we struggle to hold on to what was.
The fear isn’t because of what’s ahead, but rather what is unknown. As humans, we fear what we don’t know. We fear what we have yet to experience.
Change can be scary, because it is unknown. Let go and trust.
2. Follow your passion (and promptings).
Building a business is hard, but less so when you love what you do. Today, you can build a business on just about anything (link to Four Types article), so let go of any thought that your passion isn’t a worthy business pursuit.
You can also approach it by thinking about who you want to serve, as much as what you want to do. This will lead you to a purposeful and passionate path.
Mostly, trust your intuition. Listen to the promptings. They are not random.
3. Consider the path of conscious entrepreneurship.
You don’t have to sacrifice money to have meaning. Purpose and profits can easily co-exist, and there are now thousands of examples to draw on, as Conscious Capitalism and the B-Corp movements have taken hold.
Conscious entrepreneurship is about the “and”. Making a difference AND making money. Success comes from service. We do well by doing good. It’s not an easier entrepreneurial path. Just way more meaningful.
If you want to learn more about becoming a conscious entrepreneur, check out any of these free events.