Entrepreneurship is a commitment; a life altering experience that for some, is more natural than others.
Richard Branson was an entrepreneur from childhood and his environment molded the future for him. I am not saying it was chance, rather the ability to see opportunities and not only cease, but develop them to fruition in a favorable environment.

For me, entrepreneurship was not a naturally occurring skill. I have sought corporate employment for the better part of my life and when it got too –well how do I put this … “politicorporate”; I decided to go on and venture into my own project and I did it the best way I knew how... by taking RISKS, big ones! 
I remember my friends asking how I was going to make it? And my answer was: “I am young and I think this is as good a time as ever. If I end up going head on into a brick wall, it won’t be a big deal –I would have tried instead of forever wondered "what if".

Jumping off a cliff and figuring out how to fly was always my motto in life and I applied that principle to my business too.

I followed my passion and took my hobby to business –Motorcycling and motorcycles accessories as I would have it.
I certainly faced many challenges, some which backed me into a corner and while giving up was seemingly the only way out I pushed through and fought hard.

It is obvious that any business venture needs hard work and I learned that there are different degrees of fighting.

The type I found myself doing was fighting to keep the business afloat rather than fighting to push boundaries and overcome challenges.
My fight was what Sun Tzu referred to as “Thus the wise win before they fight, while the Ignorant fight to win”… where I was the ignorant fighting to survive.
This became an introduction to one of the many lessons I have learned, and my writings are the fruit of my difficulties so that you can avoid some of the common pitfalls.

My title is “Entrepreneurs, are you doing this?” And that one thing, that I have become a strong believer in is DISPASSION to drive a business.

Dispassion will allow you to look at challenges from an objective angle; while passion personally ties you to your project, and ego fuels the difficulty of analysis and re-strategizing and or the agility in pivoting.

Hanging on to your concept and not seeing how beneficial it would be to change directions or the visions you had for the project because that would fundamentally alter your principle.  

A strong passion sometimes clouds your judgment leading to damaging decisions because you believe so much in your vision that you can’t really see that it’s not what the market really wants and you persist because you read in entrepreneurial books and heard all the motivational speakers say that you must persevere! You must never quit!
Market conditions change rapidly and Darwin’s theory of evolution holds true: it will not be the richest or the biggest or strongest that will survive; in this day and age it’s the fastest to pivot that can make it. One great example of this is the demise of the telephone giant Nokia.

In my interpretation; fastest refers to those that can adapt the quickest to the changes in the market without loosing the essence of their DNA and vision for the brand or the business. 

From where I stand now looking back at Rumble Cycles… with a little bit of dispassion, and patience, I am sure I could have anticipated many challenges and overcome them more successfully or avoided them altogether.
Entrepreneurship is tough, especially for a novice –I tried my hand and learnt! I have developed many skills and competencies over the course of the project. Skills that I use now and that have shaped me better and help me have a clearer vantage point looking at challenges as they arise.

I have learned, applied and made sure not to repeat that one mistake (among others).

The principle of dispassion allowed me to keep a level head and make sure that my passion doesn’t cloud my judgment.
I’ve made more sound decisions based on business facts much more than gut feelings and passion.

Here’s Good News: You can Make it, simply by tapping the get in touch tab to fill in your details and what Business you are venturing in and I will work with you to build a roadmap destined for your greatness.

Written by Tarek Azmi Founder of Here’s Good News, a leadership and development company dedicated to your personal and professional growth, offering learning modules, coaching solutions and personal training. Like this blog? Share and Subscribe to never miss a post. Fill in your details in the get in touch tab and receive a courtesy call to start building your dreams and achieving your goals and Here’s Good News: You Can Make It!