Taken from Bill McCleskey’s highly anticipated book Get Off Your Assets NOW AVAILABLE. For more details about Get Off Your Assets, visit http://GoyaBook.com
More than ever people want to leave their jobs and become entrepreneurs, especially sales people. And it makes sense. If you’re a great sales professional, why not do the work for yourself and get paid more money? This is exactly what I did. Working for Comcast Business as a Business Account Executive (BAE) for 13 months was enough for me to realize that I NEEDED to be an entrepreneur. Within 10 months, I doubled my income. Within 2 years, My company – MitechUSA.com – was featured in multiple publications. Within 4½ years, Mitech was featured in the Nashville Business Journal as one of the largest minority firms in Nashville, Tennessee according to gross revenue. We now have nearly 300 Sales affiliates throughout the US and over 1200 clients like Holiday Inn Express, Quality Inn, Zaxby’s and Farmers Bank & Trust. Now that’s a story we all love to hear.
But the success of my launch didn’t just happen in those 10 months. It started when I launched my first company as a freshman in college. I had some lessons to learn that had nothing to do with how to office space or financial statements. As a freshman, I started the journey to build the necessary characteristics within to become an extraordinary entrepreneur. Although I didn’t know that’s what I was doing, navigating the maze of entrepreneurship molded certain qualities in me that helped me rise to the top. The journey to become who I am today started 1000 steps ago.
Every week, someone sends me an email, text message or calls asking for advice on how I left my job and became a full-time entrepreneur. Their questions mainly pertain to how to set up a company with the State of Tennessee, or where they can find cheap office space. But inevitably, I steer the conversation to why they’re starting a business or want to go full time as an entrepreneur. You see, setting up a business with the State is easy. Moving forward on a business idea when potential clients or vendors tell you no is the hard part. The innate qualities we nurture as individuals are sometimes the only assets we have to get us through tough times when we’re building an idea.
When you’re knocked down 7 times, what makes you want to get back up the 8th time? Are you able to turn off all distractions and maintain an intense focus on your work despite what’s going on around you? Can you push yourself passed your perceived limitations? Are you willing to wake up 3 hours earlier each morning? Can you even operate on 3 hours of sleep?
The question is not can you, but will you? And does your true purpose drive you to do so every single day?
Entrepreneurship is not about your product or service. It’s about you becoming a different person. A better person. The best version of yourself. If you are willing to grow through the pain, you might have a shot. If you are willing to grind when you’re tired, there’s hope for you as a business owner. But if you cool with being average, entrepreneurship is not the game you want to play. Keep your job and excel there.
This entrepreneur journey is not for the faint at heart. It will chew you up and spit you out without even thinking. Your will inside is the only thing that will determine your path.
Sure you can find mentors, raise money and form strategic partnerships, but unless you have 100% resolve to win, I recommend keeping your job.
This book is for those kindred spirits who have reached out to me repeatedly asking for advice or anyone who wants to leave their day job to become a full-time entrepreneur. My message is simple. Harness, nurture and develop your internal assets first before you make the leap. Otherwise you’ll get eaten alive!
More than ever people want to leave their jobs and become entrepreneurs, especially sales people. And it makes sense. If you’re a great sales professional, why not do the work for yourself and get paid more money? This is exactly what I did. Working for Comcast Business as a Business Account Executive (BAE) for 13 months was enough for me to realize that I NEEDED to be an entrepreneur. Within 10 months, I doubled my income. Within 2 years, My company – MitechUSA.com – was featured in multiple publications. Within 4½ years, Mitech was featured in the Nashville Business Journal as one of the largest minority firms in Nashville, Tennessee according to gross revenue. We now have nearly 300 Sales affiliates throughout the US and over 1200 clients like Holiday Inn Express, Quality Inn, Zaxby’s and Farmers Bank & Trust. Now that’s a story we all love to hear.
Every week, someone sends me an email, text message or calls asking for advice on how I left my job and became a full-time entrepreneur. Their questions mainly pertain to how to set up a company with the State of Tennessee, or where they can find cheap office space. But inevitably, I steer the conversation to why they’re starting a business or want to go full time as an entrepreneur. You see, setting up a business with the State is easy. Moving forward on a business idea when potential clients or vendors tell you no is the hard part. The innate qualities we nurture as individuals are sometimes the only assets we have to get us through tough times when we’re building an idea.
Mitech Partners: A Startup Journal 