Entrepreneurs Are Not "Vanilla Robot" People: Part I

I have been an entrepreneur all my life, and I chat with fellow entrepreneurs daily for many many years. When I started my first business, there were very few books on entrepreneurship, and most people did not even know what an "entrepreneur" was. Today, everyone wants to be an entrepreneur, mainly because mainstream media has generalized the entrepreneurial journey to be all fun, fantasy, and paved with never ending glitz and glamour.

Having a B.A. degree from Tufts University in Social Psychology and attending the School of Hard Knocks of Entrepreneurship for decades, I have found this to be an important and interesting topic – depression among entrepreneurs. Entrepreneurs are by nature, out of the box thinkers, creative geniuses, have a positive "glass is over-flowing" attitude, as well as have an innate desire to make this world a better place. Much of their passion and enthusiasm is what makes them who they are. Most of the entrepreneurs I have met along my journey, face tremendous obstacles and setbacks in building their businesses. Cash flow issues, trademark infringement issues, poor advice from attorneys/accountants or both, etc...

(I could go on and on, but for the purposes of this post, I'd like to keep it brief.) In addition, there is not much, if any, support for entrepreneurs unless one is blessed to be born into a family of entrepreneurs. Any "support" for entrepreneurs comes in the form of "networking" events designed to help build businesses by providing tools, tactics, and left brain strategies – not something that is built primarily to support all aspects of being an entrepreneur – namely the creative, heart centered, intuitive & right brain strengths, as well as the personal and emotional struggles. Those who tell entrepreneurs they are "too emotional" or "too heart based" or can't take business "personal" – excuse me.... we are people with emotions, and we are not robots. Entrepreneurs, as a group, are the most compassionate, caring, big hearted, passionate people I know; and they are the ones who are helping to make this world better. It is about time, we look at entrepreneurs as unique and gifted individuals, and not "vanilla robot" people.