en·tre·pre·neur (noun)  "a person who organizes and operates a business or businesses, taking on greater than normal financial risks in order to do so." Versus: em·ploy·ee (noun) "a person employed for wages or salary, especially at the non-executive level"

First off, who said you couldn’t follow your dream and be an entrepreneur?

Who decided that in order to be an entrepreneur one needs to take on greater than normal risks? I ponder, is this a way to keep us all down at the bottom of the ladder? The sheer definition is enough to scare half of us out of even entertaining the thought. I would say most people are not inclined to take risks we are taught at an early age that risk-taking is dangerous.

When I was six years old in the early 1960s, Easter time was exciting for me and my 3 siblings. We would always receive a surprise chocolate egg dressed in beautiful tinfoil covering, mounted like a fantastic ornament.

It was a shame to unwrap such a perfect gift, but we needed to get to the chocolate and, of course, all the foil would end up in the bin. I had this crazy idea that I would collect everyone’s foil and shape them into balls of varying sizes, then it occurred to me that someone may even want to buy one or two and I could make some pocket money.

This was my very first entrepreneurial act that I remember. I rolled them up into little jewel balls and proceeded to sell my wares to everyone in the cul-de-sac. Most of my prospects could not see the value in my product, except for one neighbor who bought a few and she was ecstatic about them. I was surprised that I was able to make an exchange of money for my invention from something so simple and recycled.

I felt empowered and excited, it was a ‘win-win’ experience.

Many of us from a very early age have felt that sense of accomplishment and pride because we came up with an idea, executed it, and had an outcome. It may have cost more than it paid back but that was not necessarily the point. Lemonade stands are a big example of that, here in Upstate New York.

I see kids during the summer months creating homemade stands. Some are very elaborate, and others are made from cardboard boxes. The idea and preparation are all part of the fun. I always make a point of sipping the sweet nectar for one or two dollars for the sheer delight of seeing those smiling faces.

Our kids need to be encouraged to explore their entrepreneurial inclinations every opportunity we get, in my opinion. Those kids are taking a risk when they create their stand. They often need to recruit their parents into the enterprise. Lemons and sugar need to be obtained along with paper cups.

The poster board needs to say “You look thirsty, and we have the solution” with lots of yellow juicy lemons painted all over the stand. A change purse or fanny bag is very important for all the money exchanges. This is all part of the entrepreneurial mindset. You will project the customer situations and what will be needed to make the change.

There usually is a conversation with the lemonade “Team” about the location of the business, i.e., which street corner will reap the best return on the investment. Oh, and then, of course, the yelling at the top of your lungs to lure in the customers. This is what “entrepreneur” means to me. It is the spirit, the ideas, the excitement, the game, AND of course, the risk!

I tell this story to jog your memory and I would be willing to bet that you too did something equally as cute to make a few pennies when you were a nipper. What was it? Can you remember the feeling?

That is the feeling and mindset of an entrepreneur.

We tend to steer away from this mindset as we go through the school systems, on to college, and settle into an employee mindset. We are really set up to think in terms of getting a job or finding a career path. There isn’t a lot of talk of being the boss or starting your own business or finding a business where you can choose your own hours and the partners that you wish to build something with. I hope this situation changes!

My parents were at opposite ends of the spectrum when it came to these different mindsets. My father had a career in government and worked his way up to building housing for disabled adults.

I remember walking through the halls of one of these special houses and meeting many of the folks who lived there. On one occasion my father showed me an elaborate contraption that he had ordered for a married couple who could not make love due to their disabilities.

This machine held the weight of one person and changed the lives of these two “love birds.” We were all proud of his work. As was he. But as it turned out, the company thought that my father was getting “Too big for his boots” and he was told this in a terrible meeting on the day he was fired from this job.

I watched his despair and look for something else to support our family. My mother, on the other hand, could not understand his need to accomplish something big and his need to follow his dreams. He didn’t know exactly what he would do, but he knew that another job would not satisfy his longing to achieve great wealth.

My mother would often say, “Go find a job sweeping the streets and stop thinking that you are better than others.” She literally would say that to him, and I could see how this marriage would not last many more years with such a difference of ideas and opinions.

Needless to say, they did not stay together. He was an entrepreneur through and through. He eventually came to the USA with his second wife and made millions in real estate and other ventures.

I have spent my life going from one job to another. I have been a professional photographer and worked for other professionals, all the time feeling like I needed to create something of a legacy for my family and beyond. My viewpoint is that I wish to be able to affect others’ lives in a meaningful way. I probably have that entrepreneurial spirit in my genes and inherited some of it from my father.

I feel more alive when I am working on my own business than when I am working for someone else and have no say in what I can do with my time. I can also hold down a job if I need to, but all the while in the background is a burning desire to create something with meaning, be myself, following my heart’s desires.

I haven’t yet found a job that I can stay in long term. My mind doesn’t work that way.

There are times when I marvel at how people can go to the same job every single day for years. I was watching a young woman at a drug store juggling the customers at the checkout and the ones who were trying to work the self-serve machines at the same time. She was running back and forth from one customer to the next. She was steady and positive all the time, very polite as she helped each person. The whole time there were bells and computerized voices announcing that something needs attention. I was only there for five minutes, and I was ready to tear my hair out! That young girl must have an employee mentality to cope with that level of stress all day, every day.

Entrepreneur is a word I see people cringe at, like it’s a bad thing to aspire toward, and I have noticed a lot of people will say that they do not have what it takes to be one. Many times, it’s because they believe that they need to have lots of cash or are not prepared to tolerate risk.

Sure, there are plenty of examples of entrepreneurs taking on greater than normal financial risks, and there are also many ways to be an entrepreneur without too much of a risk at all. Take network marketing for example. When you find a company you love, and products you would talk to people about because you love them yourself, you don’t necessarily have to risk much at all. Whoever the company is, has already provided the structure for compensation, the products, the materials for marketing, and the tools to help you be successful.

When you find a company with leaders who take your hand and allow you to be yourself as you learn the ropes, then you have a formula for success, and you are now an entrepreneur.