Average Joe versus an entrepreneur

Kids with ideas aren’t losers and neither are we for supporting them. Frank Wyatt says we should tell them it’s okay to be different as these future employers and problem solvers are tomorrow’s household names.

Ever pondered this question – What makes the average Joe or Josephine different from an entrepreneur?

Joe or Josephine might: dream of becoming their own boss one day – fantasize about storming into their boss’ office and quitting – bank on winning Tatts Lotto to make their ideal life a reality.

Whereas an entrepreneur will: take a leap of faith and the necessary steps to make themselves their own boss – trust their gut feeling and research disruptive business ideas – grasp the world by the horns and create the reality they desire.

Statistics show more successful start-ups occur when people reach the ages of 35+. So, what happens? Do these people just roll out of bed one day and decide to seize the moment?

Let’s take a step backwards…

We all have a deep desire to fit in and even more so when we’re younger and at school, mixing with our peers and constantly dealing with challenging social situations. No one wants to be the odd one out.

During this time in our kids’ lives, we openly applaud:

• attractive, ‘hip’ and popular people
• school captains
• the future Meg Lannings or Michael Clarkes of the world who excel at sport.

All of these talents and abilities are approved socially, are widely accepted and positively rewarded.

Those innovative, creative young people curious about starting a business tend to slip through the cracks while growing up because they want to fit in with everyone else. As a result, their natural entrepreneurial spirit and abilities fly under the radar because they’re not ready to embrace them yet.

We tend to find that these kids already have a bevy of bright ideas but they’re lacking a clear direction or how to analyse business opportunities. They don’t want to study just anything so they can get a job to make ends meet. They’re not interested in going to university or TAFE simply because that’s what everyone else is doing.

There’s something different about them. They can’t always put their finger on it but deep down, they know. And this fire that burns in them sees them bucking the trend and embarking on a path that may not make sense to those around them.

Eventually, they’re likely to be employed, but they are those employees who think outside the box. Who challenge others. The ones willing to go that extra mile not just by working hard, but by seeking out innovation and fending off lines such as “but things have always been done this way”.

These persistent solution seekers are the up-and-coming entrepreneurs of the future whose ideas will eventually generate jobs for others.

We need to reach out to these kids and encourage them to embrace their differences and explore their innovative mindset. It’s up to us to tell them they don’t have to be like everyone else.

The young entrepreneurs we work with often tell us:

“I have to struggle all the time to be accepted as I’m different.”

“I didn’t know I was allowed to start a business or make money from my ideas: no one said it was okay.”

 “I didn’t want to be different, it’s just that I have these ideas all the time that I think will work, and I want to have a go at them but don’t know where to start and no-one’s offering me any help to explore them, to test them, to help me.”

If things don’t change, we’ll continue to lose these kids in the system. The system that as it is, rewards approved difference only.

Kids with ideas aren’t losers and neither are we for supporting them. After all, these future employers and problem solvers are tomorrow’s household names.

So, in response to the question we originally posed: When entrepreneurs hit 35+, do they just roll out of bed one day and decide to run their own business?

Of course not! They’ve just been hiding their entrepreneurial spirit away, and often they hit a point where they have no other choice but to explore the journey that was always meant for them. They’re finally ready to take that next step.

Do you know a young person who has this entrepreneurial spirit?

Let them know it’s okay to be different and feel free to share your own experiences and feelings below.