I spent years waiting for the “right” credentials to consider myself an entrepreneur.
I had revenue, customers, and results but didn’t feel like an entrepreneur. Especially compared to my friends who were hiring employees and building exciting technology companies.
All of that changed when I went to dinner with my old boss, a CEO I’d worked for in New York.
My parents aside, he was the first to take a chance on me. He introduced me to the budding tech startup scene in NYC, and I met my wife, Jennifer, while working for his company. Under his leadership, an incredible group of people worked together for the next five years and built the company to a $1B+ valuation.
Needless to say, he means a lot to me and my wife.
Fast-forward to 2022. Jennifer and I had moved to Nashville, but we were in New York City for a few nights and met our old CEO for dinner. During our conversation over Greek food, he asked how my business was going.
I told him about what I’d built online, ending with this:
“It’s cool. I feel proud, and I’m helping a lot of people. But I’m not a real entrepreneur. Not like you.”
He looked at me and said something I’ll never forget:
“What are you talking about? You have a business. You have customers, and those customers are happy. You make money. You’re an entrepreneur. You shouldn’t say that again.”
(He’s blunt. One of my favorite things about him.)
His complimentary words gave me a lot to think about. I’d been diminishing my success because it didn’t look like someone else’s blueprint.
And if you think about it, success and entrepreneurship come in all sizes, colors, flavors, and textures.
There’s not one single blueprint.