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July 9, 2025 39 mins

Entrepreneurship defies simple categorization. Despite efforts to profile the "typical entrepreneur," success in business creation spans across demographic boundaries, transcending age, gender, race, and educational background. What matters far more are the psychological traits and behavioral patterns that create resilience in the face of inevitable challenges.

The data tells a fascinating story: women now represent 40% of global entrepreneurs, the average successful founder is in their 40s (contradicting the popular image of the twenty-something tech genius), and while 62% hold college degrees, many thrive with minimal formal education. These statistics demolish outdated stereotypes while revealing something more profound – entrepreneurship is accessible to anyone willing to develop specific mental frameworks and habits.

Discipline emerges as perhaps the most crucial characteristic for entrepreneurial success. This isn't just about working hard but maintaining consistent effort even when motivation wanes. As Mark Zweig notes, "You got hard work, discipline, you got those things, you got a lot of what you need." This discipline must extend across all business functions, from marketing to financial management to team development, creating reliable systems that produce results regardless of daily fluctuations in energy or enthusiasm.

Equally important is the entrepreneur's relationship with fear and frustration. Successful business owners operate in a constant state of productive tension – not paralyzed by fear but motivated by it, not defeated by frustration but energized by it. They recognize problems as opportunities for improvement rather than reasons to quit. As discussed in depth during this episode, this "constructive dissatisfaction" with the status quo drives the relentless pursuit of making things faster, better, and cheaper.

For those considering the entrepreneurial path, understanding these realities provides a more accurate roadmap than demographic profiles or motivational clichés. Success doesn't depend on fitting a particular mold but rather on developing the psychological traits and behaviors that align with entrepreneurial challenges. The journey requires clarity about your true motivations, as starting a business from corporate dissatisfaction or a misconceived notion of "being your own boss" often leads to disappointment and failure.

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Episode Transcript

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Speaker 1 (00:00):
While there may not be a typical entrepreneur in
terms of all these demographicthings, there are some common
characteristics, personalityattributes or attitudes toward
things that seem like theycreate a higher probability of
success as an entrepreneur.
We could agree on that right,totally agree.

(00:22):
One of those is the disciplinethat we just keep coming back to
over and over.
Yeah, you know, yeah, hard work, discipline, you got those
things.
You got a lot of what you need,okay.
Okay, everybody, we are back inthe studio once again, together

(00:44):
, brothers in arms, for anotherepisode of Big Talk about small
businesses.
I had to do that.
Eric always does something likethat.
Today he was straight, yeah,man.

Speaker 3 (01:01):
So how are you doing, eric?
I'm doing good.
I I wanted to kick us off withmy.
I did make a linkedin post.
We actually just brought it up,yeah, last night.
Yeah, right, and it was.
And I was just thinking like I'malways kind of constantly
frustrated, like justcontinuously frustrated about
everything and about everyconversation I have.

(01:22):
Yeah, you know, when it comesto business.
So I made a little post aboutit last night and, you know, I
just want to kind of clearly airon it because people might take
it like that's a negative thing, but I don't see it that way,
right?
Because my end statement wasyou know, I'm frustrated about I
was saying I'm frustrated aboutall these different types of

(01:43):
things.
That my end statement was isthat I'm, but I love improving,
yes, and so I see my perspectiveis is when I recognize my
frustration like I can live in?
I have lived in frustration fora long time and it felt
negative.
I question why I'm always sofrustrated.
Is there something wrong withme in my life and my choices

(02:05):
that that create my frustratingcircumstances?

Speaker 1 (02:08):
yeah, something wrong and something good.
Yeah, it's the truth right.

Speaker 3 (02:12):
Yeah, it turns out when you think about it's
actually a great thing.
Yeah, that's why you move aheadthat's exactly right.

Speaker 1 (02:18):
yeah, I've always said that, like you know,
somebody who's satisfied intheir job is unmotivated.
Yeah, you know, motivationcomes from dissatisfaction with
the status quo.

Speaker 3 (02:31):
Yeah, yeah.
And so I think that, like myepiphany to it is is when I
realized, like wait a minute,this frustration, that I have
this generalized frustrationabout things not being fast
enough, things not being cheapenough not necessarily for me,
although that does lend tofrustration, but it ends up
being not cheap enough for myclient or my customer to be able

(02:53):
to adopt what I'm doing.
Yes, I want it to be less andless and less expensive.
I get it.
I want it to be faster andfaster and faster and I want it
to be better and better andbetter.

Speaker 1 (03:02):
I'm in the same, Exactly Because those are the
only three benefits you can everprovide.
Right Is faster, better andcheaper.
Yeah.
No matter what you're doing.
Yes, that's it.
It all boils down to that, andI'm sure you've heard, like you
can.

Speaker 3 (03:15):
Only there's three of them, right?
Yeah, pick two.
Yeah, if you pick two, butphilosophy, I want all freaking
three.
I agree, and I'm frustrateduntil that magical day might
happen, which I don't think willever come.

Speaker 1 (03:26):
But it's the pursuit of that that drives improvement.
Yes, yeah, I get it, dude.
That's why you and I do this.
Okay, I mean, we think alike ina lot of ways.
I'm not saying we agree oneverything, but there's certain
conclusions that you come towhen you've been doing this

(03:48):
stuff as long as we have inacross these different types of
businesses.
You know, and you're absolutelyright, I mean, I totally
understand, I'm I could say it'ssame thing I'm frustrated.
You've said it before, businessis nothing but problems, and
it's true, it's problem, problem, problem.
But you know, I was just havingthis discussion with one of my

(04:11):
business partners last night.
But if you take the 40,000 footview, as they say, and you look
at where we are right now, inspite of a million problems,
we're doing pretty good.
Yeah, we got improvements in somany different areas.
The team's better okay than itwas.
We're selling stuff in spite ofa horrible market and things

(04:35):
going on out there in theenvironment that could be
negative for our buyers.
I mean, you can just go downthe list.
There's a lot of stuff to feelgood about.
There is All the systems thatwe have are improving.

Speaker 3 (04:46):
Yep, vastly improved over the last year, yeah, and
being able to look at thosethings, yeah, being grateful
about those things, that's thething.
Yes, you have to have.
You know, and like a lot ofthings.
When you post something, you'reexpressing a thought, right,
you're not trying expressing athought, right, you're trying to
build a freaking comprehensive,open ai report yeah you know
I'm expressing this thought offrustration, yeah, and you don't

(05:08):
know how I know, but the real,the reality is, and a follow-up
to that is the gratefulness ofexactly what you talked about,
about what you have achieved,yeah, and so being able to stop
and see those things is reallyimportant as well, yeah, which I
am grateful.
I'm grateful for all therelationships I've had in
business.
It's been fantastic.
I mean there's been somenegative ones, but grateful, I'm
grateful for all therelationships I've had in
business.
It's been fantastic.
I mean there's been somenegative ones, but I mean I'm
grateful for those because Ilearned so much.

Speaker 1 (05:29):
Yeah, no, you're absolutely right.

Speaker 3 (05:31):
I'm grateful to see people grow.
I'm grateful to meet people.
I mean I do business because Ilike to be around people.

Speaker 1 (05:38):
I understand.
I mean, for most of us, most ofour friends, come from our
clients and employees.
I mean people we deal with thisin business.
Yeah, that's where they comefrom, that's it, you know,
that's it.
So, yeah, I get it, I'm withyou a hundred percent.
Well, today we're supposed to betalking about the fact that

(05:59):
there is no typical entrepreneurVery true, which I agree with.
I mean, mean, I've seeneverybody, from the colonel
sanders of the world he was over65 or whatever he was when he
started kfc to you know, 14 yearolds out there knocking the
cover off the ball.
Yeah, there's a lot of variety,right, yeah, but there may be

(06:19):
some common characteristics ofthose people.
I would agree.
Okay, just because there's notypical entrepreneur, um, you
know, and I and I think it'sinteresting to me, it's like I
think, um, maybe we even touchedon it, we did touch on it in
the last, um, uh, big talk aboutsmall business that we had last

(06:41):
week, this idea about how muchyou have to work and how
available you have to be and howengaged and committed that you
have to be.
I'll tell you what people canargue with me all day, but if
that's not a commoncharacteristic across the board.
I don't know, what is itcertainly?

Speaker 3 (07:01):
is, and I've experienced myself and other
people experience.
You know the idea that you canbe passively an entrepreneur or
you really can't.
You know it's not even you'renot in the right category, right
, and speaking of that, You'rean investor.
You're an investor at that.
You're not an entrepreneur,which?

Speaker 1 (07:22):
is fine.

Speaker 3 (07:22):
Yeah, it is, don't you know?
Don don't, if you mix, don'tget confused.
Yeah, exit to.
You find yourself in a world ofhurt on both sides.
Honestly, uh, because investorshave to have a lot of patience.
They have to see the, like yousaid, the big picture.
They have to wait it out, youknow?

Speaker 1 (07:37):
I mean, there's a lot to that you say that we're in a
world, but that's what wealways are, aren yeah, we're
investors and we'reentrepreneurs at the same time.
Yeah, oh, for sure.
I mean, if it's all our moneygoing in the business, we're the
investor Totally.
I mean it's.

Speaker 3 (07:52):
But my experience has been the trump card is the
entrepreneur part.
Yeah, right, because if I'mtrying to be an entrepreneur and
investor in the company and I'mleaning more on the investor
side, and I'm leaning more onthe investor side, oh yeah, I
get it.
It's not good, it's disastrous.
Emotionally disastrous, I agree, but you know, like we talked
about on the show, so there'sthe difference between
entrepreneur and investor, butthere's also a difference

(08:15):
between an entrepreneur and aprofessional manager right,
which we're not talking toprofessional managers on the
show.
And then you've got yoursolopreneurs that just want to
have a small business and justnot really grow the business.
That's not really a realclassification, right From our
discussions?

Speaker 1 (08:30):
Yeah, exactly.
So that's why I don't call themsolopreneurs.
But I hear you People do?
They get mad at me when I saythat, yeah, but I mean, but
you're right, they're notgrowing.
Yeah, yeah, they don one there.
Yeah, yeah, they don't havethis ambition to build and solve
yeah, yeah, exactly, and buildand sell either, right, um, so,
yep, you're right about that.

(08:50):
Um, I'd like to.
I'd like to come back to that,though, in a minute um, because
I want to talk about more abouthow entrepreneurs don't fit in
one bucket.
Yeah, according to one of thestats here provided to us, women
represent 40% of globalentrepreneurs, with an

(09:12):
increasing presence inmale-dominated sectors.
So, in the US, 58.5% are men,41.5% are women.
Average age 44 years old.
I think that's awesome, man, I,I do, too.
I, I think it's fantastic.
I, and I'll tell you what.
You know, I've seen data thatshows that women-owned

(09:34):
businesses actually performbetter.
Yeah, I can believe that.

Speaker 3 (09:38):
So I mean, we can all hypothesize for the reasons for
that yeah, because I mean Ithink that the what, what's
awesome about that is thatyou're seeing that that growth
and diversity right, which youknow I have seen at my age a lot
of that transition, you know,because I think that really has
definitely accelerated in thelast probably 20, 30 years.

(10:00):
Oh, sure, you know, but it know, but it's, it's, it's uh, it's
very encouraging to see that andI mean that balance is great
too, because there's, you know.
So I mean really the reality toit is is as a human being, and
your experience in life, fromchildhood right, and your self
esteem and your self concept andall that stuff, and then your

(10:22):
vision to make a difference inthe world is really the, I think
, the components to make a greatentrepreneur.
Yeah, no, you don't have to sayit, it's so, like anybody, in
any, any, any any race, gender,what doesn't matter, yeah Right,
but those experiences in havingthe, the empowerment and the

(10:45):
and the guts to step out intoentrepreneur land, I mean more
the merrier, let's bring it Ilove it.

Speaker 1 (10:47):
Well, it's gotta be.
It's the future.
I mean it.
You know, we can talk all wewant about big companies and
who's hiring and who's layingoff or whatever.
The entrepreneur creates theirown job.
Yeah, Okay, and anybody can do.
It is the bottom line.
Anybody, at any age, at any sex, of any race.
Here's another one the averagesuccessful entrepreneur is 42%

(11:12):
old, or, excuse me, 42 years old.
46% of US entrepreneurs are GenX and only 7% are millennials.
That's interesting.

Speaker 3 (11:23):
I thought that was an interesting stat too.
It's like it skipped ageneration there a little bit.

Speaker 1 (11:28):
Yeah, I do find that interesting.
And it says here entrepreneursspan the early 30s to late 50s.
Well, obviously they span morethan that, because I'm freaking
67.
Okay.

Speaker 3 (11:44):
That's right.

Speaker 1 (11:44):
There's no single entrepreneurial age.
You know, I wonder why that is.
I mean, again, I just keepcoming back to this.
This guy I was interacting withon LinkedIn the other day, you
know, like I'm not my vacations,my time, I'm not going to do
that because I'm not an owner ofthe company and I only get paid
so much.
If that's your worldview, view,yeah, of work, yeah, you're not

(12:11):
going to make it as anentrepreneur.
No, no, no.
I mean, it's just that simple.
You know it.
You're not going to become anowner, you're not going to have
a chance.
You first you got to think likean owner before you are an
owner.
In any business, whether youstarted or you join one and
become an owner, it's like it'sso fundamental you know it's

(12:33):
interesting, like you talkedabout earlier, that business is
nothing but problems.

Speaker 3 (12:36):
If you could, if a person or a company could box
all its problems up and preventnew problems from coming in, it
would be that easy.
But you, just as anentrepreneur, you just work
through them Like the boxes.
I think is the same right.
There's just problems, problems, problems, right.

Speaker 1 (12:53):
And as soon as you solve one, new ones come up
right.

Speaker 3 (12:56):
So every business is fighting the problems Right, and
as the company gets bigger, themore problems that come in, and
so that therefore you need morepeople to handle more of those
problems.
But the problems still exist.
But I can tell you I've yet tosee C levels at major companies
not work relentlessly, yeahRight, I mean like the upper

(13:17):
management C levels, and I meanlike I've seen, I've seen like C
level folks work harder than Icould even imagine working, to
be honest with you, because theamount of problems that they
have to deal with are enormousYep.
Even though it's different thanbeing an entrepreneur, they do
share that 100% Well they don'thave to worry about the problem
of the toilet paper running outin the back.

(13:37):
Yeah, yeah, you have somebodyelse that worries about that.
Yeah, yeah, but as anentrepreneur, the box of
problems still exists.
You just have to deal with morediversity of problems, like
from the toilet paper to filingtaxes on time and sending the
1099s out.

Speaker 1 (13:53):
Yeah, just like we were talking with Bob this
morning.
Yeah, it's the same.
Yeah, there's no question aboutit.

Speaker 3 (14:00):
So, yeah, I know, as an entrepreneur, it's like you
cannot afford.
You can't box them in from aneight to five perspective.
Yeah, you know, and you have tobe willing.
I mean, if you're going to makethe decision in
entrepreneurship, you have to bewilling to commit.

Speaker 1 (14:16):
You know there are people who will argue with us
about that.
Yeah, all the time, mm, hmm.
And you know, like, I knowsomebody who is a very, very
successful artist, like theymake big money.
Yeah, okay, they own a freaking, you know, uh, giant place in
exxon provence, you know, andhave had art in all the major

(14:40):
museums around the globe and sheworks eight to four, five days
a week with a discipline likenobody you've ever seen.
But that's it, yeah, okay.
Yeah, I'm not saying shedoesn't do like shows and stuff
like that, yeah, yeah.
But she would say, oh, no, Ican do it, uh, you know.
But again I'll go back and saythat she's not an entrepreneur,

(15:03):
right, she's just a soloproducer who makes a really
really good living doingsomething really well, which is
fine, which is fine, but that'snot what we talk about.

Speaker 3 (15:13):
Right, there's a probably a solopreneur podcast
out there.
That's more fitting right todiscuss how you can manage that
and, yeah, build your own wealthand all that type of stuff.

Speaker 1 (15:24):
But yeah, exactly, I mean, the reason she's
successful, in my opinion.
Well, first off, obviously sheknows how to market herself yeah
, or she wouldn't be, yeah, butthis.
And secondly, she's supertalented.
But the third thing is she'sgot discipline in a field where
people don't have any, yeah,okay, where, yes, and so that

(15:44):
just it has allowed her to outproduce everybody else.
She can spit out five to sevenpaintings a month, whereas other
people out there they work,they don't work, they're not
inspired, you know whatever,yeah, okay, yeah, it's all
inconsistent you know it's funnythat you said they've word

(16:04):
right, like what I think a lot,of, a lot of folks might see us
like we might.

Speaker 3 (16:10):
We do have a level of vision and aspiration when we
walk in a room, right, sure, butit's not always like that.
It's most of the time it isthat discipline.
It's just like working out.
You're not motivated to go runor push weights or whatever it
might be, but if you have thediscipline to do it and so, out

(16:32):
of pure discipline andobligation and accountability, I
show up at places because I'msupposed to do that and I have
to do that.
I know that it's superimportant to be at a certain
place and to have my presencethere so that the team knows.
You know I don't have to goright.
You know there's a lot ofthings I don't have to do, but I
know that the consequences ofthem if my discipline's off on

(16:54):
that, yeah, then then thingsstart start breaking down pretty
quick and I'm not alwaysexcited about it.

Speaker 1 (17:00):
no, no, kidding, I mean.
So discipline is another reallygood characteristic to have
100% If you're going to be anentrepreneur.

Speaker 3 (17:07):
So, speaking of like, I've seen a lot of really great
military folks inentrepreneurship that I'm just
like dude, I would give anything.

Speaker 1 (17:17):
You wouldn't think that, though you would think oh,
these people are order takers.
They want the rules allestablished for them.
It's not necessarily the case,it's just their religious
discipline.
I see the same thing instudents.
When I've got students who comeout of the military, they're
really really good students,jeff.
They're like, okay, it's such agreat training group, it's
awesome.

Speaker 3 (17:36):
I mean, you know, my wife was in the Air Force.
Like, her discipline is stillthere today, intact.
You know, I, I mean it's justlike what, how she was trained.
I mean it's just this clockwork.
I mean you just boom, boom,boom, boom boom get it done.

Speaker 1 (17:51):
It's like.
It's like that famous umcommencement speech from the
general yeah, admiral, orwhatever, about make your bed,
just make your bed, start yourday with making your bed.
Yeah, it's so true, isn't it?
It's totally true, man, I mean.
I mean we could.
We could really go down arabbit trail on this, because I
am convinced that, when it comesto marketing, this is the

(18:12):
biggest problem companies have,and small companies, aside from
the fact that they don't believeit works and they don't spend
enough on it.
But the other thing is they donot have the discipline to do
every single thing they need todo every day, every week, every
month, that, if done, yeah, willresult yeah In business.

Speaker 3 (18:33):
It's always.
I mean, marketing is such agood example of that because the
like too many, I think, smallbusiness owners, entrepreneurs,
are looking for some sort oflike one answer Magic bullet,
magic bullet.
Yeah, marketing Marketingdoesn't work that way.
No kidding, you've got to postall the time.

(18:53):
You've got to have multiplesocial media platforms, you've
got to have a website, you'vegot to have emails, you've got
to have emails.
Branding, yeah, and all of it.
Don't stay and all the time youhave to focus on that and just
keep marching and then over time, it'll start working, you know,
and there's no magic bullet toit.

(19:13):
But you're right, thatdisciplined approach to know
that you just have to keep goingand trucking and taking steps
every single day, yeah, it's abig deal.
I like this next one, too,about education levels.
I like this next one, too,about education levels About 62%
of entrepreneurs hold at leasta bachelor's degree.
Others succeed with minimalformal education.
Yeah, that is interesting.
Because you don't?
I mean because, again, Ibelieve entrepreneurship is

(19:37):
about the vision, about thediscipline.

Speaker 1 (19:39):
Yeah, it doesn't always say 62% of a degree in
business, right, right.

Speaker 3 (19:44):
Yeah, yeah, you can totally have.
Like I mean, my degree was injournalism.
Yeah, exactly, for goodnesssakes, you know, yeah, but you
take that, that learning, andyou apply it to business, like
the ability, like what I lovedabout journalism was I'll learn
how to ask questions to people,to interview people yeah, and
then I'll learn how to toconsolidate a conversation into

(20:07):
the most meaningful bullet in acoherent yes, exactly.

Speaker 1 (20:10):
And you also learned about man bites dog as opposed
to dog bites man, right, manbites dog gets attention.
Yes, it's marketing headlinesyes, exactly, headlines.
No, I get it, I mean, but thedegree, the fact that you did
that, also shows, again, acertain amount of discipline.
Yeah, you could set a goal.

(20:31):
You did all the things that youhad to do, you filled the
requirements, you got out ofschool right, yeah, for sure,
and I could also build a reallygood case that, honestly, I
think a business degree is veryhelpful.
At the Walton College we've gota completely different.
We've got multiple trackswithin entrepreneurship, in fact

(20:52):
, like product design track, oroutdoor recreation, you know, or
small business, or startups,you know, tech based, I mean,
there's so many different waysyou can go, but we do provide, I
think, education that would behelpful to people to get them a
quicker start.

(21:12):
But you're right, I mean, anydegree, I think, is a plus, yeah
, and it shows that you have thewill of someone to get the
ability to, to, to really learnhow to learn yeah, yeah, exactly
.

Speaker 3 (21:24):
That's it, and I would say also another highly
valuable thing on the educationfront is your network.
Do you know?
I mean, like there's and I tellthis to my daughters all the
time, you know they're worriedabout what they're going to go
study and all this type of stuffand I'm like, look, one of the
greatest values is that you, youare in a position to where you

(21:45):
don't have so manyresponsibilities and you can
build relationships with people.

Speaker 4 (21:50):
Yeah.

Speaker 3 (21:50):
And if you get involved in certain things, like
I'm a big believer in thefraternities and sororities,
because it's like you're justcollecting a lot of people with
a lot of diversity and you'regetting to know folks that you
never got to know in high school, yeah, which was a more
isolated experience, and now youget to meet all these folks and
the folks you walk out ofcollege with, because you're
learning and you're studyingtogether and whatever it might

(22:12):
be, and everybody goes out andgets professional jobs.
Yeah, there's your network.
Sure, right, no, you're right,you know and I think that you
know, I mean speaking about ourarea like going to the U of A.
If you're born here, you go tothe U of A and then you exit the
U of A and start yourprofessional life here Like man
you have, you have greatlyincreased your chances for

(22:33):
success.
Oh no question Whether you'reemployed or you're starting a
business.

Speaker 1 (22:37):
Yeah, every one of my kids has gone to the U of A.
I got four out of five and it'sa fantastic school, but your
network stays intact.
Sure, no, you're right.
You're absolutely right aboutthat.
So yeah, so education.
Here's another one.
Motivations are diverse 60%start businesses due to
dissatisfaction with corporatejobs.

(22:57):
29% cite the desire to be theirown boss.

Speaker 3 (23:02):
So I have an opinion about that stat.
I don't, those are dangerousstats to me.
You know you should not.
Because you're an entrepreneur,because you're dissatisfied
with your job.
Yeah, you really shouldn't.
That should not.
That's, that's, that might be,that's the cause of failure,
exactly.
Yeah, you hit the nail on thehead.

(23:22):
Cause of failure because it isnot the same, it's not the same
sport.
No, you're right.
By any means whatsoever, I getit.
I don't disagree with whatyou're saying, and if in you
know, now and then I think theyou know the the other one about
um desire to be your own bossis not even it's that's.

(23:42):
That's not true either.
Like I am absolutely not my ownboss.

Speaker 1 (23:46):
I know you got your employees and you got your
clients exactly, and I got thefreaking government right.
You got your wife.
I mean I know more bossentrepreneurship.
Yeah, no, that's so true.

Speaker 3 (24:00):
I always said that yeah, you just walk around every
day with problems and you'retrying to solve and make people
happy and content yeah, youcan't just operate with impunity
, it's just like that's the wayit is.
You know, I know I, it's so truenobody ever believes the do it
because I said so.
That's all about what?

(24:20):
And here's the thing you can'tsay to do something.
You have to do something, andthen people will do what you do,
because I have tried a lot oftimes to not do what I say yeah,
it never works.

Speaker 1 (24:31):
No, that doesn't work with your kids.
You know it's the same thing.
You know it's like don't textand drive and meanwhile you're
texting and driving, or you knowyeah I mean, it's just it.

Speaker 3 (24:41):
Yeah, I get it um, it's so true look, you know, and
to dive into that point alittle bit, you know what's the?
I wonder what the psychologybehind somebody that's like
working for somebody else,employed.
They're like I would love to bemy own boss.
Like what is it in their mindsthat makes that?
I think that that's a anattractive option.

Speaker 1 (25:02):
I think there's a lot of things like maybe they work
for somebody who's not ethicaland that makes them feel bad.
Yeah, maybe they're working fora company that doesn't put out
the quality that they think itshould be putting out yeah right
, maybe they work for a companythat won't innovate or change
what it does to better meet theneeds of the customers.
Maybe they work for a companywhere they spend all their time

(25:25):
in meetings and providinginformation to other people
instead of in their primary role, which is what they're
interested in.
I mean, I think all thosethings are possibilities, don't
you?

Speaker 3 (25:38):
Yeah, and so that they, with all those things they
see this attraction of, if Icould be my own boss, then I can
manage this or change this.

Speaker 1 (25:46):
Right, that's the real thing.
I see what you're saying.
It's sort of lumped into I wantto be my own boss, but it's
like why do you want to be?
That's the question you asked,yeah because I have bad news.

Speaker 3 (25:56):
There's somebody that's thinking that, yeah,
there are reasons why I wouldthink in a lot of cases, why a
person that's employed does notlike something that's going on
within that company, like youmentioned product quality or
ethics of a certain supervisor,or what might be the ability to

(26:17):
solve those for any business andwe're talking again about
solving problems it is sochallenging for a business to
solve all these differentproblems that are happening.
Yep, you know what I'm sayingand so, like, if you want to go
out and be your own boss and youthink it's going to be just the
decision of that and it's goingto make solving that problem
that you set out for, like ifit's a product quality thing,

(26:39):
wait until you get into theweeds.
You know trying to solve thatproblem right because it's the
problem for a reason that'sexactly right.
Right, and it's a bigger damnproblem than you could ever
thought.
You know it is right.
Yeah, I think that there's um,it's true, you know there's I've
experienced this work at biggercompanies there's, there's

(27:00):
folks that may not be at seniorlevels, that are just
disgruntled with theirsupervisors, but they don't
understand the, the choices andthe problems that they're facing
.
It's like there's these layersright, like the entry level
doesn't understand people inthere.
For you, it just stacks on upto the executive and then to the
board.

Speaker 1 (27:18):
That's a shame, though I mean that's not a good.
The company needs tocommunicate with its people
differently.
If that's the case, I'm notsaying it's not common, Right
right, but I mean that is aproblem.
Yeah, that is a problem thatit's probably within the control
of the company to manage betterthan they are, and I think a
lot of times like your point.

Speaker 3 (27:38):
You say this a lot transparency, yes, exactly, and
there's a lot of times, at thehigher levels, they don't feel
comfortable about beingtransparent about the problems
that the company might be facing.

Speaker 1 (27:48):
Yeah, you know it's funny.
I've always been one thatshared everything and I really
believe in that yeah.
Okay, I've actually started toreconsider that lately.
Uh-oh, I know this sounds crazy.

Speaker 3 (28:01):
Yeah.

Speaker 1 (28:02):
And you know again, I mean, I'm trying to learn every
day, but here's one that is asituation that I think is.
This is one where I wonder ifthere's been oversharing.
Okay, let's say you've got acompany that's not performing
financially and it just keepsgetting bailed out over and over

(28:24):
and over by its investors.
What does that say tomanagement of that company?
That it's not being properlyran okay, but they get bailed
out every time.

Speaker 3 (28:36):
Yeah and all that there's going to be another
bailout exactly it's not reallythat you know.

Speaker 1 (28:43):
Yeah, I hear it's a problem, but you know what we're
gonna get.
It's gonna be okay.

Speaker 2 (28:47):
Yeah, we're gonna get bailed out anyway, ready to
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Speaker 1 (29:05):
Okay, yeah, that's when I feel like there's almost
too much information.
Yeah, people need to feel likeyou know this could be the last
time.
Okay, yes, they need that.

Speaker 3 (29:20):
Hey, frankly, fear is a pretty big.
I heard a statement justyesterday about this.
There's two things thatmotivate us as human beings.
Yeah, there's fear and there'spain, right, and I mean like,
and we for some reason try toavoid all those and act like
they don't exist.
No, you're right, that's whypeople don't want to go work out

(29:40):
.
Yeah, you know, because it'spainful sure you know.
yeah, but I mean like that, butthey to have some sense of real
fear.
Yeah, because things aren'talways going to be rosy unless
we do something about it.

Speaker 1 (29:52):
That's why I'm saying , in a way, it it, it.
It violates one of my coreprinciples.
Yeah, information sharing, yeah, it does Okay.
Principles yeah, informationsharing yeah, it does okay.
Yeah, because it you know, theysee.
Yeah, they see what happens.
I mean, it's like if I told youyou know 10 times um to not um

(30:14):
light bottle rockets whileyou're holding them in your hand
.
Yeah, and you did it 10 timesand every time you could throw
them and it never burned youyeah okay, what are you going to
think about time 11?
I could do.
It's all good thing may blow upin your hand, okay, I mean it's
sort of the same kind of thing,but anyway, yeah, it is a

(30:34):
problem.
I mean fear is a motivator,there's no doubt about it.
Because I mean, I think if youreally go back and you, you, you
know you talk about certaincommon experiences that a lot of
entrepreneurs had.
My experience is that many ofus felt, like in the homes that
we grew up in, that theuncertainty of the employment

(30:59):
situation for a parent wonderingif they're going to have a job
or not, okay, or the uncertaintyof the income coming into the
family is a super motivator forthese people.
When they get to be adults,they do you know?

Speaker 3 (31:16):
and here's what, here's what interesting about
that.
Like, when I think about that,like I'm I haven't.
I know a lot of folks too.
It works the other way.
They, they had uncertainty,they had those things, and so
the best course of action is togo get certainty from a major
corporation oh yeah, work andwork the ladder and just be, be,
just be in that world, but allthe while they never really in

(31:38):
their heart are wanting to dothat yeah, and plus that's
always a fake sense of security.

Speaker 1 (31:43):
it really gets is you can get fired at any time.

Speaker 3 (31:45):
Yeah, I feel more secure as an entrepreneur
because I can see what's coming.

Speaker 1 (31:48):
Me too, and you got multiple clients and customers.
You can get fired by one.
You're still in business.
Keep going, baby.
Yeah, it happens all the time.

Speaker 3 (32:06):
I do want to say something on the fear thing,
just to make sure, advocate thatthere's especially fabricated
fear.
No, no, no, no, not at all.
But to admit like I stay in afear mode pretty much all the
time.
Yeah, you know, I'm kind ofconstantly have a fear.
That does help motivate me, I'malways in fear.

Speaker 1 (32:14):
You know what I've, I know there's.
I always said I paranoia drivesme.
Everybody's out to get me, okay, I mean, maybe you feel like
that for a good reason.
I was saying maybe they are allout to get you.
Uh, now I'm constantly in fear.
I'm the same way.

(32:35):
Yeah, it's like all mycompanies, everything I'm
involved in, I I always feel,always scared.
It's like everything,everything, no matter what the
scenario is.

Speaker 3 (32:45):
It's like you know here's what's great like your
fear of, you know, not havingenough revenue.
Then, all of a sudden, you landa big job and then how do I get
it done?

Speaker 1 (32:57):
how do I get it done and not piss off the client?

Speaker 3 (33:01):
oh yeah, is your team going to cooperate?
Are we going to?

Speaker 1 (33:05):
lose one of our key people right now that we're
relying on to do this, that wejust sold that I know.
Oh, I mean constant fear.
It's constant fear.
It's con.
Absolutely.
We get a big new lendingrelationship.
What if that goes away?
What do we do not then, twoyears from now?

Speaker 3 (33:25):
yeah, tariffs are coming fear.
There's what we're gonna do toto face that.
Oh yeah, I mean all this stuff,yeah it, yeah it's.

Speaker 1 (33:34):
We're.

Speaker 3 (33:34):
We're constantly in a state of fear you know, and I
think it might be good for anepisode to how do we, how do we
manage that fear, right, I meanI?
My statement immediately isjust work through it like you
just have to keep plowing, keepthe blinders on, keep your head
down, just keep driving, driving, driving yep, keep doing the
work.

Speaker 1 (33:52):
Yeah, man, just keep working.
Do the daily, do the daily workthat you got to do.
Yeah, your problems come whenyou don't do that.
That's right, okay.
And then they mound up realfast.
It's kind of like one of thosethings where those like comedy
skits, where they're on anassembly line and something goes
wrong and then the stuff juststarts piling off the end of the

(34:13):
line and turns into a giantpile.
It's like that with yourproblems.
You got to be sitting there onthe line every day dealing with
what you have to do, or they'rejust going to mound up on you so
fast and there's where theirdiscipline comes in.

Speaker 3 (34:26):
Yep, you got to take care of that crap.

Speaker 1 (34:28):
So I do think, while there's no typical entrepreneur
in terms of age, sex, race,whatever, yeah, maybe we can
show studies that say 44 yearolds are the most successful or
whatever.
I saw one that said like 49year olds are the most
successful, or whatever.
I saw one that said like 49year olds are the most
successful.
We could hypothesize on thatthat they've got the energy they

(34:48):
need, but they still, you know,it's because of they've got
experience.

Speaker 3 (34:52):
Sex motivation, is that it?
Yeah, this is like that'sactually.
Isn't that one reaction?
But I actually read in inthinking about taboo topics?
well, yeah, but but thinkinggirl rich, right?
Yeah, he talks about that.
Most people, well, this is kindof like your millionaire status
, right?
The multimillionaires, likemost people that are between the
ages of 50 to 55, is like thesweet spot because their sex

(35:16):
drive it's still there.
It's still well, hold on.
It's not there as much as itwas before.
It's not as distracting as itwas before.
Now they're hold on.
It's not there as much as itwas before.
It's not as distracting as itwas before.
Now they're focused on.

Speaker 1 (35:27):
They should really be 67.
Dude, you have a very brightfuture.

Speaker 3 (35:37):
But that does make a lot of sense it does, though.

Speaker 1 (35:39):
Yeah, but I think they've got experience too.
Oh, yeah, for sure.
I mean 25 years of professionalwork experience out there.
You learn from all that.
It's very true.
I mean it's not just specificskills you learn.
You learn about things likestaying calm under fire.

Speaker 3 (35:56):
Yeah.

Speaker 1 (35:57):
Okay, yeah, it's true , that's a big, big one.

Speaker 3 (36:00):
It is a big one and that takes experience that you
know you're going to stay alive.
I remember when yeah, actually,when I was meeting with you and
ed friedrich, way back in theday, and I was like 32, you know
, and you guys were like, I mean, we're free.
Knows how old he's ed.

Speaker 1 (36:15):
If he was still alive he'd be 80, 82 or something
like that, yeah yeah and so.

Speaker 3 (36:19):
but y'all were sitting there, you know, and and
and, uh, kind of talking aboutmy age, because y'all asked and
you're like, yeah, it'd be coolto be back that age.
But actually, no, not really.
It gets better as you get olderbecause you don't worry as much
.

Speaker 1 (36:32):
It's so true, yeah, but it doesn't mean we're not
scared and telling lies.

Speaker 3 (36:36):
That's right, we still are, you just don't show
it, you don't let it, don't showit, you don't let it affect you
, like all around.
Yeah, exactly that to be trueas well.
Things usually work out wellfor people that work yeah, it's
so true.

Speaker 1 (36:50):
So while there may not be a typical entrepreneur in
terms of all these demographicthings, there are some common
characteristics, personalityattributes or attitudes toward
things that seem like theycreate a higher probability of
success as an entrepreneur.

(37:10):
We could agree on that right,totally agree.
One of those is the disciplinethat we just keep coming back to
over and over.
Yeah, you know, yeah, hard work, discipline, you got those
things, you got a lot of whatyou need, okay.
So Well, thanks listeners forjoining us again today.
Yeah, hard work, discipline,you got those things, you got a
lot of what you need.
Okay, you do so.

Speaker 3 (37:26):
Well, thanks, listeners, for joining us again
today.
Yeah, it's been, it's beenfantastic, hey.
And thank you, listeners, forsubscribing to our YouTube
channel.
It's growing like crazy.
I don't know if you noticedthat.
Yeah, yeah, that's going great.
I mean we keep getting moresubscribers, more views.
I more subscribers, more, moreviews.
I mean, thank you so muchappreciate it's good to see that

(37:46):
you are enjoying the episodesand keep tuning back in.

Speaker 1 (37:48):
tell your friends and , yes, tell all your homies,
tell tell all your homies, aseric says yes, no, send it's.
Just grab an episode and justforward it along to somebody if
you think it'd be helpful tothem.
Yeah, that's.

Speaker 3 (38:00):
That's what we're all about here yeah, especially
those folks that have beentalking about being an
entrepreneur for years andhaven't made that scary step.
Yeah, but actually I've seenmore cases that people were
really happy that they made thatmove.

Speaker 1 (38:16):
It never seemed that scary to me, honestly.
Well yeah.

Speaker 3 (38:19):
Well, that's not yeah me neither.
I mean yeah, it's just what wedo, but I think there's a lot of
people it's like what else arewe?

Speaker 1 (38:26):
going to do yeah, we don't know anything else.
We're ignorant, we'reunemployable.
It's totally unemployable,virtually unemployable.

Speaker 3 (38:33):
Totally so.
But I've seen a lot of folksthat have struggled and done
analysis, paralysis, on I reallywant to do this dream.
I really want to do this dream.
You have this vision, but theyanalyze themselves out of it and
they never make the move.
But yet they're absolutelyunhappy at what they're doing.
Yep, they're stuck in a blackhole and, look, I genuinely hate
that for people.

(38:54):
I do too, and I always tellthese folks I'm like you just
got to make the decision and go.
Yep, but that's a hard one tomake.

Speaker 1 (39:10):
Yep, but that's a hard one to make.
Yeah, no doubt about it.

Speaker 4 (39:15):
Thank you all for tuning in.
It's been another fantasticepisode of Big Talk About Small
Business.
If you have any questions orideas for upcoming shows, be
sure to head over to our website,
wwwbigtalkaboutsmallbusinesscomand click on the Ask the Host
button for the chance to haveyour questions answered on the
show.
Stay connected with us onLinkedIn at Big Talk About Small

(39:38):
Business and be sure to headover to our website to read
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