Why, Entrepreneur?

“You can’t turn a parked car.”

This advice was given to my husband soon after he graduated college and he grappled with the question, “What now?” The idea is that you have to do something to figure out where to “steer” your life. You need to try new things, endure boring jobs, experiment with new ideas, and once you are rolling, you will discover what your passions are and ultimately where you want your life to head.

This process is important to a successful entrepreneurship. According to Inc.com, “We spend so much time trying to break the code on the “how” of business success that we forget about our “why”. Why is the “why” important? Well, because it is what drives the passion, the soul and the purpose in your heart and business… the happiest and most successful are the entrepreneurs who are in business for a reason larger than themselves. I believe that this is because they are driven, not by fear or need, but by passion and desire; something much deeper and more meaningful.”

We can’t always figure out the why until we begin doing something. Once we are doing something, we can begin to ask ourselves some serious questions to learn why we do what we do and if we are doing something that truly matters to us.

• What does success mean to me? What am I most passionate about?
• In what way is my business an extension of my passion?
• If I could make a difference for anyone or anything, what would it be?
• What are some small steps I can take to begin to make that difference?
• Is my passion represented in my company culture, mission and vision?”