So far the journey as an entrepreneur

Entrepreneurship experience has different definitions, depending on who is answering when you ask. Everyone who embarks on this journey has crafted their own ways for what works for them and for what they sell or still in the process.

Each entrepreneur has a very different starting point, motivations, work ethics, many personal failures (sometimes) which act by the way as fuel tank for the whole drive, each has their own defined ladders to climb, and undeveloped/developed skillset.

Some of them including me have gotten the entrepreneurial sparks at our lowest point where most were tried and failed, and one option stood in front of us “to create something you believe in”. Something you can do all day and night, something you can sleep thinking of, a type of life you may not want a vacation from, a lifestyle you are willing to trade your time, something you really wanted to give birth, take care of and grow it at all cost.

I thought that there might be a starter pack when I wanted to start, some sort of a magic formula out there, but I couldn't find some since the beginning of each one is different. I had to unpack all that I thought i knew, taught, and irreverent things I used to read that only work in the western societies. This was a way of being honest with myself and I had to sit down, observe the reality to find out what can work best for me. The journey is still on since the starting day.

When I observe most the fellow entrepreneurs I meet or read from the books, I would say that they appear to me like the artists. The sense of individuality they develop from the collective experiences and the burning desire to stand out to make a difference.

Ups and downs happen along the way, it is up to you to make the best of each moment. Since most may know what to do with the ups. You may ask what would I do with the downs? Well, if you can look back you may find that you have probably learned more from your failures than your success. Just don’t find the scapegoat when it happens. Take full responsibilities, squeeze the whole juice out of it so that you may taste it and burry that sense in you to never do anything like that again. Such takeaways from failures are important.

I like to embrace this the entrepreneurship life shows the “best give and take model”. The trick might be that ‘it’s never about you, but the client you are helping to get what they want’-- the wellness of client as byproduct of your service will carve out the road for you.

At the core of this exchange of values through the services or offering products between you and customers lies a lot layers of exploration. The exchanging period may take months, minutes or days. It is always your job to keep yourself in check and what you represent, you started this and it's only you and your team to keep it going.

I cannot round this up without a joke :). Do you know the name of an entrepreneur who fails? He/she is called "an experienced entrepreneur". Along the journey, leverage is one of the top tools you need. Show some gratitude, and stay humble for there are heights in this. Stay grounded and be flexible to learn something new so that you do not loose your cool.

By Fred Mugisha

Author of "Mapping of Choices"