When I think about an entrepreneurial mindset, I envision strength, daring, risk-taking and a relentless fervor to succeed in the mission. In the world of internet marketing, I think this translates into steadfastly developing fascinating personal blog content and incredible You Tube videos, linking them out into social media like Facebook and Twitter where they are eagerly devoured; creating Twitter posts and Facebook entries like clockwork, to inform, entertain, enthuse and allure the minions of your followers and those you are following; rocking the online world with Pay Per Click campaigns that have keywords dripping off your keyboard and into the laps of hungry–make that starved!–enclaves of thankful consumers clutching their hearts while dialing your number with trembling fingers and abated breath, just waiting to learn MORE about your business opportunity. This is the entrepreneurial mindset to which I aspire.
This is not the entrepreneurial mindset I enjoyed this week. I started my week doing my faithful, what I like to call “community service”. I checked out all the great posts of my blogging friends and post comments and retweets to get myself into the groove. I immediately learned that on my own blog, my retweets weren’t retweeting and my simple face book plugin was far more complicated than it should have been. Even my commentluv posts failed to link back to my post because, apparently, my commentluv program had to be updated. Who would guess?
With my entrepreneurial mindset clutched firmly in my grasp, I bravely contacted my plugin vendors for help, only to find my passwords were wrong (of course I had failed to write them down anywhere since I “knew” I couldn’t possibly ever need them again, or … that my memory is so astounding that I’d certainly recall them when put on notice). We’ve all lost passwords, though, so I courageously entered my emails and requested permission to reset them. But my emails weren’t registered. What? Registered? Nobody ever… wait, I’m an independent entrepreneur. I need to think of these things myself. But come on, register my plugins? This was insane. Who ever heard… but I digress.
I put out a distress message to Kimberly Castleberry, my favorite, endlessly giving and always spot on technical expert and… in time, all will be well.
So, turn to my Pay Per Click campaigns instead. A strong entrepreneurial mindset requires that we roll with the punches, endure the valleys as we relish the peaks… yaddy yaddy yaddah. So I simply rolled up my sleeves and started putting my Google Adwords campaigns together until I learned that Go ogle didn’t recognize my account information and I had to start a new one. I can deal with it.
Turns out Google also was aghast at the configuration of my capture pages and I was best advised to create sub domains for their URLs, but… the sub domains would, at best, reduce my quality scores to levels that would keep my brilliant keyword campaigns from ever reaching any of those craving eyeballs. Off to build a custom domain, except I wasn’t sure how to actually apply that to the technological system I’m utilizing so I had to put out an “Urgent” support ticket for direction on that process. Three days later, the matter was resolved.
Oh, did I mention… by that time the week was pretty much shot, along with my nerves. I couldn’t do a single video what with pulling my hair out all week I looked afright, so much that my dog wouldn’t stay in bed with me on those rare occasions when I made it to that forgotten repose. My computer was still intact, despite my waves of threats to dash it against the sharpest corner of the wall. But it hardly helped any since in the middle of my most critical webinar of the week, it totally froze. No reason. It just froze.
Did I also mention that I have some nice little investment properties. This week I had to pay a plumber over $200 to unclog a toilet, the oil company over $300 for an emergency heating fuel delivery, some guy I don’t know $150 to install a new doorknob so the tenants could stop climbing in and out of their window and… Oh I didn’t have to pay the electrician. He still hasn’t showed up after 6 phone calls and the tenant still can’t watch TV in the living room or open his garage door (one of those convenient remote control ones!).
Back to my entrepreneurial mindset, and roll with the punches and never give up and on and on. I really couldn’t figure out ANYTHING of value that I could offer to my readers this week, in terms of incredible learning or inspiring vignettes. So this is what you get.
I struggled with which category to put it in… seems to have little to do with internet marketing, social media or blogging per se. So I put it in the Health category. I don’t really have one for mental health.
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21 Comments on The Entrepreneurial Mindset
21 Comments
Dave.
I love this post for so many reasons! First, I must compliment you on how well you write. Your voice is so strong and so authentic. I can tell you are a reader!
But I also love how honest you are in this post about the trials that come our way as we make it through each day and week as home-based entrepreneurs. Sometimes it is really hard to keep that smiling face all sunshiny when toilets get clogged and our PPC campaigns are getting the big fat lock-down from Google.
Love your attitude! And the photo you put in here is awesome!
Mary Lou´s last blog ..Olympic Lessons
David,
If this blog doesn’t help everyone who reads it to keep on keeping on when thigs go wrong nothing will. Yes we all will have weeks like this and they are no fun, but if someone as inspiring as you can talk about it with so mufh candor and humor, it lets us all kmow that we, too can make it through them too. Thank you so much for the educational and inspiring blog post.
Sandy Abrams
Thanks Sandy, I’m glad you found some usefulness in my misery!!
David,
Boy do I feel for you! I love your style, I felt like I was right there with you. Awesome reminder that life throws us curve balls all the time. The key is to stay on task and go through it. Thanks so much for the great chuckle. I’ll remember this when I have one of those weeks,
Val
Val Wilcox´s last blog ..Are You on a Rhinoceros Path in Life?
I hear ya David, its so easy to get both overwhelmed and burned out if we don’t have both a system and a plan to give ourself breathing room! Even with all of it though, you bring us a slice of reality pie and remind us we’re not alone when we go through the same things! Rock on!
Kimberly
Kimberly Castleberry´s last blog ..Mike Dillard’s MLM Traffic Formula 2.0 – Warrior’s Challenge!
David…it’s like you’re reading my journal!! Love your honesty, authenticity, and sense of humor!! Gotta keep positive and look for what’s right in every situation. Love your style my friend…keep the good stuff coming!!
Thanks for all your help out here, Jay, and for your own technological sharing! It sure helps keep me positive, even when things are a bit askew.
David,
Your authentic self is shining super bright. I think so many times people paint this picture of “oh just get started, everything’s easy, you’ll be making money in no time” because they want the quick buck.
If only every entrepreneur could read this post and understand the reality of the UNMELTABLE mindset one must have to be successful in business, either they would see they weren’t cut out for it, or have a gameplan based on truths and are willing to face the challenges with the right attitude.
Love it my friend. I’ll be back to feed on more….
Debbie
debbie turner´s last blog ..Who is CarbonCopyPro For?
Well I really appreciate the support from you Debbie and Kimberly, because I could swear that, from all appearances, neither of you ever have any hurdles to clear! Just sailin’ along…
David!!! You are a rock star!!! I love this post. Very well written, I could see every moment of your “Day in the Life of an Entrepreneur”. I can certainly relate to some of the experiences you have described. It is days like this that keep our entrepreneurial muscles exercised. Great content. Maybe you could add a category….”Entrepreneurial Mindset”. You seem to have a knack for writing on the topic.
Krista Abbott´s last blog ..Get Inspired: Pimp Your Browswer with FireFox 3.6 Personas
Between laughing, and directly associating with so much of what you’re writing here David, I’d say you’ve just about covered it all. Having a mindset that says “You can handle it with faith” is just about the only thing that we can sometimes hang on to.
I think another fabulous topic is getting your spouse on board so the two can knock out some of the challenges together.
Kellie Frazier´s last blog ..A New Definition for Leadership – Be True To You!
Well I got some good ideas from Krista and Kellie for a new category and my next (?) post. Thanks for all the input. I certainly value your advice, being the leaders in the community that you both have become!
David you make me chuckle with your comment about me sailing along! You know I scheduled some time with your gem of a insight-providing wife Donna the other day! Seriously, regardless of what things appear on the surface, all of us have our struggles, and as much as we think they LOOK big bad and ugly to others you’d be surprised how often people dont see them! It is only because of support of people like you and Donna and many others in this community that I keep my head above water most days. The heart of this whole matter is about friends and knowing who’s shoulder you can grab when things get too much. Never hesitate to reach for your friends, it deepens the bonds not breaks them. We’re all in this journey together, we all have our challenges… yet it is our strengths, our individual personal strong spots, that magnify and strengthen the others on our teams. I’m blessed to have you and Donna in my life!
Kimberly
Kimberly Castleberry´s last blog ..Hot Facebook Tip: Facebook Post Privacy, Control Who Sees Your Post!
I really appreciate your thoughts Kim. And, of course, I’ll share them with Donna. It’s a lot of work, but you know we’re having a ball too. So, together, let’s keep this ball rollin’ !
Hey David,
What a great post…reality. It doesn’t get more real than that.
We’ve all been faced with obstacals and sometimes it feels like we are the only ones dealing with lifes challenges…you are not alone my friend. Having a ‘rock solid’ mindset is what it takes to overcome these challenges and that’s exactly what you have.
Thanks for sharing
Sharon
Sharon Hartman´s last blog ..How determined are you?
Oh, we all have days, weeks like this don’t we? And you had the “nerve” lol to post it, when you didn’t have anything else (or so you imagined) to talk about. Yet this post resonates with me and I’m sure so many other fellow entrepreneurs so much. I often get caught up in the daily glitches and wonder what the hell?! But you had the courage to stretch and go with it and work your way through. Way to go! And a good lesson for us to be reminded of.
I love the honesty in this post, that you STILL posted something. That it was real. Sometimes I get so sick of everyone trying to make the “perfect” post.
Thank you, you made my day.
Carry on!
It’s good to hear from you Michele, I see you as a self-motivated achiever that I can learn a lot from. Happy to be following your progress.
What a great, deeply authentic post that I think anyone can relate to! Across the board, whether learning internet marketing & social media or marriage & family, I think we will always be thrown things at the (seemingly) most inopportune times! GRRR!
I’ve experienced my share of this on the “life” side lately, which is why I think I wrote my recent post on perseverance!
It certainly is great to be part of a tribe of such understanding, helpful and widely skilled friends! Thanks for sharing you heart, David ~ I really enjoy your writing style!
Beth Allen´s last blog ..The Power of Perseverance
Business is business, Beth. But life… that’s where we REALLY have to get it right. Persevere! I know you will.
David,
What a way with words you have! Even your disastrous week was so eloquently shared! This post is awesome!… well let me rephrase that… my heart goes out to you for surviving this tumultuous week but the way you spoke of it was quite enjoyable!
I think at some point every entrepreneur goes through these weeks where NOTHING wants to go right and you can either sit and sulk, or suck it up and keep moving forward. I give you a ton of credit for moving forward, and honestly your authentic writing style will keep me checking back for your newest posts.
Look forward to connecting with you again soon!
Amanda´s last blog ..SuperQuick Tip Of The Week – Facebook Share Plugin
I’ve just started blogging (having converted my existing static site to Wordpress), and I’ve been following your advice very closely. As a professional copywriter of over 10 years’ experience, I admire your model of providing high quality content as the basis of everything you do, and will try to emulate this approach on my blog.
This entry was posted on Monday, February 22nd, 2010 at 4:51 pm and is filed under Health & Wellness. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.