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Ditch the Job Mentality and Develop an Entrepreneurial Mindset

Posted By Guest Blogger 31st of March 2011 Blogging for Dollars 0 Comments

This guest post is by Caz Makepeace of y Travel Blog.

Having success in the blogging world is attributed in large part to your own thinking and the mindset that you bring to this new avenue of making money.

Most people arrive here wanting to break free from the rut of a nine-to-five job that they’re no longer passionate about. The hours are long, the work is never-ending, and the pay is poor. Huh! On second thoughts, it sounds very similar to the beginnings of blogging.

What many people don’t realize is that the major hindrance to success in their blogging niche has nothing to do with technique or value, but with the job mentality that they have brought along with them.

Crossing over from a job to blogging is not just a physical move—it also involves a complete change in your mindset. It is a completely different world to what you’re used to in the cubicle farm. I often see arguments break out online which immediately make me wonder whether the people involved have an entrepreneurial mindset or a job mentality.

To cross over to the entrepreneurial world, you need to adopt the following ways of thinking.

Change is evolution

Job people become stuck in the way things are done, and always have been done. They are used to rules, schedules, and procedures. When they cross over into the blogging world, they discover that the rules have changed—and often, they can’t handle it.

Entrepreneurs understand that in the business world, the rules are always changing and if you don’t evolve with them, you’re going to die.

The major arguments that always emerge within the travel blogging community arise between those from the journalistic world and those bloggers whose success has had less to do with their linguistic ability than with their ability to market and network.

Really I just want to shout, “Listen up! The rules have changed. You are not in the journalist world any more. You are in the online world. The place where degrees and awards don’t matter. Anyone can start a website and have massive success with it. Whether you like it or not, doesn’t count. This is the reality of online marketing and building your own business. You either become an entrepreneur and adapt to the new world, or you sink—fast.”

How many highly successful entrepreneurs do you know who were never great at school and didn’t get a college degree? Let’s see. There’s Bill Gates, Andrew Carnegie, Walt Disney, Richard Branson … They have gotten where they are because of their entrepreneurial mindset. Entrepreneurs don’t try to fit the square peg into the round hole—they become a round peg instead.

Think big

Entrepreneurs think big and focus on the ultimate vision of what they are doing. They think outside of the box to look for new and unique ways to be successful and make money. They do not follow the herd. They watch and learn, and then say, “How can I make this better? How can I do this in a different, yet bigger way?” When you think outside the box, you create things that make you move above the crowd.

Job people concentrate only on the tasks at hand, and follow what most other people are doing. They are not used to focusing on the bigger picture as it has never been their vision to worry about. Bringing that limitation over to the entrepreneurial world can stifle your creativity and restrict your ability to handle and solve the many challenges that will arise.

Quitting becomes an easier option. Entrepreneurs know that the road to eventual wealth and success can be long and difficult, and the bigger vision helps move them through that period.

One of my favorite Donald Trump quotes is, “If you are going to be thinking anyway, you might as well be thinking big.” If you think small, you receive small.

We began our travel blogging world with the intention not to make a few ad bucks here and there, but to look towards a bigger picture that can lead us to earning vast amounts of income from many different sources. This bigger picture has an impact our strategy.

We haven’t made much money from our blog yet, and we’e okay with that. We have had success with the bigger picture we have focused on: building our brand and online presence, building a strong community, and networking with the right people. That will become our springboard for future projects that will bring in bigger rewards.

Self-promotion

I know people who are afraid to hand out their business cards, or tell people who they are and what they do. When you are able to do that confidently, you have made a big jump over into the entrepreneurial mindset.

No one is going to promote you for you. No one is going to care about what you have to offer more than you.

If you want to have success in an entrepreneurial world, you have to learn to promote yourself. Think of all the big brand people you know: Richard Branson, Donald Trump, Oprah Winfrey. What are all these people good at? Self-promotion.

Entrepreneurs are willing to do whatever it takes. Hand out those business cards, shake that person’s hand, and speak confidently about what you do and how you can offer value to others. Invite people to check out your website and connect with you via your networks. Share your work and successes.

You are guaranteed to receive criticism for doing this. Concentrate on your bigger picture and understand the criticism comes from those who want to do what you do, but have not yet broken free from the job mentality.

Networking is vital

Job mentality people tend to call this a “You scratch my back, I’ll scratch yours” kind of deal, and in some ways it is. But, in my entrepreneur mind, I never see it as being the case that if I do something for you, you have to do something for me in return.

It has more to do with building relationships and from those, interacting with those you like and trust. A natural extension of a relationship with someone you like and trust is to read their work, use their products, and recommend them to others. People do business with those they like and trust, just as they are friends with those they like and trust. There’s nothing shady about it.

Entrepreneurs immediately start building their networks of professional and business contacts. They understand the power and truth in the saying “It’s not what you know, it’s who you know.”

Networking is not just about what others can do for you, but what you can do for others. Being an entrepreneur means helping out others and providing value when you can. It means creating a mastermind group of people you can share and bounce ideas off of. You don’t hold your cards to your chest for fear of losing out and having others rise to the top over you.

Learn from those you want to be like

In the job world, we are taught that to move up the ladder and get that much-desired promotion, we need to prove we are better than the rest. It becomes a dog-eat-dog world: the knives come out and we are prepared to stomp all over those beside us in order to get to the finish line first.

Entrepreneurs have the intention to be the best at what they do; they are competitive and like to win. But, they know they don’t have to destroy others in the process. They understand that we each have a unique perspective or value that we can offer.

They understand that the best way to get to the top is to learn from those who are where you want to be. They don’t look at the person in the mansion on the hill and feel jealous. Instead, they find out that person’s name, they give them a call, and they say, “Hey. I really like what you have achieved. I want to be like you. How can I learn what you know?

And usually that successful entrepreneur replies, “Well, how about we meet up for coffee and I can go over a few things with you?”

Entrepreneurs understand the concept of abundance. They understand what it takes to get to the top and they are more than happy to take the time to help someone do the same. As with everything in life, there will always be anomalies, but I have never met an entrepreneur yet who I have not had an interaction with that’s similar to what I have just described.

Making money is a good thing

“I think it’s scammy … dirty. I don’t want to ask for it. I feel funny asking for freebies.” These are just some of the comments I hear thrown around in the blogging world when it comes to making money.

I recently stayed in a hostel in Sydney free. It wasn’t really free, because in return for that I tweeted about the hostel the whole time I was there. I wrote a really great review of the place. I also wrote a couple of other spin-off articles on my site that linked to that piece. I promoted it through my social sites.

I had at least six people say to me that they would definitely stay in this hostel when they come to Sydney. That was on the day it was published, and from those who spoke. But let’s keep it at six and say that for one night’s stay in the dorm room where it costs $40, the hostel would earn $240. It cost them $140 to give us a private room for the night. We made them money.

Entrepreneurs think like this. They believe they can offer value and know they deserve to be rewarded for it. Because of this, they are not afraid to ask for the money and they don’t believe it’s dirty when they get it. They approach all transactions from a win-win perspective and there’s nothing bad about this.

On a similar level, I hear many bloggers say they feel they are selling out on their readers by selling advertising. Really? If your readers expect you to spend countless hours every day writing valuable content that informs and entertains, without receiving any compensation for it, then you need to get new readers.

Do you think they feel the same way when they pick up a magazine, a newspaper, or turn on the TV? Why do people think that when you enter the blogging world, suddenly you should start writing and work for nothing? If you have a job mentality then you may not get past these uncomfortable feelings of “selling out.”

You are doing this for the passion—yes! But you are also doing this for the income you originally craved so you could start living your life by your desires.

Think like an entrepreneur: “There is nothing wrong with making money. Making money enables me to move forward and grow, so I can in turn provide more value.”

If this article has struck a raw nerve with you, then ask yourself, “Could this perhaps be a sign that I have not yet crossed over?” Well … have you crossed over?

Caz Makepeace has been travelling and living around the world since 1997. Along with her husband Craig they are the founders of y Travel Blog. You can visit her Facebook Fan Page or sign up for herRSS Feed.

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Comments
  1. I enjoy your article about developing an entrepreneurial mindset. I agree it’s important to have a different mindset when blogging. We need to think big, be kind and helpful to our readers, accept criticism and use it to make ourselves a better blogger and offer to our readers what “they want”. We need to offer value.

    • Accepting criticism is really important. We shouldn’t become injured by this, instead we use it as a way to improve. This is how entrepreneurs think!

  2. Converting from the “working” religion to the “entrepreneur” religion can definitely be a hard task to accomplish. Most people believe it can happen over night when in reality it takes dedication and the drive from inside to help accomplish it.
    Great post Caz!

  3. Wonderful article! I think the most important thing Ive developed as a blogger is shear persistence. People enter the blogging world (or online world in general) thinking it’s an easy road to wealth. But that’s typically not the case. It’s like running any business and it takes hard work and dedication.

    These are not qualities I’ve picked up from my job. It’s my blog that keeps me creative and always focused to succeed.

    • Great point! Persistance is definitely one of the key to success. I think overnight success is just a myth. Even if it appears someone has success overnight, I think if you dug a little deeper you will see that they have been working on developing the mindset to have that success for years.

  4. All the tips are great. Viewing money-making as a good thing is a block for some entrepreneurs.

    We acquire negative ideas about money from those around us. If we transition from a 9-5, most there are doing it for the money – not because they love the job – so they naturally view money in a negative light.

    Keen insights here. Thanks for sharing!

    RB

    • We are constantly told negative things about money from a very early age. It is hard to break that pattern of thought. One thing I always say is the more I have the more I can help others. This helps me to believe money is actually a good thing.

  5. What are the laws/rules where you’re located about accepting freebies and disclosing them? Do you feel that receiving freebies taints the objectivity of your review? In other words, the hostel let you stay for free so they’d be pretty ticked if you’d trashed them in the review.

    • I think it is imperative to make it clear up front to those paying you that your review will be your review regardless of the money. Don’t make decisions like that based on the laws and rules; make them based on your integrity as a blogger, influencer, or authority on a subject.

      If they know they aren’t buying a “good” review, then your negative (constructive) criticism will be taken correctly.

    • I am in Australia, so we don’t have the disclosure rules like the US at the moment. Nevertheless, I will still disclose as I think this is important for keeping my reader’s trust. I always give honest reviews. I have been lucky so far that all my press trips have been very positive. If something goes wrong I certainly mention it and I make sure my sponsors know that I will give an honest review up front. I’m dealing with reputable travel operators, tourist boards and small businesses here so I don’t think they would take us on press trips if their product wasn’t great. If I think something looks dodgy that I wouldn’t like then I wouldn’t take it.

  6. Great post, Caz. You’ve touched on points here that really resonate with me because I’ve had a hard time making that crossover to the entrepreneurial mindset. Parts of it I’m good at (relationship-building), other parts (self-promotion) I’m not so good at. Although “changing your mindset” is a lot easier said than done for most of us.

    • Changing your mindset is really challenging. Or it can be really easy. I think most of the time it is what we tell ourselves it will be. It does take a practice though and you really have to have a strong awareness of what it is you are doing and saying to yourself. Once you become aware of this you can easily change it into new thoughts and actions. Just keep moving forward and the change will come.
      If you are finding the self-promotion difficult usually that means that you don’t believe you are good enough or have enough value to offer. Which is not true. So each day you need to begin telling yourself that you deserve it and you have so much to offer others. I remember hearing someone say one day to me, It is selfish of you to hold yourself back and not share with others what is unique about you and what could positively impact others. If you think of it in these terms it might help you to become more confident with self-promotion. Another way around it is to make sure you promote others just as much as yourself.

  7. Great post – I’m giving myself 6 months to transition to full time entrepreneurship from having a job, and I completely agree with this article, especially the part about knowing your value and understanding that making money is a good thing. In creative industries this is a hard concept for many to grasp, and I’d like to see that change! Great article, really helpful!

    • You are welcome. Just know that the transition might take a little longer or it could be shorter, so always remain flexible with your time goals. Definitely have them as it keeps you focused on what you have to do, but don’t let it get you down if you don’t achieve it in that time. You will still get there- the only way you won’t is if you quit. Go for it!

  8. Awesome post Caz! Changing your mind set can be extremely tough. Expecally when you are attempting to blog and work a 9-5. However, I feel that the entrepreneurial mindset isn’t a bad mind set to have in the workplace. Today I think everyone would be wise to develop an entrepreneurial mindset if they plan on getting ahead.

    Once again, great post.

    • Hi Tim,
      I do agree about the entrepreneurial mindset being a great one to develop even when you are working within a job. It can help you work harder, think out of the box more and recognize opportunities. Many people cross over to their own business with the mindset already in place. It wasn’t until just recently that I realized I always actually had the mindset, which was evident in my unorthodox lifestyle, I just didn’t believe or understand what was possible for me.

  9. You’ve hit it with this post – but I have to disagree with one thing. The “job mentality” isn’t all bad – thinking of blogging as a job is what gets me out of bed at the unnatural hour of 5am to write. If I indulged in the “sleep in because there’s no boss to yell at you” mindset, guess what…..the less than fun stuff would never get done. I’ll always find time to write blog posts and comments like this one, because they’re fun to do. But professional writing isn’t just about the writing. There’s a lot of hard work involved in the business too, and that’s what requires the discipline of getting up and going to work, even when I’m tired or don’t feel like it.

    • Thanks Tricia. I think you getting yourself out of bed early has less to do with a job mentality and more to do with a desire to be successful- an entrepreneurial mindset. I can’t say I know of any entrepreneur who indulges in sleep ins. I bound out of bed when I know the day is going to be spent growing my own business and I don’t go to bed until late at night, because I have so much to do to work on my business and I love doing it. Entrepreneurs are motivated mostly by intrinsic factors, job mentality by extrinsic- the boss yelling. Which one is more powerful?

  10. FYI when you try to go to your blog it redirects back to this article….

  11. Amazing timing – I have been thinking about this subject a lot lately and your post framed the answers to my questions perfectly. Much appreciated!

  12. I agree 100% and I think that the proper mindset is actually one of your most important weapons!

  13. An excellent post! The difference between Job Mentality and Entrepreneurial Mindset is huge! When I get together with likeminded entrepreneurs, we discuss our new projects, share experience and brainstorm! When I get together with people who have jobs, they usually complain about their colleges, the company and how little they are paid. It used to be a mystery for me, why they don’t leave the job if they hate it so much. But now I understand why, they are stuck in the Job Mentality. I am not saying everyone has to leave their jobs right away, but if someone has an entrepreneurial spark, there are tons of opportunities these days to start a business on a part-time basis, blogging being one of them.

    • What people talk about is always a very big indicator of mindset. I am a real solutions orientated thinker. It never ceases to amaze me how many people talk about their problems just to talk about them and fill the air with negative junk. I’ve learned not to waste my time with people like this. I used to always spend my time coming up with solutions for them, yet no one ever wanted to try out any of my solutions– they just wanted to whinge. I soon learned what as going on.
      I’m like you “If you don’t like it then change it. Because you can.”
      I now stick to conversations with those like-minded people who I can bounce ideas off, utlize their strengths and get lots of encouraging feedback.

  14. Hi Caz,

    I think slowly, the idea that a blogger sells out if he has advertising or sells products is dying out. People are waking up to the fact that blogging / content management is a legitimate form of business. People provide value to people and deserve to be rewarded for their effort.

    • I hope so Max. I think if you provide enough value you should be compensated. And bloggers can provide tremendous amounts of content.

  15. Useful post. I do a lot of freelancing so I’ve had to learn how to adapt to changing circumstances with different clients and companies but have not applied this much to blogging. I’ve made attempts at it but none of it stuck because I started to feel like I was at some type of 9-to-5 job and I also felt like I was acting like those creepy internet marketers and I didn’t want it to be like that, so I stopped. Blogging has since become more enjoyable, despite the fact that my blog generated over $700 for one company in the matter of a few days but I only netted 10% (or, $7) in commission, so that sucked big time.

    The most important point to learn from your post is the ability to adapt with ever-changing times, especially in the blogging arena.

    • Yeah those commissions would suck. That is when you have to stop and think what else could you do to bring in better money.

    • That would be $70, sounds like they’re screwing you at 1% not 10%, which is still really bad.

  16. Thanks for the great post! As my husband struggles to start his own business locally (R And D Anime Connection, Fort Smith, AR) and I struggle to turn the blog I’ve been keeping since 2005 into a multi-platform-hosted, syndicated, social-networked blog that grows in readership and leads to eventual income, I am taking advice where I can get it. I tried the affiliate approach on my Blogger site, but it’s a few cents here and there. I was told by one blogger that readers can get annoyed by the affiliate links, so I haven’t tried to add them to the other versions of my blog. I’ve got the networking part of your approach down pat, but I’m not sure where to go from there. How do I turn hobby into income and how long do you think it takes?

    • The first step to change from a hobby into an income is to treat it like a business. Take some time to analyze your approach to blogging. Are you treating it more like a hobby, or are you treating it like your full time business. Again it is a mindset thing. Once you can make that switch then your mind will start thinking in bigger and better ways to start bringing that income in.
      I think affiliate links here and there are okay, as long as it is providing real value and it is something you use yourself.
      Start thinking of how you could perhaps create your own products and look into other forms of income.
      As for how long does it take? I cannot answer that. I don’t think anyone can, there are too many variables. Think long term and focus on the bigger vision, this will take away your need to have it done by a certain time.

  17. This is a great post.
    Having job is not secure as having you own income generator.
    Considering the job market worldwide,it may be a good thing to have a backup plan.

  18. All things I have experienced as an entrepreneur. I was especially uncomfortable with self promotion. I relate to the change in mindset. When you are an employee your job is more defined. As an entrepreneur you are always looking for how to serve people better

  19. I’m one of those who crossed over from journalism, so I understand why there’s some loathing towards content farm-type blogs with non-existent editing. Even if I do use my blog partly to entice people to view my online shop of wearable art, it’s very subtle—a button atop the sidebar. What I’m committed to is providing regular readers and visitors alike a good read. What’s a good read? Like a good meal, you leave nourished and satisfied. If your blog doesn’t teach, inspire or entertain, I feel starved after reading it. I want my time back!

    The other thing that could be causing the iffiness about asking for compensation in kind is the strong ethical barrier that keeps journalists from accepting bribes for a favorable story. Here, in particular, the crossover to entrepreneurial mindset is crucial. As long as we disclose we received swag of any kind for our piece, we can satisfy both our own conscience and the FTC.

    I found employment very stifling, in that no matter how much initiative and improvement I showed, the promotion process was based on seniority (I worked for state govt.). As a spanking new entrepreneur, I see the direct results of my efforts in the form of increased blog engagement and product views on my site. I never have to submit to a biased performance review!

    • I think you brought up a really valid point about promotion in jobs, particularly in government jobs. It doesn’t matter how much you contribute to the success of the business or department seniority will trump you over promotion and this is awful. This means people get promotions who don’t deserve it- how is that ethical or fair!

      Providing a good read is also crucial and I think the majority of entrepreneurs will do this as they are passionate about what they are doing and like to provide value.

  20. It’s interesting that some people are averse to making money. When you work a job, the only reason they pay you is because your employer is making more money off your work than they are paying you to do the job. You wouldn’t expect to hire a writer for nothing, though a lot of mainstream blogs use this approach to sourcing posts. Building an audience for your work is what takes time and effort in blogging, and once you have the readers, it’s time to think about solving their problems and getting paid, which is what sales is all about. You can live on handouts for a while, but the mass market is where the real money comes from.

    • I was always taught with my blogging training to focus first on content and then traffic. Forget the money to begin with. This will screw your blogs’ success as you will sell yourself short and focus on the wrong thing. this takes stamina and perserverance to do this. But it is essential. With a good brand, good content, traffic and community you will grow your loyal readership and then the money will come. This has been our only focus since we began. It has been only the last month that have begun to monetize because we are now at the right place to do so.

  21. I should make a good blogger because I have never had a job! Network constantly live and on Twitter and Facebook and LinkedIn. Tell people who you are, what you do, what you dream and what your business passion is. Don’t be shy. Be a personality to stand out from the pack – you’re no longer trying to fit in here! Becoming a successful blogger and entrepreneur is not a “Me Too” activity.

  22. Your article is written about me…and for me at the same time. I’m a REALTOR, and yes I am afraid, at times even embarrassed to just begin a conversation with a stranger and hand out my business card. I feel like I’m begging… I love my job and my clients say I’m terrific, in fact I’m a top producing agent within the franchise but at the end of the day…yes I have to change. I need to work on self-promotion.

    • It is all a process Michael. I used to be exactly the same way. I began to change once I started doing something I was really passionate about and believed in. I knew then that I had something of value to offer, I loved what I did and am an expert as it. Makes it so much easier to put yourself out there.
      Aim to go that one little step further each day and pretty soon you will begin to feel more comfortable. Make it a goal to talk to X amount of strangers each day and hand out your card.
      Know that you deserve it!

  23. Caz, thank you for an inspiring post. It takes many hours of hard work but the rewards are endless; time being at the top of my list. When I switched over, the transition was so inevitable, I’d been a graphic artist for 10 years at it was time to venture out on my own.

    Networking is key and it saves many hours of promotion by just opening my mouth in social situations. Everyone wants to talk about making money and I’m always happy to learn and guide.

    complete independence = every risk necessary

    • Time is one of those things entrepreneurs never have enough of!! My biggest challenge is to take better control of this, so I can become more efficient. I have so many plans that I can’t get to them all right now. Prioritizing becomes so important.

      Networking is vital. We have just organized a fantastic press trip for the week of Easter, which seemed virtually impossible to do, and it was all through networking. As you said, it takes care of hours of promotion for you. And the more you network, the more people you meet in wider circles who can help out. Plus it is a lot of fun!

  24. So I’ll go ahead and be the first person to post without a link in my name because I am a job person. And in defense of all the “job people” I don’t think having a job in a company is necessarily a problem for an entrepreneurial mindset. You have to self-promote to get your projects seen and done at a company too. Most companies value teamwork – a good manager needs to know how to bring out the best in their people, not stab them to get ahead, so the remark is quite simply false. People who are successful in a company may also be successful entrepreneurs. People who hate their jobs and say negative things about their colleagues will probably be unsuccessful as entrepreneurs as well…

    • Casey, there is nothing wrong with being a job person if that is your path in life. All jobs serve very important and valid purposes. To venture over into your own business though requires a very different way of thinking, so this post was aimed towards those whose want to make that crossover.

      I absolutely agree that an entrepreneurial mindset can work really well for those in a job and those who have that mindset working in managerial positions can really beneift companies, especially with that focus on teamwork.

  25. I am agree with your post that we have to make a quality blog which have vision and missions.

  26. There is a big difference between having a job and having a business. If a job fails, you can find another one. If you business fails… you have to get a job. *Shudder* Live everyday with your business as though it will make or break you… because it probably will!

  27. Caz, this article sums up a lot of what I try to explain to people when they ask me about the biggest challenge of going freelance. Attitude is everything; when you’re sat alone in your bedroom at a computer no-one is going to ring you and offer you a job, you don’t have the natural leads of an established business. With the right attitude (and it’s not annoying people or drowning them in PR) you can tell people that you are a professional and you’re ready to work.

    • Attitude is key to everything in life. I think a lot of people think that this is something you are born with rather than what you can create. Once you realize you can create the right attitude the hardest part of the work is over!

  28. I loved this post. Often, I find the end of the month and the beginning of the next month, the best time to infuse my work with new points of view. Seeing your article and the title made me open it up immediately. Even on vacation, waking up early and letting the love of what you do as an entrepreneur fuel your day is exciting and energizing.

    Great tips. No matter how many times I hear it, I love being reminded to THINK BIG. Is it like that with you, too? Richard Branson, Oprah, and Donald Trump are great examples of that and | enjoy hearing what each are up to next. Thank for this post.

    • No worries David! I’m so glad it helped inspire you for the coming month. I think a common phrase of an entreprenuer is that they would often do the work they do for free. This is always the sign that you are doing what you love and are on the right track. Passion is the greatest fuel you can employ for successs and joy!

  29. Archan Mehta says: 03/31/2011 at 10:51 pm

    Caz,

    Thanks for a wonderful post. I appreciate your ideas. You write with insight and have experienced it.

    I think entrepreneurs are ill at ease with the status quo. They don’t fit in with the conventional mores.
    They tend to be mavericks with a different agenda and try to bring something new into this world.
    They want to create value for their products and services in the eyes of their clients/customers.

    I think that’s why you will find a lot of entrepreneurs dropped out of school. They probably found it a place that was soul-destroying like a 9 to 5 job. Instead, they wanted to change the world on their own.

    Look at the case of Steve Jobs, who dropped out of Reed college in Oregon. He invented the personal computer with a friend in a garage in Palo Alto, California. Until then, the PC did not exist, but he created one out of thin air. Today, that dream has become a reality, and you will find the PC on desks all over the world. I think entrepreneurs are dreamers who are equally good at translating those dreams into reality.
    They are fantasts who can use their imaginations to make dreams come true. Remarkable people.

    Cheerio.

    • Funny how you say they thought many entrepreneurs find school a soul sucking place. I’m a teacher and view it in exactly the same way which is why I am getting out of it. I feel like I can’t do that to children any more.
      Entrepreneurs don’t see the point in learning just for the sake of learning. It has to have purpose and be guiding them to their larger vision and plan.
      I certainly am thinking of alternative options for my daughter when it comes time for her to go to school. She has so many entrepreneur qualities that I just don’t want it squashed by the system.

  30. Just think for it “when we think the god laugh” so why we still think , That is mind is really pretty thing on this planet!

  31. I have a friend who is a multi millionaire and he never went to college and got E’s on his report card in school. Employee mindset is that of a sheep.

  32. “Michael row the boat ashore”…I’m ready to cross over.

    Thanks for your post…it is about mindset, but also timing and knowledge.

  33. Self-promotion is the hard part. It takes a lot of guts, and not really caring what you look like.

  34. I do not even know where to start…but this was seriously one of the best most helpful articles I have read on moving towards becoming an entreprenuer. It really validated a lot of my own thoughts and what I am trying to do with my blog.

    I like this “You are in the online world. The place where degrees and awards don’t matter. Anyone can start a website and have massive success with it. Whether you like it or not, doesn’t count. ”

    and I love this ” I hear many bloggers say they feel they are selling out on their readers by selling advertising. Really? If your readers expect you to spend countless hours every day writing valuable content that informs and entertains, without receiving any compensation for it, then you need to get new readers.”

    Great job and thank you for taking the time to put this together.

    • You are so very welcome Tammy. And thank you for writing to let me know how much this article helped you. I absolutely love having the opportunity to help inspire people and get them moving on the path of living their dream life. So it means so much to me to hear that it is helping people do that.
      Good luck with your blogging business. I am sure you will have loads of success.

  35. It is refreshing to hear someone talk about the change from the employee mindset to the entrepreneur mindset.
    The only part that I take issue with is the square peg, round hole analogy. I believe the entrepreneur does not become the round peg, but quite the opposite. They transform the round hole into a square one, or vice-versa, to suit their needs and the current needs of the market. In other words, they create a market rather than becoming a follower of the market. If you look at the successful entrepreneur examples you gave, that is exactly what they did.

    Thanks for the great insights and helpful suggestions.

    • I like how you switched that around, a minor detail but a very important one. I think you are dead on! I think entrepreneurs are highly adaptable though which was what I was trying to portray in the analogy.

  36. Awesome! You reinforced so many ideas I have but don’t necessarily feel confident about. “I’m not an animal!”
    If I can add one more thing? Never quit. I’ve struggled in the past to the keep my site moving and and somehow, just by not quitting, I made it through and found new strength. It’s easy to start a website and even easier to talk about doing it… the hardest part is continuing… working when the light at the end of the tunnel is dim and it’s alot easier to watch some TV. Take a break if you need to, but don’t quit.

    • Definitely. The only way you can fail is if you quit- an entrepreneur drummed this into me. When you focus on your bigger vision and you do what you love then it is less likely you will quit. And breaks are really important, they help you to open up your creative side again and remind you just why you are doing what you are doing.

  37. Nice post Caz.

    I think one of the main reasons people fail in online marketing is that… they don’t want to be online marketers in the first place. They want to have a well-paying, from-home job.

    It takes time to change the job “wiring” many people are brought up with…

    • Definitely. I was just reading elsewhere in a forum where someone was asking what the hourly rate should be for their online work. I struck me as really weird and immediately triggered the job mentality way of thinking. Value yourself as a total package of what you can offer, rather than an hourly rate. It is a very thin line of distinction but one that signals which side of the mindset you stand.

  38. I couldn’t agree more. Entrepreneurs think different from the rest of the crowd and often people think you are crazy. We go against the grain of society and try to change the world. Its a tough road to be on but eventually we get there.
    Great article.

    • Frank, this is a very important point. Entrepreneurs have to be really good at overcoming the thoughts and remarks that come from those who aren’t walking the same path as you. The dream stealers and naysayers can absolutely take away your dreams and get your racing for the job security blanket.

  39. This is a fantastic article. Sadly, the whole issue of mindset is often lost of the newbie entrepreneur. Instead, they are solely focused on getting strategies and tactics to make them successful. While strategies and tactics are incredibly important, they won’t get you through the tough times. When you are discouraged and feel like giving up, its the mental muscle that is going to pull your through.

    Some years ago I bought a CD series called the Millionaire MBA and it was excellent (no affiliation). The first few CDs were filled with interviews from other successful entrepreneurs and if you listen to it, you will hear words like: profit, loss, persistence, tenacity, focus, drive, determination, risk, ambition, etc…These are not “employee” words!!

    Trent

    • I’ll have to check that CD series out. Mindset is definitely just as important or even more so than the strategies and tactics. That kind of stuff can be easily learned and applied by following the formula. You can’t do that with your mindset. You have to work hard to change it. If you don’t it will kill your success and you will give up at the first sign of trouble.

  40. Caz,

    this is a fantastic article, and it’s not just for bloggers of course! I was out of work for about two months last year and worked hard on setting up the online infrastructure for my own business. I’m networking heavily and just having a lot of fun with it. Also, in my new job, I’m approaching it with the entrepreneurial mindset you talk about. Only two months in and I’m initiating a ton of changes, all for the good of the company and my own skillset. Believe me, I was not like this even last year when I all I had was the “9-5 till you’re 65 mentality”.

    I will make my business happen, my goals currently are about 1-2 years to go at it full-time. Do you know of any good resources for entrepreneurs who are still working a job and trying to balance setting up a biz and still having a life?

  41. When I was in college I majored in accounting and finance. I never was paid what I was worth in my profession. But here I am having fun building the largest most profitable most highest retention rate network marketing organization ever built throughout the history of network marketing easiy and consistently through education and teamwork!!

    Lawrence Bergfeld

  42. Entrepreneurial mindset is important and even those working should develop it to create multiple sources of income and to get recognition in life.

  43. I wish to do this but there are liabilities which stops me to do what I want to for full time. This takes so much courage to begin. I am trying it on the 1st stage right now.

    Thanks for the post. This encourages people like us.

  44. Brilliant article and I particularly liked your bit about traditional journalism. As someone who writes movie reviews I constantly come across movie bloggers from the world of journalism who appear angry that their linguistically superior reviews and blogs underperform compared to those who write reviews with the web in mind, yet they don’t want to listen when you say that writing online requires a new and different skillset to writing for print.

  45. Thanks for the info and web site quality. Greetings from Chile.

  46. I agree. One has to evolve. Rules change and so do your schedules and all that stuff. Those who will not evolve, will perish. That’s the most interesting part of being an entrepreneurial-

  47. HI darren

    I really appreciate what you’re doing here. Once again i learn lots of ideas from this vital post for all bloggers!

  48. Michelle says: 04/02/2011 at 9:43 am

    Loved this artivcle, and your website!! Great work

  49. I agree one has to proactive when he is working as an entrepreneur because when we are in our daily nine to five job we are reactive to the instructions passed on to us by our managers

  50. adam smolkowicz says: 04/04/2011 at 11:50 am

    Hey thanks for the great post

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