The biggest killer of the entrepreneurial spirit is not what you’ve been told. Not even close.
It’s not money. It’s not the market. It’s not even the products or services offered.
People are leaving their 9 to 5 jobs in droves… and trying their hand at entrepreneurship. Rarely do they have a clue how to do it, what it takes, or where the pitfalls are. And if you’re looking to educate, inspire and offer invaluable insight to looking toward the entrepreneurial life with ambition, but fear in their eyes, then I can help your event and your audience.
Whether it’s in real estate, day trading, multi-level marketing, an online or brick-and-mortar business, or any other entrepreneurial endeavor, the opportunities are robust.
So are the risks. And the pitfalls.
About 90 percent of all new startup businesses fail, while 75 percent of venture-backed startups dry up before long. Fewer than 50 percent of businesses survive to their fifth year. Even fewer reach the 10-year mark, with only 33 percent of businesses reaching this coveted milestone.
Even if a startup survives a couple of years, very few actually make a profit. They cling on for a while, hoping the next month will see them break that barrier, but it never seems to happen. Then the entrepreneur folds up ‘shop’ and goes back to slugging away at the daily grind … for someone else.
It’s disheartening, and most of those who try and fail never go at it again.
“If your organization is looking for a dynamic speaker who mesmerize audiences, John MacGregor is a brilliant choice. His disruptive approach to gaining personal financial freedom and peace of mind is not only revolutionary and engaging but also transformative. His words of wisdom grip attendees, giving them exactly what they need in these difficult and stressful times.”
JW Wilson
Executive Director - The Learning Code Institute
A Note from John:
Thank you for considering me for your event. As a conference and event organizer, I know how important it is to hire quality speakers that add value to your event with great content that is informative and entertaining.
I’m a highly energetic and informed speaker that will have your audience engaged, laughing, and having a great time while gaining valuable insight that will better their lives and careers. You will enjoy working with me, because I am prompt, professional, organized, and easy to work with in all phases of your planning process. I pride myself in exceeding expectations and having a 110% satisfaction rate.
My presentations are educational, motivational, inspirational, thought-provoking, refreshing, and most important, actionable.
I will challenge your people to evaluate their current paradigms, inspire them to elevate their lives and careers, and send them home with a set of clearly defined actions that can be applied in their careers and lives.
There are numerous myths about why so many startups fail. They include:
- Not having enough money
- Failure to assess the market
- Lack of vision
- Trying to be everything to everyone
- Not building a team
- Not enough marketing
- Poor planning
- Not delegating
- Burnout
While there may be some truth behind some of these, in my 20 plus years of working with and coaching entrepreneurs and small business owners, the real reason so many fail runs much deeper than any of these.
When you look at anyone who has successfully started and grew their new business regardless of industry, their success had little to do with education, their upbringing, their financial literacy or any other external factor.
The single biggest differentiator between those who fail and those who succeed comes down to mindset.
Entrepreneurial mindset:
A way of thinking that enables you to overcome challenges, be decisive, and accept responsibility for your outcomes. It is a constant need to improve your skills, learn from your mistakes, and take continuous action on your ideas. Anyone willing to do the work can develop an entrepreneurial mindset.
Entrepreneurs are NOT born. They are forged, often in fire. The fire of struggle, challenge, mistakes, and failures.
Successful entrepreneurs are driven to this goal. And this same drive enables them to do what is necessary to be an entrepreneur.
And the single biggest killer of the entrepreneur is not what you might expect.
- It’s not failure
- the economy
- or bad ideas
- It’s not a lack of money
- or burnout
It’s doubt.
Doubt in ourselves, our surroundings, or our abilities.
Self-doubt murders dreams long before any external factors come into play.
Most people are afraid to start pursuing their dreams and they never take that first, critical step.
Or if they start, but turn back at the first sign of trouble, convinced they don’t have what it takes, that they’re not smart enough, don’t have enough ‘education,’ or not enough business acumen.
This is why the entrepreneurs you serve need to get their mindset right … from the beginning.
Being an entrepreneur starts with that feeling inside– that entrepreneurial spirit you need to nourish and hone.
That innate dream. That insane desire. That notion that you can do it, even though everyone around you says to not even try.
There are plenty of naysayers and ne’er-do-wells who would love nothing more than for these dreamers, these ambitious entrepreneurial-minded men and women to fail. Why? Because when we succeed, when we don’t fail, it only shines the light on their own shortcomings.
But those negative voices often fill the gaps in our minds where doubt and fear fester. They foster and reinforce those doubts, and bring our mindset down with them.
That’s what we need to break… the connective tissue between doubt and fear and hope and confidence.
Every entrepreneur is unique and no path to success is the same, but all successful entrepreneurs share a specific skillset that allows them to solve problems, overcome obstacles, and thrive in their respective fields. Some of those skills include:
- Ability to confront self-doubt: Teaching yourself how to think means acting like your own coach or cheerleader. Entrepreneurial success comes from your ability to control your thoughts and confront self-doubt, making it easier to navigate the failures and disappointments that will strike you along the journey.
- Accountability: Having an entrepreneurial spirit includes recognizing your responsibility for the outcomes and actions of your business. When big things go wrong (and they will), the buck stops with you. Even when outcomes are beyond your complete control, entrepreneurial thinking requires you to avoid making excuses and instead take action to resolve the option.
- Resilience: Mistakes are inevitable when attempting to launch new ventures. Everyone from Silicon Valley billionaires to low-level employees makes mistakes. That’s why resilience is one of the most important life skills for an entrepreneur. Your ability to bounce back from failure will help your business stay afloat and inspire a team to follow your leadership.
- Willingness to experiment: Whether you’re the co-founder of a bourgeoning business or simply one of the many people trying to set out on a new career path, your road to sustained success will lead you to many tough decisions. Entrepreneurs are always willing to experiment when it comes to new products, business plans, or problem-solving techniques. They test out different products and pricing, soliciting feedback from a core team of trusted advisers, and they’re willing to abandon ideas when they aren’t working.
My Message to All Future Entrepreneurs:
Whether you’re an employee looking to level up your career, a 9-to-5 worker exploring how to become a freelancer, or become a founder and CEO of your own company– when you master the entrepreneur mindset, you will begin to accomplish more goals than you ever imagined.
As an educator and coach, I will walk your dreamers, your visionaries, your men and women with the entrepreneurial spirit along a journey of discovery that establishes the mindset necessary for success and growth in any industry and any venture.
Hire me for your next event and watch the success rates of your attendees climb through the roof. In fact, who needs a roof? When your mindset is aligned properly, there are no limits.
Imagine what could happen then!
Let’s talk. My bags are packed and my experience ready to deliver. Let’s get this done!
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