Hearing Erik Hanberg, our first guest speaker, talk about his entrepreneurial adventures was encouraging to say the least. He showcased the variety of businesses he either created or was involved in, and even broke down his income between them. This, to me, was real proof that you don't need to have this fantastic blockbuster idea in order to be successful, but rather it is more important to have confidence and perseverance. When Erik talked about just "starting" to build your business and make your idea a reality as being one of the key parts of entrepreneurship, I think he was right. Conquering the obstacle of fear or hesitation is the first step and definitely a big one. He also talked about enjoying the work that you do, which encourages me because my startup company is something I absolutely love, and would very much enjoy working on if it takes off. I feel that I've already taken that initial step that Erik talked about, and seeing what he has done motivates me to continue.
Erik also talked about the learning process of building a business. He mentioned that the skills he would acquire from one endeavor would help him build the next one more easily. His marketing skills from his fundraising career helped him in Side X Side when he worked on that business full time with his wife. Her graphic design skills were put to use there as well. This alludes more to the long term lifestyle of an entrepreneur: that your first business isn't necessarily your only one. Erik has started multiple businesses, which is also encouraging to me, because it reminds me that I don't have just one shot to do what I love and that's it. Instead I have a lifetime of opportunities to leverage and enjoy. I related a lot to this talk, and hope to remember the tips, pointers, and perspective for later down the road.
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