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17 Reasons Why I Became an Entrepreneur

Most people dream about becoming an entrepreneur, others secretly envy it and very few make the decision to live it. So, we asked seventeen entrepreneurs to reveal why...

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Have you ever asked yourself, “Why do people become entrepreneurs?” Or perhaps, you’ve had people ask you the same question. Entrepreneurship is the road less traveled, but arguably the most challenging and rewarding route you could ever take.

Most people dream about becoming an entrepreneur, others secretly envy it and very few make the decision to live it. So, we asked seventeen entrepreneurs to reveal why they became entrepreneurs and their answers will inspire you.

1. To challenge myself.

I decided to become an entrepreneur about a year or two after I graduated from Georgetown University when I was working for various companies but never felt challenged enough. More importantly, there were needs for products and services in the marketplace that I knew I could successfully fulfill.

Caryn Antonini, Founder & CEO at Early Lingo, Inc.: @EarlyLingo

2. To have my own destiny.

To become the architect of my own destiny and design a life, company culture, and business that was based on my personal values and expertise. I continue to hold to the motto which is our job is to inspire, uplift and serve.

Troy McClain, CEO and Founder at The McClain Companies: @TroyMcClain

3. To work from home.

I became an entrepreneur because I wanted to be able to work from home and stay home to raise my kids. I turned my love of bargain shopping into a website that helps others get things they want for a discount price.

Karen Hoxmeier, Founder at MyBargainBuddy.com: @MyBargainBuddy

4. To have a job.

My back was against the wall and I was forced to become an entrepreneur.  After graduating from NYU, I couldn’t get a job and I had to pay rent. I was an economics major and had my sights set on an investment banking gig. Instead, I found myself starting a tutoring service.

David Greenberg, President at Parliament Tutors: @ParliamentTutor

5. To give back.

My vision was to not only make great beer, but to also give back to the firefighter community, by donating a portion of company proceeds to the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation, the nation’s leading non-profit organization dedicated to honoring fallen firefighters and assisting their families and coworkers.

Rob Nowaczyk, Founder and Chairman at Fireman’s Brew: @FiremansBrew

6. To travel the world.

I was tired of spending my days commuting to a cubicle and packing my real life into two weeks’ vacation a year, so I created a business I can run from anywhere. In 2011, I have run my internet-based business from Laos, Cambodia, Bali, England, Italy, and I’m writing to you overlooking the beach on the east coast of Australia.

Marianne Cantwell, Director at Free Range Humans: @FreeRangeHumans

7. To switch fields.

I started Hero Design, a San Francisco design build studio, because I was switching fields. It’s hard to get a big-firm job as custom object designer when you’re primary training was a Ph.D. in neuroscience from Stanford. However, I discovered it’s easier to convince clients, then employers, to hire me to do the work I love. My clients don’t care that I have no formal design background. They care about the personalized, one-of-a-kind experience I give them, and the results I produce.

Alan Rorie, Owner at Hero Design: @AlmostSci

8. To work for myself.

I had worked in three multi-billion dollar, multinational companies in Chicago and wanted to stop working so hard for stockholders and begin putting that sweat into my own account. I also made the decision during my MBA at Northwestern’s Kellogg School – where I decided to stop being afraid of going for it on my own.

Thomas Williams, President & Founder at InnoGage digital marketing: @InnoGage

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