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10 Signs You’re An Entrepreneur, Reloaded

Take a look at 10 dead giveaways that signal you belong to a members only club of dream building entrepreneurs.

In late 2011, I wrote 10 Signs You’re an Entrepreneur as my personal love letter to entrepreneurs across the globe. My intention was to let you know: if you think like this, you aren’t alone and if you’re waiting for that proverbial sign — this is it!

 

If You’re Waiting for a Sign, This is It

As you may know, I am obsessed with perfecting startups and I truly believe that if you endeavor to imagine, courageously create and express your vision through entrepreneurship you are powerful beyond measure.

“If you endeavor to imagine, courageously create and express your vision through entrepreneurship you are powerful beyond measure.”

Because, in a way, entrepreneurship unveils the hidden potential inside all of us. Whether you’ve owned a business for 1 month or 5 years, you will inevitably do what some said cannot be done, you will push past perceived limits and — in a way that only you can — you will serve the world with your unique talents and gifts.

While none of the observations I made back then have changed, I’m convinced that 10 signs you’re an entrepreneur won’t sufficiently cut it. So let’s get down to business.

 

10 (More) Signs You’re An Entrepreneur

Take a look at 10 more dead giveaways that indicate you belong to a members only club where the power to create your own reality and build the life and business you’ve always wanted is closer than you ever imagined.

1. You may speak multiple languages, but B.S. isn’t one of them.

Every successful entrepreneur knows that entrepreneurship is “show and tell” and there is little room for superfluous talk and idle chatter. People can fake many things but you cannot pretend you’re an entrepreneur — you either are or you are not. You will either build or you won’t. And like Yoda teaching Luke Skywalker “the force” we all know: “Do or do not. There is no try.”

2. You have superhuman powers and potential.

Entrepreneurship will force personal development and unlock human potential. The territory of business ownership comes with the realization and creation of some powerful, dare I say “superhuman” traits.

By definition, superheroes are people that possess extraordinary powers and skills. Doesn’t that sound like an entrepreneur to you? For those of you that make deals happen against all odds, teach yourself new skills to build your empire, stand tall in the face of defeat and challenge the norms of your industry, you know precisely what I mean!

3. You have so many ideas — “Where’s the off switch?”

We all have the same 24 hours in a day, but during that time you’re likely bursting at the seams with creative ideas. Whether you believe yourself to be creative or not, every entrepreneur has to employ some level of creativity to run a successful business.

However, what makes you truly special is your ability to execute on those creative musings. You’ll hear many of us say, “Ideas are a dime a dozen.” What truly matters is the prioritization and execution of those ideas. That’s what counts. That is what sets you apart.

4. You know how to hustle.

You know how to hustle, hasten, “get her done” … whatever you want to call it. You know how to make it happen! You realize that in order to be successful, you have to learn and employ some level of the hustle — an aggressive, go-getter mindset with proceeding action to work towards a definite end.

5. Before you start your day (or night), you think “But first, coffee!”

I used to grab a Double Shot chilled espresso every single morning — like clockwork. Now I have green tea on tap. Whichever you prefer, whatever gets you going in the morning and keeps you alert and focused during the day is essential.

Many entrepreneurs go through phases where you’re literally up all night. In fact, during certain phases of your company’s development you may find yourself perpetuating a night owl culture where normal ‘office hours’ don’t resemble anything close to 9-5.

6. You know an indigenous language, spoken only by entrepreneurial tribes.

You cannot spend any amount of time as a growth-oriented entrepreneur and not learn that as the CEO you either run a B2B or B2C company that would definitely benefit from some WOM and PR to increase your ROI, because the P&L isn’t quite what it was last month and to hit that future IPO you’ll need to seriously crush it or disrupt it!

7. Sales reports are “welcomed” required reading.

Certainly you remember your high school required reading curriculum, chock-full of dystopian novels and classic coming-of-age stories. But I’d venture to say there’s nothing quite as poetic as upward trending sales.

Some people lull themselves to sleep by counting sheep. You happily doze off reading the latest sales figures from your monthly sales report. Who knew charts and graphs could look so good?!

8. You know “viral” is a good thing.

Viral is good. As an entrepreneur you know this — particularly when it comes to your marketing campaigns. In fact, mega viral is what you aim for. It’s the effortless marketing that has tremendous bottom-line potential. Viral is such a good thing, no entrepreneur wants a cure.

9. You seize the day and that deal.

You carpe the heck out of that diem and that deal! You see the opportunities, build relationships and create unique value. Your dealmaking skills are undisputed, but most importantly you have clear expectations for the road ahead.

10. Your definition of “weekend” has significantly changed.

My eyes glaze over when well-meaning people ask me “So, what are you doing this weekend?” That along with other crazy things people say to entrepreneurs. Why? Because the general meaning of weekend (and federal holidays in general) changes when you become an entrepreneur.

Generally, you’re not counting down to Friday’s with the same fervency as you would working for someone else. Often, I don’t even realize that Friday has come so quickly. But that is just another reason why entrepreneurship is awesome. When you put in the work, you can define your own “weekends”.

 

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