Comments on: Building Capital of the Entrepreneurial Spirit

By: Valeria Maltoni

Valeria Maltoni — Fri, 01 Jun 2007 21:46:04 +0000

Or we could call them small encounters of the first kind. The longer I live, the more I pay attention to that little voice inside. I used to call it intuition; now I call it wisdom. The reason: we tend to rationalize things that should make us uncomfortable and behave fearlessly in making decisions we may later regret. There is no need to act (in our own eyes) brave. Sometimes the hardest decision we will ever make is saying “no” to something that appears to be an opportunity. Our gut may let us know that it’s only in disguise, if we let it.

By: Wendy Piersall

Wendy Piersall — Fri, 01 Jun 2007 21:58:19 +0000

I wholeheartedly agree Valeria! I’ve written about head vs. heart decisions a lot, and following the gut as well. I’ve found that in the past, my intuition used to be a very loud voice when I didn’t listen.

In the last few years, the voice has gotten quieter. I think it’s because I listen more often, and we ‘trust’ each other so much more. So I think my intuition doesn’t feel the need to shout anymore, but sometimes, the whisper is so quiet I miss it.

Have you experienced this at all?

By: Des Walsh

Des Walsh — Sat, 02 Jun 2007 03:00:30 +0000

You probably know Chris Barrow, the coach from the UK who turned his experience of bankruptcy (as he said at a conference I attended, a very bad mark against you where he came from) into a valuable asset and grew a million dollar practice - when he sees his client’s business at risk of tanking he can speak with authority and conviction about why they need to get real (my paraphrase - I do have the transcript).

By: Christy

Christy — Sat, 02 Jun 2007 13:16:39 +0000

That was an absolutely fantastic post Wendy. I feel very bad for your friend. I tend to be a little too trusting now and then, wow, this article really made me stop and think.

By: Phil Gerbyshak

Phil Gerbyshak — Sat, 02 Jun 2007 16:03:57 +0000

Excellent lessons Wendy. One I would add: Don’t take it personally. Really, it’s not your fault.

Take responsibility for your actions, but don’t take it personally.

By: Matt Leighton

Matt Leighton — Sat, 02 Jun 2007 19:22:18 +0000

Smashing post - thank you Wendy. It’s important for us all to remember we are not alone in facing our small business challenges. Sharing our obstacles and seeking help from others that have more experience is something I have learnt to be very valuable. Sorry to hear about your friend, send her all our best wishes.

By: Joe Cheray

Joe Cheray — Sun, 03 Jun 2007 01:05:06 +0000

This makes me think of all the little things I have been doing for free in order to just get my name out there. I don’t even know what to determine what it is exactly that I do because I know alot but not enough to make me an expert. I was advised by my advisor at college that I can’t give any real advice on nutrition,fitness and wellness since I am not licensed. So well I have always been one to go against the system when and where I can. So I feel bad for this friend of yours. It is hard to want to go with your gut when people are trying to give you well intentioned advice.

By: Karen Putz

Karen Putz — Sun, 03 Jun 2007 15:53:44 +0000

I feel for your friend. I went into a business investment that by all outward appearances looked very sound. We were investing in a long-standing flower shop in a great town. I even arranged to work there on holidays so I could keep an eye on my investment. However, after handing over the check along with several other investors, I had a nagging feeling that something wasn’t right. Sure enough, two years later, the business owners defaulted and we investors lost everything. Turns out they had an accountant that wasn’t covering the bases. I learned a couple of lessons from this, but it sure was painful to lose our hard-earned money.

By: Pattie Simone

Pattie Simone — Mon, 04 Jun 2007 22:06:30 +0000

Wendy - thanks for your insights. I loved the part of about listening to the professionals you hire!I find that too many newbies ( and a fair amount of seasoned business owners too) make the mistake of seeking out help and then deciding they (or their friends) know best. I found out the hard way myself by making quite a few mistakes in my first entrepreneurial leap - I did not do enough homework to really know what I was getting myself into!

Unfortunately I encounter too many entrepreneurs in my mentoring business that are struggling unnecessarily because they have bitten off more than they can chew. Too many of them think about the POSSIBILITY of financial rewards as a given; they IMAGINE the free time they’ll have when they are their own boss; they ASSUME so many things will go right, without having a clue how to structure their business so that they give themselves a fighting chance! I wish your friend the best of luck in her dealings, and hope you’ve saved a few people for making the same error. Little steps are best, and seeking out wisdom from the right resources can certainly help people avoid making huge (& costly) mistakes.

By: Pattie Simone

Pattie Simone — Tue, 05 Jun 2007 13:29:39 +0000

Unfortunately I encounter too many entrepreneurs in my mentoring business that are struggling unnecessarily because they have bitten off more than they can chew. Too many of them think about the POSSIBILITY of financial rewards as a given; they IMAGINE the free time they’ll have when they are their own boss; they ASSUME so many things will go right, without having a clue how to structure their business so that they give themselves a fighting chance! I wish your friend the best of luck in her dealings, and hope you’ve saved a few people from making the same error. Little steps are best, and seeking out wisdom from the right resources can certainly help people avoid making huge (& costly) mistakes.