It always amazes me when I’m in conversation with an entrepreneur, whether seasoned, starting up or reinventing.  They are all emerging out of uncertainty of the future, chaos on how to develop it, experimentation on how to innovate and deliver it, and success and failure on how to make it  more distinctive and valuable.

Entrepreneurship is a 24/7 gig of problem solving, puzzle making, changing, adjusting and pivoting. You build a business on the assumption people want what you’ve got, on the assumption there’s a ton of them in your target market, on the assumption you are solving a problem to make their lives better. And then you build it and take it out for a test drive.

No matter where you get to, you’ll have new puzzles to solve..how to grow, how to adjust your business model, how to afford it, how to service it.. and then you get hit with the the single qualifying question designed to put you in your place…just in case you actually are who you are, which you are.

“So, how many people are in your company?”

“I’m a solo entrepreneur.”  And beneath those words you are thinking “Ouch” “This is the best question he or she can come up with?” 

Because what you really want to say is…

“I’m this courageous, insane, hardworking, dedicated, talented person of merit and what I do matters. I’m proud of it and one day you’ll know me by my footprint and the contribution I’ve made. And “how many people are in your company?” will be the last question you’ll ask, if at all.

“Even you?” I get asked. “Is this your journey too?”

YES.  I’m an entrepreneur. That’s what I do. That’s what we do. We emerge, figure it out, align, design, press on, invent, goof, solve, quiver, quest, learn, solidify, leap, fly, crawl, sail, flail, plan, emerge and build.

And where is it all born? In the heart and soul of one singular voice. Yours. Mine. Ours.

Keep going.  Solo pride, baby.