Are You Really the Entrepreneur You Want to Be?

Welcome to the Paulvette podcast for entrepreneurs who are ready to break through their patterns and take the next step. Are you actually the entrepreneur you want to be? Because I actually don't think so. Most entrepreneurs I speak with, they became entrepreneurs because they have a certain idea, because they have a passion, believe in something, are good at something and want to go for it. And then gradually they're doing business. And what happens then? You get a team, you deal with clients, you deal with the market. And suddenly there's that entrepreneur who says: I'm taking ownership, responsibility and leadership. And suddenly that entrepreneur is only reacting to everything. And then that becomes the new identity of the entrepreneur. The entrepreneur who has built a business that, and you know this expression, has become a kind of prison. Because, and you recognize this, things happen in the business and you react to them. And even when you think you're zooming out, that you're taking distance, that you're sitting in a cottage on the heath and you say yes, I'm going to work on the business. What are you doing then? You're thinking about your current business, because you're working on that business. And that's of course good, because the moment you maintain a business and you want to make an impact, you want to help people, want to solve problems, then ideally you want to connect a certain lifestyle to it. And that's what you're working on. When things happen, then you have to solve those problems of course, because that's part of entrepreneurship. And that's also why a business can flourish. Because new problems arise that you need to solve, but also the problems of the clients you like to solve. That's what you're doing business for. And what happens then, is that you become increasingly reactive. You increasingly find it logical that whatever happens in the business or the market, that you need to anticipate and react to it. That makes you a reactive person. That means you're no longer freely doing from your heart and passion what you really want. And if you're now thinking shit, this is about me, well then this is your wake-up call, because this is the moment for you to realize okay, but what if I didn't have this business? What would I want to do then? And by that I don't mean that you should immediately sell your business or leave it behind and immediately start doing that new thing. But it's information, because if you think shit, this is about me. Then it means that there's something in you that also wants to come out. And maybe you've gradually strayed from your own path and you just need to recalibrate back to the path you're on. Maybe you're walking the right path, but you need to look at 'Okay, but within this right path am I doing the right things'. Because also in being reactive in the business, because you might have a certain belief or maybe have a certain fear, the fear that you'll fail the moment you take a step further up. Or if you say I want to bring the business to a higher level. Or am I good enough? Is what I deliver good enough? Or maybe it's the thing that you've identified yourself with the entrepreneur you are now and that you're quite comfortable with the things you do in the business. And that you actually want to stay here for that reason. That's also possible. Also born from fear of course. But it could also be that you've built a business in which you do things that you all quite like, but where 1 or 2 things touch your zone of genius. Where you have the greatest leverage for that. And that you find all that other stuff also okay to do. And that you've let yourself be lulled to sleep a bit. And there might be all kinds of reasons for that. Maybe you had children. Maybe something happened in your life that caused some stress and chaos and sadness in your life, which made the business more of a sort of automatic pilot. And that's a shame, because you didn't become an entrepreneur for nothing. You became an entrepreneur to do business. You actually want to act. You actually want to follow your heart. You actually want to pursue that. Because the moment you start a business, there's passion there, there's fire. You want to go for something. And if that little fire is being extinguished more and more, then that's a wake-up call for you. Then it's time for you to really take some distance, so by saying what I said, leave your business behind. And suppose that business didn't exist, suppose something happens in the world that suddenly makes your business no longer relevant. We don't know anyway where things are going in the world, what's still relevant and what's no longer relevant. We can guess certain things, but very honestly we don't all know exactly either. So suppose something happens today in the world and your entire business is no longer relevant, what would you do then? And maybe you'd be happy with that thought, maybe you feel relief, thinking holy, I can do this. It could also be that it frightens you, then that's also good feedback, because why is there that fear? Is it because there would be no more cashflow for example? That's also information, because then you're doing business for cashflow, not because you necessarily want this business. I'm not saying that's not the case, but it could very well be. So just consult with yourself. Suppose your business overnight is no longer relevant to the market. What would you do then? What kind of business would you start then? And no, you can't start a similar kind of business, because that one's no longer relevant either. So this forces you to really think in a different way, to tap into a different piece in your brain and in your subconscious, to tap into that to also just get acquainted with that part of you. And maybe that part of you was put away a very long time ago and you kept putting it away. And maybe it's waking up now and thinking 'Hey, maybe it is possible after all'. If you feel that, please do something with it. And if you find this scary, if you run into this, if you notice that there are all kinds of mental blockages, because you're not allowed to be the entrepreneur you want to be, in quotes? Then it's useful to contact me, because I can help you with that. I hope of course further that you're doing well, but if you've watched this video this far, I know for sure that there's a step necessary for you to take. So I hope that besides you doing well and your loved ones doing well. And I wish you a beautiful day. Hi! --- This transcript has been translated from Dutch.