Why I don’t buy into the notion ‘natural born entrepreneur’

This is a term that has always made me feel uncomfortable. Probably because it’s another one of those things that made me feel out of place as a business owner. I haven’t ever considered myself a ‘natural born’ entrepreneur. I’m an entrepreneur who runs her business based on her gut feelings, a series of hard lessons learnt along the way and a confidence that comes and goes. I also surround myself with people who bring different skills and perspectives to the party, they also keep me accountable. 

The notion that someone is born an entrepreneur is bonkers to me. What a pressure to put on someone, what if they dabble in a bit of entrepreneurship then decide it’s not for them? What are you going to label them as then? What if someone is planning to give up because it doesn’t feel like it comes ‘naturally’ to them? Most of it is learnt and being a business owner is REALLY hard work. It’s a rollercoaster, it takes blood, sweat, a lot of tears and some risks. 

This term is just another barrier, a way of making business inaccessible when actually, I believe anyone can do it.

Anyone can identify a problem that customers/clients/the general public seem to have and create a solution to it. It’s really that simple, to begin with. 

Entrepreneurship also doesn’t mean that you have to aim to be a millionaire in SiX MonThs if you don’t want to. I used to believe I only qualified as a business owner if I had a massive turnover or wore a suit, or talked about stocks and shares. I’m here to tell you that’s total bullshit. You do you, take the label or leave it alone. The choice is quite literally yours.

And what if we created a life and business that allows us to choose exactly how we work? It would be a rebellion against capitalism and the patriarchy. The trouble is, this looks entirely different to the textbook image of an entrepreneur that we’re all sold. Dragon’s Den and The Apprentice both have something in common. They’re cut-throat, a bit scary and there’s an ‘us and them’ aspect that makes me feel uncomfortable. 

So remember, if people like Stephen Bartlett can be described as ‘natural born entrepreneurs’ because they sold chocolate bars in the school playground, then you can absolutely claim the title entrepreneur if that’s what you want.