Seven lessons learned as a first-time entrepreneur
Many people dream of taking the leap from employee to entrepreneur. Whether it’s the idea of following a passion to make a difference, the appeal of being in control of your own destiny, or the flexibility of working for yourself, the desire to “go out on your own” is one that I hear repeatedly.
When I started my leadership development consultancy in 2002, I took a giant leap of faith. I left the security of a thriving career as a financial manager in a multinational company to venture into the enormous abyss of building a company from the ground up. “I didn’t know what I did not know” is an apt synopsis for my early years. Today, almost eighteen years later, I have the benefit of hindsight. So in my regular column in today’s issue of The Globe and Mail, I share seven distinct lessons that I learned as an entrepreneur. True, everyone’s entrepreneurial journey will be different. But if you’re considering the leap from employee to entrepreneur, then I hope that my lessons learned will help you avoid a few speedbumps along the way.
Seven lessons learned as a first-time entrepreneur
If you get the print version of The Globe, you’ll find this column on page B10. Continue reading
I admit it … I love cracking open a fortune cookie! It’s the excitement of the unknown … what great wisdom is about to be imparted in the palm of my hand? And the other night, after a delicious bowl of noodles and spicy green beans, the opportunity arose once again! I held the ends of the crisp cookie between each hand, and pulled it apart with great anticipation. The sage insight that fell out on to the table:
Last April, here on the blog I asked the question: 
The sorites paradox: if individual grains of sand are removed one at a time from a hypothetical heap of sand, what is the point at which the heap can no longer be considered a heap? At first glance, you may think that this is merely a philosophical question, but the metaphor has great applicability if you carry it into the workplace. Consider this: if minor seemingly harmless problems or changes go unnoticed and do not individually attract attention, is there a possibility that eventually the sum total of these issues over time will result in a major setback? And what if the significant outcome is one that, if it would have happened all at once, would have been regarded as negative, undesirable or objectionable?
Here in the northern hemisphere, as the days get longer and the mercury begins to claw its way up out of the negative digits, collective minds turn to spring and upcoming warm-weather leisure activities. I am no exception as I think longingly of my favourite watersport – kayaking.
