by Lianne Castelino www.whereparentstalk.com
I had the pleasure of attending the 12 Annual Babytime Show at the International Centre in Toronto over the weekend. Crazy weekend family schedules being what they are, I spent just over an hour at the Show.
Wow – what an incredibly busy place! Strollers, pregnant bellies, toddlers, new products, massive signs, huge displays, tons of music, food, and the perhaps the main reason for the show, outside of stellar organization —- passionate entrepreneurs.
There are moms, dads, and non-parent types all over the place whose creative juices or just plain need have led to incredibly innovative, practical, fun and educational or both – “I wish I had thought of that” products. Kudos to them! Hope they have tons and tons of success!
If there is one thing you can be sure of, speaking from more than seven years of experience, being an entrepreneur is an absolute labour of love and IT IS NOT FOR EVERYONE. You learn a lot about yourself, your limits, your motivation and desire. You learn tons about humanity, how to deal with rejection and frustration. You learn how to persevere when you hear the words, “No thanks,” more times than the word “Yes, that sounds great, let’s draw up a contract and move it forward.” You learn new ways to open doors when they are constantly closed in your face. You learn how to celebrate the small victories, and lay the foundation for the larger wins that may or may never come.
In short, being an entrepreneur is a marathon and not a sprint.
If you survive all the tests, then you will also learn that being an entrepreneur is exhilarating, rewarding, motivating. It is for the independent spirit, the dreamer, the optimist, the forward-thinker and the learning addict. It is for the creative at heart and the pragmatic, after all necessity is the mother of invention, they say! Being an entrepreneur is for those who may want to create a different schedule, be the masters of their own domain, enjoy a consistent adrenaline rush, and look at the world slightly differently than many others.
The emotional roller coaster of entrepreneurism is riveting, exhausting and absolutely worth it! Hard work always pays off – so the saying goes. No where is that more evident than deciding to go into business for yourself.
Our own labour or love, Where Parents Talk.com, a Division of Liandrea Productions Inc., has been all of the above and more. I have learned so much, come out of myself, pushed my personal boundaries, learned tons of about myself, my family, life and who my friends are.
For those new small business owners just starting out – welcome to the club, savour even good and bad moment. It is a process and for the most part there are no shortcuts. A no in the morning could turn into a yes at lunch – that’s the way it goes! For those who are veterans of the entrepreneurial world – congratulations!
If you are a rookie or a grizzled veteran entrepreneur – KEEP GOING. Fear regret more than failure. Push the envelope. Celebrate all the victories – big and small. Delegrate. Negotiate. Pace yourself. It is JUST SO WORTH IT in the end!
For more information on the baby and toddler show visit: www.babytimeshows.ca
