Entrepreneurship is Like A Romantic Relationship.

Entrepreneurship and romantic relationships share more similarities than we would like to admit. Both demand commitment, putting yourself out there, and choosing discipline over desire. Additionally, there is no shortcut in either, they both require consistent effort and work to thrive. So, let's explore in detail how love and entrepreneurship are similar in many ways. 

1. Put yourself out there. If you want to date, get married or be in a relationship, it is mandatory that you put yourself out there, that might means going out to social events,creating a dating profile, or asking your friends to set you up with someone. The same with entrepreneurship, when you start a business, you have to put yourself out there to let people know about your business. If people do not know about your business, people can not buy from you, therefore you have to put yourself out there. This might mean making a business social media account and posting consistently, running ads, telling your family and friends about it etc. The mindset lesson here is: visibility is not vanity, it is value on display. 

   

   Puting yourself out there might be scary, but it brings rewards both in friendships and financial gain.

2. Discipline Over Desire. In the beginning of a relationship both people are head over heel in love with each other. It's full of passion and obsession. They spend countless time on the phone talking with each other. They think about each other all day and night and can not wait to see each other again. At this stage, the relationship exists because of that fire (passion) to the newest of each other or the relationship. Eventually that fire will dwindle and problems will test the relationships. At this stage, it is not just about passion, but commitment to each other that will make the relationship last. In entrepreneurship, it is the same thing. You get a new idea and you are excited, you can not sleep, you spend all night and morning working on the idea. When you execute on the idea, the first few months you are consistent because of excitement and motivation. Eventually that motivation dwindles. The business just like a romantic relationship will last because of your commitment,consistent effort, patience and discipline in showing up and working on it. The mindset lesson here is:  show up on the days you are not motivated and you will win. 

   

   Discipline is needed for success.

3. Letting Go: I was having a conversation with a friend about business. I was saying that in business you have to stay consistent to win. He said something that was absolutely correct, he said, “staying consistent on a bad idea will not make you win. Sometimes you have to know when to quit”. I completely agree with him. Sometimes the business is just not aligned with the path that you were destined to take or you are not passionate about it. In that case, quit;  just like in a romantic relationship, both people might not be compatible with each other or there is no physical attraction.There is no spark, no connection and no passion. It is impossible to have a relationship with someone you are not attracted to, eventually you will break up with them. The mindset lesson here is: You are not weak for letting go, you are strong for choosing a path that aligns with you. 

   

   Breaking up and quitting a business are heartbreaking, but it's better to be align to your true path, than misalign.

4. Fool Rush In:  When you are in a relationship, it does not start as a relationship, first it starts as a date. If someone proposed to you on the first date, most likely you would say, “no”. Why? Because you need to get to know the person more and you need to trust the person. Unless the person is your friend and you have known them for many years, then you might accept the proposal on the first date. In business, people are most likely going to do business with you because they know, like and trust you. And that trust can sometimes take years to build. It is easier for a friend to support you, than a stranger. The mindset lesson here is:  Build trust first, then they will buy (accept the proposal) or do business with friends (marry a friend). 

   

   Patience is the key to success in business and relationships.

5. The Flirts  . These are the people who whisper sweet nothing into your ears and tell you how wonderful you are to them. They text you smiley and wink emojis and talk to you all day and night on the phone. But, when it's time to invest in a date they vanish like a ghost. These people exist in entrepreneurship as well, they like all your social media posts and leave positive comments.  But, when you put out an opportunity for them to invest in themselves or their business, they disappear like a ghost. In both entrepreneurship and relationships, they were not serious. They were not really into you. They were there for the fun and the freebies. The mindset lesson here is: Let them and you just keep showing up for the people whose life you are called to impact.

Flirty love face.

It sounds eccentric to compare business to being in romantic relationships. But, they both require the same elements that are required for success. Also, the way people treat relationships is the exact way they treat entrepreneurship and other entrepreneurs. Therefore, entrepreneurship is like a romantic relationship.