So you want to date an
entrepreneur, huh?….then consider these 7 points first!
Ever since the hit show “Shark Tank” came on air, a TV show
featuring aspiring entrepreneurs, people have begun to pursue their passion to
become an entrepreneur. Both young and
old, rich and poor have set out to achieve the American dream. Entrepreneurs are highly driven, super
ambitious and very passionate about what they do and how they contribute to
society. To the average person, loving them
can be very challenging, especially when you don’t understand their way of
life. To help guide you in this process,
I will share with you a few insights into this world and how you may improve
your chances of unlocking the key to their hearts.
Ever since I started my own business, dating has been
challenging. It’s become easier as I’ve
grown in my craft but when I first started my business, dating took a back seat
to everything else in my life. My social
life was non-existent, my friends barely saw me, and my family thought I was a
foreigner. But the vision for my life
was clear and the only way I could accomplish my goals was to isolate myself
from the world while I pursue my passion.
Becoming an entrepreneur is no doubt one of the toughest
things a person will ever do in life.
There are no real vacations until you’re financially solid, you work
24/7 sometimes at the sacrifice of your family and everyone you meet becomes a
potential client. In other words, there
are no “off” days. When everyone is at
home enjoying the holidays with their family, an entrepreneur may be taking
emergency calls from their clients.
I share this with you because I want you to have a better
understanding of the life of an entrepreneur.
You see, everyone wants to be an entrepreneur but doesn’t want to make
the sacrifice to become one. In other
words, people want the freedom of entrepreneurship without all the work
necessary to achieve that level of freedom.
Only the strong survive in this arena.
Successful entrepreneurs know how hard it takes to become successful and
are willing to go that extra mile to achieve that success. And if you want to date one, you had better
be willing to go that extra mile too!
From my observations
of many entrepreneurs, I have come up with a list of 7 points to consider in
your desire to date an entrepreneur or an aspiring one!
·
Quality
Time (or lack thereof) – As an entrepreneur, you’re essentially on call 24/7
because your business is your baby. You
have to nurture it, care for it and maintain it. When an entrepreneur is a little bit more seasoned,
they’re able to devote more time to other things but in the beginning, it is a
huge sacrifice of their personal time.
As someone who is inspired to date one, you have to be able to understand
their drive and determination. In
general, I’ve seen fellow entrepreneurs end up with people who are also
independent which allows them the space to pursue their dreams. So you may want to consider either “having a
life” yourself outside of dating the entrepreneur or explore options with
someone who has more time to spend with you.
·
Financial
Resources (or lack thereof) – In the entrepreneur’s world, we have a
favorite saying, “closed mouths don’t get fed”.
Nowhere is that more true than in business ownership. “Money talks…people listen”. It’s quite different than a regular “9 to 5”
job where you have stable pay on a weekly or monthly basis. In the entrepreneur’s world, they must
continue to make sales in order to have a thriving, profitable business. So when you date an entrepreneur, you may
experience a roller coaster ride when it comes to their income making it harder
for them to date you consistently. You
know, one week they are living luxuriously and spending lots of money on you in
5 star restaurants and the next week, they are eating at McDonald’s or cooking
low budget meals at home.
·
Being
Highly Ambitious (the good…the bad…the ugly!) – Ambition is a key asset
every entrepreneur must have in their repertoire. You need to be able to believe the business
can succeed. You need to be a
go-getter! Most women love this quality
in men, by the way! But in my
observations, this same asset can turn into a liability quickly when the
entrepreneur starts to become unrealistic or a perfectionist. And while this may be a key advantage in
business, it may not be so great for the people they love. Everyone they date has to measure up to their
high standards and ideals. No one is
ever perfect in their eyes! For someone
who wants to date an entrepreneur, you may be judged according to their
philosophy too!
·
Dealing
with endless rejection – Every successful entrepreneur knows rejection is
just a part of the job. Most of the offers
you make, will not necessarily render a sale.
Seasoned entrepreneurs know this and accept it. However, that doesn’t mean it doesn’t’ still
sting! Over a period of time, rejection
can get to you and damage your pride making you feel depressed. When you’re dating an entrepreneur, you need
to be fully supportive of them so that you can help them minimize this impact and
help them focus on their goals and aspirations.
·
The Issue
Of Depression – No one likes to talk about this but I’ve seen many
entrepreneurs get depressed because of either a hostile client, they’re lacking
the necessary financial resources or them not achieving the success that they
had hoped. There is no other time for
the need of family and friends to support them than at this moment. Just think about it. An entrepreneur’s business is the result of
“blood, sweat and tears”. They give the
business their all and expect it to prosper.
When it doesn’t, they feel like giving up and this is the time they need
you. In most entrepreneur’s eyes, going back
to a “9 to 5” job is not an option which raises the stakes enormously and
increases their chances of feeling depressed. You are the one person who can give them hope
and snap them out of their funk. If you
can do this while dating this person, you’re sure to be rewarded in the end.
·
Jealous
of the other woman (the business!) – He or she isn’t devoting enough time
to you because they’re always working.
They’re always on call. They had
to cancel the date with you because their client’s appointment ran over the
time allotted. It’s easy to get jealous
when you don’t understand the lifestyle, the hustle and the grind upon which
they have to endure to achieve success.
Listen, I’m not saying they shouldn’t make you a priority but you do
need to be a little more flexible because they’re probably working hard to
provide for their family (or future one with you!). But don’t forget you have options too! You have to decide if the person is really
worth the wait and/or the sacrifice in time or whether you need to explore
other alternatives. I’m all about people
making their dating lives a priority but when dating an entrepreneur, you have
to realize that dating may not be their top priority at this time in their
lives.
·
Fame,
fortune and popularity – This is the result of all the hard work and
sacrifice the entrepreneur has put into their business. But to someone who is dating such a person,
this can seem overwhelming and leave you with feelings of inferiority. Just realize this is the culmination of all
their dreams coming true. Try to be
happy for them at this moment in their lives.
Allow your mate to enjoy their newfound success but be careful of them
making you an “afterthought”. You know,
some people let fame and fortune go to their head, get a big ego and forget who
helped them rise to the top. If you feel
like is happening to you, then you may want to have a discussion with your
partner while also re-evaluating whether this relationship is still the one for
you. On the other hand, if the
relationship was a good one, your partner will certainly recognize your efforts
in helping them and be happy to share the spotlight with you.
To summarize, dating an entrepreneur is not for the faint of
heart. It takes a strong person to
endure the effort it takes to date one.
Whether it’s the quality of time spent together, the financial roller
coaster ride, rejection, perfectionism, depression and even jealously of how
much time they spend in their business. The
spouse of an entrepreneur needs to be independent, yet supportive and flexible in
the relationship. Not everyone is
capable of having this type of relationship.
Yet, if you do decide to go this route, you won’t be sorry. When you find entrepreneurs who are
passionate about what they do, this often translates to every area of their
lives, including the people in which they love and that could include you!
Thanks for reading
Please visit my website at www.liveloveaspire.com
for more information on our relationship coaching services and for a free 15
minute consultation.
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