Not once, not twice, had I asked myself - why and whom am I
doing this for? I heard other entrepreneurs asking the same
question in their journey of entrepreneurship. This must be a universal
question in entrepreneurship; if you are an entrepreneur, and you have not
asked yourself this question or never heard it from your fellow entrepreneur,
you are one in a million!
Why and whom are you doing it for? It is a very strange question. For,
when it is asked it does not suggest that one has given up, nor does it suggest
that one does not know why he/she is an entrepreneur. It is asked for the sole
purpose of reaffirming one's conviction and commitment to entrepreneurship
journey and reconfirming staying on course for the cause. I tell you; this
question cannot be taken to a therapist for unpacking or assistance. No
matter how many times it is asked; the one who is asking has to answer
him/herself, as the best answer has to come from within. Sometimes when asked,
it is like an entrepreneur is looking for a fix, once asked, the entrepreneur
get clarity and mobility in her/her stuck state.
In my entrepreneurship journey, I still ask this question to this
day. It is one of those questions you can ask every day and the answer seems to
be new yet the same- stay on course for the cause.
What could be the cause for accidental entrepreneurs like myself,
who got into the business by sheer accident? Evidently, the cause for me is not
the baton that is passed on me. I don't have to take the reign from mommy or
daddy. I am not on family duty in preserving the family legacy. No, no, no.
Mommy was a kitchen girl and daddy, -a garden boy! I cannot for the life of me
say, I am preserving the family legacy.
I found solace in my heart though, in the discernment that: I am
not doing it for my mom and dad. The temptation to think, I am doing it for my
kids comes and still lingers in mind. This thought scares me a lot, as, I am
not sure if my kids would ever want to agree to this. Let alone, taking over
the business one day, as they have come face to face with the horrific reality
and drab side of entrepreneurship. They are the ones who witnessed furniture
being attached and repossessed by the sheriff. They saw household items
sold at a pawn shop just to survive another month. They are the ones who had to
downgrade from fancy luxurious cars, just for mommy to buy a machine for the
factory. The brunt of absent mom who either is late or never pitches for school
activities was felt by them. With all this and more, to think I am doing it for
them, I guess I am kidding myself.
The entrepreneurship dream we probably bought into, (myself, and
kids) was: living large and, them -being a bosses' kids, and that, was just
a dream or a fantasy, to say the least. Everything they witnessed and what I
went through at the start of my business, is nothing that can inspire a child
to say; " one day I would like to be an entrepreneur like my mom”.
Under the circumstances, I was not under no illusion to think I was doing it
for my kids.
This is a hard realization, especially for a mom/female
entrepreneur, because, I am a mother before I am an entrepreneur, and I take
suffering as a mother on behalf of my kids. I guess this is the suffering
that is exclusive to me only. Why then am I doing this? I know I am
not preserving a family legacy. A thought that I am doing it for the kids is
rather foolish.
In the previous blog, I wrote about the power of listening to your
own noise as an entrepreneur. I guess, to answer this, one needs to
listen to her own noise to find the "Why". Having
sifted all the emotions. Information was, packaged and reframed in my mind. In
the end, I know exactly why I am an entrepreneur. I am doing it for
myself and those who will come after me (they don't have to know, agree and
appreciate it, but they will thank me later)! I am trailblazer (umkhomba
ndlela). There is no legacy that is built overnight. If I want to breed a culture
of entrepreneurship or business in my family and my community, then this is the
reason I am an entrepreneur. This is MY MISSION!
Lethabo Mokoena, a budding entrepreneur from Daveyton township,
who owns a sneaker cleaning clinic (Walk Fresh) always say- "The
kids are watching" I guess, ours, as entrepreneurs who
have no reference, is to model for the next generation, rewrite the narrative for
our families and our societies. Entrepreneurship is bigger than oneself or the individual!
Beautiful read my sister...
ReplyDeleteYou are most welcomed. let continue building each other through our experiences, remember we cannot be bystanders in this life.
DeleteWe are indeed doing it as imikhomba ndlela.
ReplyDeleteThank you so much. Remember someone was a trailblazer(umkhomba ndlela) before me.Our is to pick up the baton.
DeleteMy sisi, I fully concur with your sentiments here. The sad reality is that we rarely ask ourselves this question when things are good, only when we hit hard times and we further add salt to wound by questioning everything we are.
ReplyDeleteEntrepreneurship is a journey, and what I'm learning is that we continuously have to engage those closest and dearest to us.
Stay blessed my sis (KC)
Dear KC
ReplyDeleteThank you so much for your input. It is so amazing that when we experience the opposite of what we desire,we are steered to what we want. Maybe we should appreciate and celebrate hard times too. I once wrote a quote that read: "Whether you are in an upward or downward slope in your life endeavours, stand firm- like a house built on a slope. The struggle must continue KC
You are most welcomed. Thank you for taking time to read my blog.
ReplyDelete