A person close to me recently said something that bothered me. They said, “You know, if you just went and got a real job instead of wasting your degree all these years, you would be a lot further in your career by now.”
I thought about it for a minute, and I replied, “yeah, but I wouldn’t be happy.” And then I walked away.
When I was 7 years old, when adults asked me what I wanted to be when I grow up, I would reply “a businessman.” As soon as I knew what a businessman was, that’s what I would say. In fact, I can never recall saying anything else as a career choice when I was a kid.
When I was 14, I said the same thing.
When I was 18, I decided to attend college to become a businessman. This is before the days of self education and online learning, so that’s what I thought I needed to do. Go to college and learn business.
However, entrepreneurship wasn’t considered a “real career” in the early 90’s. So, I studied the next closet thing, international business.
I waited and waited for those professors to show me how to be a businessman. But, it never happened! You entrepreneurs out there who went to college can surely relate to that!
When I was 21, I told people I wanted to be a banker. College had gotten to me. But, deep down, I really just wanted to be a businessman.
No offer came from the banking world. So, I became a businessman, like I wanted to deep down all along.
First business was in network marketing. Learned a lot but lost my shirt.
Eventually, I moved back in with the parents and got a job at a bank and hated every minute of it.
Because all I wanted to be was a businessman!
Then, in 1997 I discovered the internet and fell in love with it. Now, I wanted to be an internet businessman! And so, I became one!
Sure, I did other things over the years, but my true love always has been an internet businessman.
So, to summarize, I’m doing what I said I would be doing from the time I was 7 years old.
So, why was I feeling guilty about it? Why did I let this person bring me down?
Oh wait a minute…..I hadn’t met the expectations of what THEY thought I should be doing with my life. That’s THEIR problem, not mine, isn’t it?
That realization was the most liberating feeling in the world! I’m exactly where I said I would be all along!!! Why apologize or feel guilty about it?
And in that moment, the guilt went away!
If all you ever want to be is a businessman (or businesswoman), don’t apologize. Don’t let others squash your dreams. Just do it!
Carlos "Mr. Leads" Scarpero is the founder and Editor in Chief of Dayton Pulse. He has over 10 years experience in online marketing. Mr. Leads can help you in several areas of internet marketing including generating website traffic, helping with Google reviews, email marketing and more. Mr Leads is also the founder of the Mr. Leads Power Networking Workshop, a LinkedIn training that will show you how to take your networking to the next level. Mr. Leads can be reached at www.Mr-Leads.com or send him a connection request on LinkedIn.
