As you ride the wave of being an entrepreneur, one thing sticks out. No matter how enthusiastic and positive you are, there is a wave of excitement that at times diminishes. That does not mean that you give up or even want to give up - but it does mean that life is not all a rosy 100% of the time.
I was in a fortunate position at 25 whereby I started a marketing company specialising in IT and biotechnology marketing. It just so happened that the tech boom was taking off and there was a lot of activity and excitement going on. Everyone wanted to be part of it and as a young, highly exciteable entrepreneur I was up for anything. Who wouldn't be.
My home life was incredibly stable and my partner at the time was always supportive and encouraging. So, I didn't have the worry of going out to meet guys or find new friends. My only real focus was business. I would religiously get up at 5am in the morning and start working on my old computer that would crash continually. I would write for hours and dream about what I could do for my business to make it more successful.
The other thing that struck me at the time on reflection is how helpful everyone was to me. I had these two amazing mentors in Rick Anstey and Bob Hayward, who would send me endless emails all day long on the latest in the tech boom or business to help steer me in the right direction. At the time, I couldn't have been more pleased. They were like angels who looked over my every move and guided me in the right direction. There were lots of opportunities that came my way and most of which I didn't take up because I was too busy working and dreaming to take action. Looking back, maturity and a great deal of hindsight may have seen another result occur. Nevertheless, Insomnia was hugely successful.
I had a mini mid-life crisis at 30 and with a bit more experience and hard knocks under my belt, I came up with the idea of Marketing Eye. It fast became my baby and what I believe is the one great business idea I have had. It has all the ingredients of being global and of revolutionarising an industry that for some unknown reasons has been left a little stale if you take away the developments in technology. Great innovators on marketing consulting have stayed quite and are certainly not 'changing the marketing world as we know it'.
Marketing Eye is a company that I believe will do this. We not only help small businesses grow, but we provide them with opportunities to expand their networks, embrace technology to promote their brands and have an all important Marketing Manager on their team, steering their marketing efforts. In the upcoming months, you will see a lot more on Marketing Eye and I am interested in your thoughts about our new direction.
After being in the marketing industry for 20 years, I have seen it change a lot. I started typing scripts on a typewriter and faxing manually when completed. Today, the world of marketing is very different.
As you get older and more mature in your business lifecyle, there is one thing that stands out and that is energy. While I may still have the energy to realise the dreams of the company, I use it more wisely. There is no longer a 'burn out' period or holidays that revolve around catching up on sleep. Instead, everything is managed and structured in a way that achieves results.
I still think being a young entrepreneur is easier. More doors open and we are not hindered by hindsight. We experience for the first time people not paying their bills, or employees leaving you in the lurch. We know that if everything turns to 'shit' that we can pick our bums up off the floor and start again - because we are young enough to.
Do you think being a young entrepreneur is easier?
Mellissah Smith
Mellissah Smith is a marketing expert with more than 20 years experience. Having founded and built two successful marketing companies internationally, she is well recognized as a industry thought leader and innovator. Mellissah started her career working with technology and professional services firms, primarily in marketing, public relations and investor relations, positioning a number of successful companies to list on the various Stock Exchanges around the world. She is a writer, technology developer and entrepreneur who shares her thoughts and experiences through blogs and written articles published in various media outlets. Brag sheet: #2 marketer to follow on Twitter (2003), Top 150 Marketers to Follow (2015), Top 10 innovative marketers (2014), 60K+ followers on Twitter with 97% authentic.
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