Ask HN: When can you call yourself a "successful entrepreneur"?
2 comments
If you don't feel comfortable calling yourself successful then don't. (I'd say you're successful when everyone who's invested with you has got their money back, and you're pulling in a level that you're happy with).
> In my sales packages and copy, I want to say I am a successful entrepreneur
Why? I'm serious about that. You seem to be hung up on the idea of being called successful if only for personal validation ... but I think it's getting in the way of actually being successful. If you're trying to sell units, what do you think the buying company cares about more ... the product/service fitting their needs and budget, or the salesman being able to say, "trust me, I've done this before."
Why? I'm serious about that. You seem to be hung up on the idea of being called successful if only for personal validation ... but I think it's getting in the way of actually being successful. If you're trying to sell units, what do you think the buying company cares about more ... the product/service fitting their needs and budget, or the salesman being able to say, "trust me, I've done this before."
I struggle with this daily.
I started my career with a 9-5 job for 6 years in high-tech bioengineering sales. While working, a friend and I worked on a blog, which turned into some info-products that have, to date, grossed about $500k (though my take-home over 4-5 years is more in the $100k range).
I quit my job after 6 years, and launched my own online product and sold 250 sales within 6 months, and the product continues to sell on its own...but I have only pulled about $12k from this product so far (though it continues to sell and grow each month with little effort).
While this was all going on, I also picked up several one-off $2k-$3k clients and generated about $20k over 2 years for these jobs.
Now, I am trying to step my game up and get clients who sell products for $10k-$20k/unit. In my sales packages and copy, I want to say I am a successful entrepreneur, but I struggle with this on a psychological level.
First off, I am nowhere near my goals (that's why I am stepping up my business to higher value clients)...so how can I really say I am successful?
Secondly, my expertise in internet marketing has helped me sell services in the 2-3k range, and products in the $35-$100, but never something in the $10-20k range. How can I seriously call myself a success if my successes don't align with the idea of success I am trying to sell my clients?
Maybe this is all psychological, but I would be interested in hearing the opinions of other consultants/entrepreneurs...