A question many have tried to answer through a series of books. A question that many have assumed to which they know the answer. A question that may not have a direct answer. It poses threats to true believers, and most would ignore it. What makes an Entrepreneur?
I do not want to try to answer this question. But would like to reflect on it, in hopes to push you to reflect on any assumptions you may have.
Entrepreneurs "are people who imagine things as they might be, not as they are, and have the drive to change the world." - Anita Roddick, Financial Times
An Entrepreneur "turns he most trivial condition into an exceptional opportunity. The Entrepreneur is the visionary in us. The dreamer... The imagination that sparks the fire of the future. The catalyst for change." - Michael Gerber, The E-Myth Revisited
Many would suggest that an Entrepreneur is a person who loves change and creation of the new. Some would suggest, and myself included, that a true Entrepreneur works on his business, not in it. An Entrepreneur doesn't need to be a part of their own system for the business to run profitably. But there is a gentle slap in the face when one assumes this. There are those that create, make new things, create new brands, change the world and consumer perception but need to be in the business for it to function. This is most apparent in the Entertainment industry.
Some entertainers have created a whole new brand in their field, like Sacha Baron Cohen (Borat), Jay-Z, and Dane Cook. Borat is a new humor unlike that previously viewed in American mainstream comedy. Jay-Z changed the face of Hip-Hop along with many other rap artists; Biggie Smalls, 2-Pac, and Ludacris. Dane Cook has developed a new hard-hitting animated comedy sketch. His recent tour is designed unlike any I've seen before and he has even created an emblem for himself.
These people have created brands, changed the way consumers perceived the market. They can quickly adapt to consumer wants, and develop new products. However, without them in the biz, their brands would not exist. Does this mean they’re not Entrepreneurs? Does this mean they can't share the space of Michael Gerber, Steve Jobs, and Bill Gates? What about Oprah? She's the first African American Billionaire. But if she disappeared tomorrow, would her brand disappear with her? With Oprah gone, how long would O-Magazine Last? The above mentioned have created brands outside themselves. Jay-Z made a majority of his money outside of music, but he also created Roc-a-fella Records. Ludacris created Disturbing Tha Peace, a record label of his own. Is this the act of an Entrepreneur, or simply an entrepreneurial act?
A friend of mine, Marshall Beck, is an entertainer in the metal community of Arizona, is well known by many and even ridiculed by the press. He can tell you it’s a rough business, and without quick adaptability and creativity of new revenues streams you can go down quick. He claims (and I support him) that entertainers definitely have to be entrepreneurial. Otherwise they wouldn't succeed.
So I leave it up to you to decide. We all have an Entrepreneur inside us... But are only the true Entrepreneurs those who do not work in their systems? Can we consider entertainers and those that need to be in the biz Entrepreneurs or simply entrepreneurial?
Merlin Ward is a young social entrepreneur and co-founder of
Club E Network, a Broadband TV & Social Network for entrepreneurs. Club E provides original television programming and resources for entrepreneurs and connects business owners around the world through its online community and on the ground chapters.