As I started on this journey to write A Misfit Entrepreneurs Guide to Building a Business Your Way I was struck by one question in particular.
How do you write a guide book for a misfit?
A step-by-step play book was clearly inappropriate. A memoir of my own journey would provide inadequate direction in and of itself. And a review of business resources and professional development tools is a rather impersonal approach.
Clearly, I had to combine these elements. But in order to write a guide book that actually helps misfits I also realized I had to add my own twist….
My Story
I read my journals & 1 book on a 3 day solo retreat to write this book
To craft the story arc of this book, I combed through my old journals, from 2009-2015, with an anthropological lens. I strove to be detached yet empathetic, a goal I realized I achieved as I thought about myself in eager anticipation, “She’s about the find out…” My journaling technique, if you will, was stream of consciousness.
From that review, I summarized moments of my journey, both the “good and the bad,” to include in this book. These are my deep, unfiltered, raw thoughts about my own entrepreneurial journey. I share these moments because I know firsthand how lonely the journey is. I have experienced the extreme highs and lows that come with taking risks and putting yourself out there. And I have found that for most people, the emotional turbulence of the entrepreneurial journey is the most confounding yet least talked about part of the job!
Mine is a journey that shows someone grappling with their emotions, expanding their knowledge and improving their day-to-day practices in order to reach my vision for success. My hope is that sharing my journey will help both aspiring and seasoned entrepreneurs feel less alone. That it will give others inspiration and dedication to persevere when adversity strikes. And that it may serve as a catalyst for introspection, conversation and exploration around what it means to be a successful entrepreneur.
The Best of the Best Business Resources
all of the EntrepreNerds Facilitator Guides, Pre-Discussion Questions, etc.
Four years ago I started a business book discussion group called EntrepreNerds (you can read about how it came to fruition in my journaling notes). I have hosted almost 40 book discussions on a range of topics relevant to entrepreneurship, personal mastery, leadership, marketing and beyond. I carefully reviewed the materials from EntrepreNerds and picked the best of the best to share throughout the book, providing readers with resources for deeper exploration of the concepts included.
Reflection Questions
Step-by-step directions are woefully inadequate for a misfit. Therefore, I had to turn to one of the things I am told that I do best, asking insightful questions. Throughout the book I have carefully crafted lines of inquiry that guides the misfit entrepreneur in blazing their own trail through reflection and self-directed actions.
When it comes to blazing your entrepreneurial trail I have found that there is not one right way to do it; there is the best way for you. There are no universal formulas because success is in the eye of the beholder. And chances are, like me, you have wasted time, energy, and money, doing something someone else deemed was necessary for your success. I will not tell you what to do!
The approach in this book is based on a deep belief that everyone of us has a genius within. Society may have caused you to doubt this, but as Yoda would say, “Already know you that which you need.” I am not saying you have nothing left to learn; living is learning. As a misfit entrepreneur, you must trust in your abilities to assimilate what you are learning to create your own unique vision for success!
In what ways does the misfit entrepreneurs approach create new opportunities for you?
How is this approach for misfit entrepreneurs similar to other things you have experienced?
What about this approach for writing a misfit entrepreneur’s guide book bothers you and why?
What other reactions or thoughts do you have?
Next I will share how a bike symbolizes what us misfit entrepreneurs strive to achieve…for now you are invited to share your own reflections and ideas in the comments below!