End of the Road. Or is it?

Last year I had the honor of being an Ambassador for the Alaska State Fair! It’s a new program. Most people didn’t know what it was. I didn’t! lol Think Fair Royalty, but more spokesperson and helper. Pretty much just a State Fair super fan who helps out a lot. It was a lot more work than I thought! But it was also way more fun. I was there every single day. I got to help judge contests, I got to MC several things, I helped so many people around the grounds, and I got to know the fair and how it works more than I thought possible. I was relieved when the fair was over. But I was also sad, because it felt like the end of a crazy adventure! But was it really?

Fast forward to a few months ago, I was stalking the fair website like a totally normal person. I saw they had a position open for a Social Media Coordinator! Uh, dream come true? Maybe! Long story short, I freakin got the job! The fair hasn’t even happen yet this year and so far… totally interesting and right up my ally!

My point?

Is it ever really the end of the road? Or is it just a turn onto a different street?

This semester I feel like we crammed our brains full of how-to-be-an-entrepreneur stuff. It wasn’t a block class, but it sure felt like it! We learned different strategies for getting started. We learned about character, challenges, leadership, cost, integrity, and gratitude. In fact, this felt less like a business class and more like a course about emotional maturity!

If you think about it, that makes total sense. Becoming an Entrepreneur can be difficult. You will make mistakes. Often, it’s how we handle those mistakes that really determines our success. Those mistakes are rarely the true end of the road!

In entrepreneurship, failure simply means learning and moving on to something new. It means looking at yourself and deciding if that is what you really want to do. There may be luck involved. But more so, there is savvy and a willingness to adapt and change. You have to measure how important different things are and decided how you can best help others.

I think my favorite part of the class focused on how you can’t do this for money. You have to have integrity. Sure, you can make money by being crooked. But in the end, everyone gets caught. Be the type of person people want to follow. Be the type of boss you would want to have. Create a culture around you of growth and inspiration so that others will go on to do it too!

So understand what you really want and what you are capable of. Search for the end of the road. And then the road after that, and the road after that.