I don’t know if you were aware but, after 14 years of work in a manufacturing environment, the last 6 of which were in managerial positions, I decided to go into business in August 2022 following the closure of the factory where I worked.
In theory, the whole thing seemed quite simple given that I had almost no expenses to start (which turns out to be a bad assessment after two years of operation 😊) since I was creating an business serving companies and managers. I was and am selling my knowledge and experience so I did not think it would be expensive to run my business.
To alleviate financial stress, my plan was to use unemployment as supplemental income while I waited for my business to lift. On this side too, I hadn’t done my homework because it’s not a possibility unless, like me, you are accepted into a program which here in Quebec was called Support for Self-Employed Workers. I was pretty lucky to have this income.
To explain what I do and what I’m passionate about in two sentences: My goal is to reduce the headaches of team managers by helping them implement tools to help empower, motivate and mobilize work teams. I can either coach/mentor managers or fill the position temporarily while the company looks for a long-term employee.
Quickly, I received two service requests from former colleagues (one which one worked and the second unfortunately not). At that moment I had a thought from the movie Field of Dreams that was: Just build it and they will come. I said to myself: Entrepreneurship is easy, people call me, no need to look for clients.
Once again a bad observation…
Looking back, I hadn’t prepared well for this transition to self-employment. Certainly I had planned to make this transition later in my career but the opportunity presented itself sooner than expected and I made the leap. Unfortunately, there are several stages of creating my business that I started several weeks/months after the start of operations that should have been accomplished at the start of the adventure.
Is it the fear of rejection when I want to throw a pole at a client that has stopped me from taking action?
Was it imposter syndrome that kept telling me: What you are selling makes sense, why would a company ask for your help in implementing it within their ranks?
Or simply the desire to stay in your comfort zone?
In full disclosure, I think it’s probably a little bit of all of these.
However, am I glad I made this decision?
The answer: Oh yes!
I admit that it would have been more interesting and less stressful to have had a few clients earlier. However, I am happy, full of energy and I really believe in my project and the benefits that I can bring to entrepreneurs, business owners or managers because what I sell, I have put into practice in my management positions and it works.
Not in 5 minutes, not in a day, but the fact of placing yourself at the service of your employees quickly brings a feeling of trust and security which allows you to establish the foundations of a united team and where mutual assistance allows you to move forward through all obstacles.
And what about entrepreneurship?
Wow! Where to start?
It’s a rich world full of people with great ideas and energy. I was also greatly surprised by the spirit of support and mutual assistance that is conveyed between the entrepreneurs.
People are interested in listening to your ideas and understand the challenges you face every day to take your place in the market and be able to make a living from your passion.
During a conversation with my sister who is also an entrepreneur, we came to the conclusion that many people unhappy in salaried positions would benefit from turning to entrepreneurship to make a difference.
Yes the salary may be less for a moment or all the time but we are masters of our destiny, what a powerful and pleasant feeling.
The days are long when it feels like we’re dragging a piano around on our shoulders or we’re just unhappy at work. 40 hours per week on average plus meals and transportation. So it adds-up to closer to 50 hours per week.
However, when you do what you love, you don’t count the hours. This is why we are often impressed by the number of hours per week that some entrepreneurs invest in their projects and the degree of energy they have left to excel in sport, social commitment and family time. It’s a passion that energizes them instead of draining them.
And me in this world of entrepreneurship?
I’m free, I fill my days the way I want and what I like best is that now I’m no longer a passenger in my own life and family. During all the years of my children’s lives, I made choices that caused me to miss out on so many beautiful moments.
Add to that all the evenings and days where I was physically present but my head was in my projects. I’ve even looked at my emails in secret so as not to be teased by my wife between two rides at Walt Disney.
Now I occasionally pick up my boys from school, I take care of appointments during the week, I welcome my family every evening when they arrive and I have time for my social life and boardgames Thursday evening(yes I’m a nerd but I am comfortable with it 😊).
My stress level is really low and I’m really happy I chose this route.
I still have plenty of challenges ahead of me, I will continue to make mistakes and learn from them but I want and I will put all my energy into finding a way to help companies create good working climates and winning conditions for the benefit of employees and employers.
Is it a good idea to share all of this with you and publicly display my mistakes in my process of growing as an entrepreneur?
I advocate authenticity and transparency so everything is consistent with my values.
And how do you live your life as an entrepreneur?
If you are an employee, do you have aspirations of becoming an entrepreneur? What is stopping you from taking action?
Good thinking and have a good day.
Carl Michael Tessier
Coach in high-performance team development and tailor-made support
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