I chose the entrepreneurial path before I even knew the word.
Twenty years ago, in post-communist Romania, I was surrounded by action-oriented people determined to upgrade their lives. Alongside my father’s example, I witnessed countless cases where doing came before (formal) learning.
At 20, I started a retail business. By 27, while the business was still growing, I was still curious about what I might be missing. Many of my college friends were working in big companies, and I often felt I was losing out on valuable learning opportunities.
At that time, I wasn’t yet able to clearly define my values. I couldn’t see how much my entrepreneurial endeavors already aligned with them. Instead, I was more focused on what I thought I lacked.
Searching for the “Right” Path
I enrolled in an MBA program with the hope of finding a better career direction. To my disappointment, every career assessment I took pointed to the same conclusion: entrepreneurship.
I remember asking my career coach if I was overlooking something. He smiled and told me many students would consider such a clear profile as a gift. But I wasn’t convinced.
So when all the big companies came for on-campus recruiting, I interviewed. At first, it was for the experience. After all, entrepreneurs usually conduct interviews, not give them. Then, I wanted to see what roles I might actually be offered.
After receiving a few offers, I accepted one from Amazon UK. Initially, I had planned to step away from my own business for just a year- the duration of the MBA. That turned into three as I took the job opportunity to see if the grass was truly greener in a corporate role.
For me, it wasn’t. Only after experiencing corporate life firsthand could I finally accept what my career assessments and mentors had been telling me all along: I was, at heart, an entrepreneur.
Redefining Work on My Terms
That doesn’t mean other jobs never appealed to me. Over the years, I received offers, even if I wasn’t actively searching. I learned how to measure opportunities against criteria that truly matter to me: intellectual challenge, continuous learning, freedom, quality of life. Things that became clear only after the Amazon experience and after considerable inner work, including life design, coaching, therapy, and a lot of reflection.
Now, as a coach myself, I work with both entrepreneurs and senior leaders. Many of them, at least in theory, explore the idea of the “other side.” Few, however, take the leap to experience it.
Experience plus Reflection
Today, there are countless assessments and tools to guide career decisions. They’re useful, but for some of us, nothing replaces lived experience. Even though everyone, from my career coach to mentors, told me I was an entrepreneur, I needed to see the other side before I could give their advice full credit.
Although an action oriented person, this time, I don’t advocate for action alone. Reflection matters just as much.
So if you are an entrepreneur considering employment, or a manager tempted by entrepreneurship, take time to reflect on these questions:
- What do you love about your current work?
- What do you feel is missing?
- What would you lose if you made the change?
- What would you gain?
- Which of your skills would support you in the new setup?
- What is your biggest excuse for not making a change?
- What is your biggest motivator to make a change?
- Twenty years from now, what would you regret more: making the change, or not making it?
The Hidden Factor: Excitement
When I finished my first master’s degree, I wrote a paper on the differences between entrepreneurs and managers. I compiled an extensive list of skills needed in each setting and applied it to a case study of an entrepreneur I admired. He had the right skills to start a company, but later, when he became a manager of an established firm, he struggled. I outlined the personality traits and learned skills that help someone be a better entrepreneur or a better manager. Beyond that list, which can always be updated, there was one factor I hadn’t noticed then: excitement.
If starting a business excites you, you’ll find the tools to succeed.
If taking a job excites you, you’ll learn the skills you need.
Excitement is beyond any career assessment, any list of skills, it is the fuel that makes either path sustainable.
So I’ll leave you with this: no matter which path you are considering: entrepreneurship or employment, listen to where your excitement truly lies. Then go back to the questions I shared earlier.
If you’re at a crossroads and want to explore these questions more deeply, I’d love to hear your story. Just hit reply and share where you are on your journey.
To celebrate the two-year anniversary of the Growing and Blooming newsletter, I’m offering two free coaching sessions to the first two readers who reply with their stories about career challenges.