I woke up today and decided that I’m going to be a business owner.
It sounds exciting, right? Saying, “I work for myself. I run my own business.” And let’s be real…..entrepreneurship is everywhere right now. More and more people are realizing that they don’t want to spend their lives working for someone else, and I get it.
But what people don’t talk about is what it takes to make it.
I’ve been an entrepreneur for a year now, and let me tell you..this ain’t for the weak! It’s an amazing accomplishment, but it will test you in ways you never imagined. If you’ve ever thought about starting a business, I encourage you to go for it. But I also want to be real with you about what it takes.
A lot of people have great ideas. They’ll say, “I was going to do that,” or “That was my plan too.” But the truth is, having an idea isn’t enough.
· Do you have the drive to actually do it? Scared money don’t make money!
· Can you push through when it feels like nothing is working?
· Will you sacrifice comfort for growth?
Because this isn’t easy. I’ve had nights where I questioned everything. I’ve felt defeated. I’ve faced failure head-on. And I know I’m not alone, every entrepreneur I’ve met has a story of struggle before success.
You can have all the credentials, all the training, all the knowledge, but if you don’t have the grind, the resilience, and the dedication, you won’t make it.
Starting a business is like having a child. You will sacrifice for it. You will have to go without so they can have. You will have to pour into it when you have nothing left for yourself. And the most difficult reality is that you won’t see the results right away.
Social Media Doesn’t Show the Whole Story
We live in a time where success is on display. You see people posting their wins, their trips, their money, their success stories.
But what you don’t see is:
· The nights they couldn’t make payroll.
· The months they barely had clients.
· The days they wanted to quit but had no choice but to keep going.
Too many people get caught up in the glitz and glamour of entrepreneurship without realizing the hard work behind it. They see the end result but don’t understand the sacrifices that built it.
The Part Most People Want to Skip: The Struggle
Anyone can start an LLC, but what are you doing to sustain it?
· Are you willing to put in long hours, even when nobody sees you?
· Are you ready to go months without making a profit?
· Are you prepared to fail and keep going anyway?
This is where most people stop and give up. They think success comes quickly. But there’s no skipping the struggle.
Not Everyone Will Understand Your Journey—And That’s Okay
You’ll have people around you who think they could have done what you did. Maybe they could have, but were they willing to:
· Work late nights and early mornings?
· Deplete their checking account because they believed in the dream?
· Keep going when the odds are against them?
Baby, It’s easy to say, “I could’ve done that.” It’s much harder to actually do it!
My biggest Pet Peeve is when people say…..Too many Other People Are Doing It?
I’ve met plenty of people in my industry since I started my business. Some started before me, some after. And that’s great. But guess what?
None of them are me, It’s only one Les Marie!
Nobody else can do what I do the way I do it. And the same goes for you!
Stop talking yourself out of something just because other people are doing it. Your touch, your energy, your vision, that’s what makes the difference.
If I can give you advice on your entrepreneurial journey, it’s this:
Follow your dream to the end…..Even if it looks impossible, see it through!
Don’t expect everyone to understand what you’re doing; your vision is between you and God.
You only have one life. Don’t waste it on regret!
If you have kids, you owe it to them to build a legacy. Show them what it looks like to chase something bigger than yourself.
There will be hard days. There will be doubts. But keep pushing!
Because as I’ve said before:
Many are called, but only a few are chosen.
So… Dream Big. Be Bold. Live Unapologetically.
Les Marie ❤️

"Entrepreneurship is living a few years of your life like most people won’t, so that you can spend the rest of your life like most people can’t."
– Unknown
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