sprinklefingers

a bit ago i posted about kids today & their lack of desire to, shall we say, apply themselves. since that post i’ve had quite a few people talk to me about their own experiences with younger people who would prefer that things simply fall into their laps instead of working hard for them. i’m here to tell you now: nearly everyone from customers to employers are sick to death of it - so, snap out of it, kids!

that said, there was a g r e a t piece in the ny times this week about people who quit (or get laid off from) cushy white collar jobs to open their own businesses. whether it’s in food production or event planning, the amount of work these people have to do when they live the dream and become their own boss is so staggering that it’s blowing their minds. and it should. speaking from experience, when you stop working for someone else and start working for yourself, nothing gets easier. it gets o n e m i l l i o n times more difficult.

i get several phone calls & emails a month from budding business owners who want to “pick my brain” about owning a small business. and while it’s kind of cute that someone somewhere told these people to “contact a person who is already in the business you want to be in and ask them questions about the experience”, i always answer back the same way: sorry, i don’t have time to answer your questions because i’m too busy being a baker, an administrator, a human resources manager, a bookkeeper, a janitor, a customer service rep, a delivery driver and a payroll specialist to answer your questions.

sure, i could take 15 minutes to send a quick email, but those 15 minutes take time away from what’s most important to me (yet is continually getting the short end of the stick): my family.

the piece in the times explains it all beautifully. you should read it. especially if you think it’d “be so fun!” to own your own business.