Many people may confuse entrepreneurship or being an entrepreneur with being a business man or women. Well to me there is a difference and I want to tell you why.

To explain this matter in a short format I have outlined three elements here:

#one – is idea and the purpose of doing things

A business man/woman starts a business by going into an existing business such as retaining or franchising or something similar, whereas an entrepreneur gives birth to a new idea or adds an old idea with a new concept and brings a fresh breath into it, as he/she is an inventor – investing time, money, energy and passion to develop the idea into a reality. What is missing for business people is the true passion as they are driven by profit and are always aiming to reach the financial goal, whereas the entrepreneurs are driven by their passion for changing the world for the better.

#two – is taking the risk and being excited

Business people tend to stay safe and not to take risks because taking a risk will mean losing money and that is not on their agenda. They worry a lot over their business and don’t like delays. On the other hand, entrepreneurs are risk takers who like to experiment with their product and are always excited to show their masterpiece or their idea.

#three – is competition and adding a meaning or value to the world

Business people are always up for beating their business competitors in order to win the competition, whereas the business rival for an entrepreneur is his/herself, as he/she sees that it is her/his duty to add value into the world.

In my case, at a very young age, I started making my own doll to play with and also used to give them away but at that time I didn’t know much, but yet again something extraordinary had to happen. This is what I call ‘my first transformative moment’ (can also be call as ‘Defining Moments’, or my biggest awakening…)

At that time, I was just five years old. I was playing by myself with my dolls and some leaves that looked like bananas and I was pretending to sell them. The dolls were my customers, when suddenly someone that I didn’t know (I think it was a woman) approached me and asked what I was doing. I explained that I was selling bananas. So she said, “Can I buy some?” I gave her the best leaves (pretend bananas) which I had chosen with a passion and love, because I was so excited.

This whole scene was unusual, as an adult playing with children is uncommon in my culture. Normally adults do not take such an interest in children and are not concerned with children’s imagination or pleasure. I was an irritating child as I had a huge imagination and could talk for hours, fast, and I stuttered a lot. So people never had the patience for me.

In my experience, it was the first and the last time an adult, (a stranger) ever played with me in such a manner. The lady handed me a few stones pretending it was money. She counted ‘the bananas’ and she took them with her. As she turned to go, someone else (another stranger) asked her what she was doing, and she replied that she was buying ‘bananas’from me. She described the good service I had given her and how I had selected the best ‘bananas’ I had. Hearing the two adults (strangers) talking about me in such a positive manner gave me the determination and the energy to do the best in all aspects of life. From that day everything I have done in my life has been generated from that passion and today I am a great believer that actions speak louder than words.

My pretend trades and visual images never went to waste as I started my first venture aged 7, followed by three other businesses before I was 12.

At that time though, I was in a bad place, as I was going through an inevitable passage of life…

So, because the stranger that played with me on that day was pleased that I had given her a brilliant service and had chosen everything with careful consideration and passion it proved to me that I could actually achieve something and help people in life. The kind feedback I received back then from that stranger brought me out of the shadows and showed me what it was like to have hope, inspiration and drive.

At an un-measurable level I am an active promoter of entrepreneurship as I believe that through entrepreneurship, individuals are empowered, strong communities are built and the whole society is elevated…

Thank you for reading my blog post and please feel free to join the conversation!