How to Reveal and Enhance Your Entrepreneurial Skills
Did you know that over 4.4 million new businesses open each year in the United States alone?
This staggering number highlights a universal truth: entrepreneurship is more accessible and sought after than ever before.
Yet, amidst this surge of new ventures, many potential entrepreneurs hesitate at the threshold, weighed down by doubts about their readiness and the skills they possess. If you find yourself in this cohort, questioning whether you have what it takes to transition from corporate life to the helm of your own enterprise, this article is your beacon.
This isn’t just another how-to guide; it’s a mirror reflecting the entrepreneur already present within you, waiting to be recognized and unleashed. Through my own experiences and those of countless individuals I’ve coached, I’ve identified three key steps to reveal and enhance the entrepreneurial skills you possess.
Step 1: Uncover Hidden Entrepreneurial Skills:
Your corporate job has been a training ground for strategic planning, leadership, and so much more. Like Laura, who transitioned from e-commerce marketing to published children’s author, you too have skills ripe for entrepreneurial success. I’ll share how you can identify these skills and understand their value in the business world.
Step 2: Learn from Others – Model What Works:
Entrepreneurship doesn’t require reinventing the wheel. By examining the paths of successful entrepreneurs, startup founders, and business leaders in your target industry and even outside of your ecosystem, you can distill lessons that apply directly to your new business ventures. It’s about transforming inspiration into practical action.
Step 3: Bridge the Gap – Acquire New Skills:
Recognizing where your knowledge falls short is just the beginning. I’ll guide you through the process of finding the right resources and mentors to fill those gaps. Whether it’s through my learning journey or the concrete steps you can take, we’ll explore how targeted skill acquisition is an investment with exponential returns.
Let’s begin by peeling back the layers of your professional journey to discover the entrepreneurial prowess you’ve built along the way.
Step 1: Uncovering Hidden Entrepreneurial Skills
Imagine Laura, a coaching client of mine who excelled in the e-commerce marketing department of her company. Yet, her heart was in crafting enchanting tales for children. Off the clock, she poured her creativity into writing fiction, eventually turning her hobby into a business when her charming narratives were published. Laura’s corporate expertise in marketing and her passion for storytelling converged to create a unique brand that captured the hearts of both parents and children.
In my experience, there are ten key skills that are incredibly valuable to entrepreneurship, many of which you can develop in a corporate environment:
- Strategic Planning: Just as you outline a marketing strategy, you’ll map out a business plan.
- Communication: Effective communication is as crucial for rallying a team around a project as it is for branding and customer relations.
- Financial Acumen: Managing budgets in your department equips you with the savvy to handle your business’s financial health.
- Negotiation: If you’ve brokered deals or resolved conflicts at work, you’ll find this skill handy when working with vendors and clients.
- Marketing: The ability to identify customer needs and market effectively is a crossover hit whether you’re promoting a corporate product or your own.
- Problem-Solving: Troubleshooting issues in the office translates into tackling the inevitable hiccups you’ll encounter as a business owner.
- Time Management: Balancing deadlines and projects prepares you for the multitasking that entrepreneurship demands.
- Leadership: Inspiring and guiding a team is fundamental, whether it’s in a boardroom or your own startup.
- Adaptability: The agility to pivot in response to industry trends is as applicable to your startup as it is to a corporate role.
- Risk Management: Calculated risk-taking in the business world is a daily routine and a core aspect of entrepreneurship.
Each of these skills forms a piece of the entrepreneurial puzzle, and chances are, you’ve been putting this puzzle together throughout your corporate career without even realizing it.
I witnessed the truth of this first-hand with my own leap into the business world. After leaving my role in Bali, where, as a General Manager, my core mission was to oversee marketing for a luxury villa company, I embarked on an entrepreneurial venture with Le VPN.
The revelation was swift and clear. The digital marketing landscape, as I discovered, knows no bounds. Whether promoting opulent getaways or a personal security app designed for the budget-conscious, the core principles remained the same. The expertise I had accumulated did not need a transformation but rather a new direction. Steering my own venture, I utilized the vast array of skills I had mastered—strategic planning, financial oversight, and team leadership—to navigate the competitive digital waters. This journey from the lush landscapes of Bali to the cyber frontiers of entrepreneurship affirmed that the skills we nurture in our careers can powerfully propel us forward, regardless of the industry or the scale of operation.
Step 2: Learning from Others – Model What Works
In the realm of entrepreneurship, one of the most effective strategies for success is learning from the path others have carved before you. It’s about due diligence, studying the strategies that have yielded results, and tailoring those insights to fit your unique vision.
Embarking on a new business venture is exhilarating and daunting. The key to smoothing out the learning curve? Do your homework. Diligent research into the successes and failures of those who have walked the path before you is not just beneficial—it’s essential. This process of discovery and understanding will help you build upon a foundation of tried-and-tested strategies, reducing the likelihood of common pitfalls.
My journey into the creation of an online course began with an in-depth analysis of the landscape. My role with INSEAD’s online executive education had already given me a front-row seat to high-caliber program structures and delivery. I knew the benchmarks and the standards. However, I didn’t stop there. Diving into the offerings of competitors and other institutions provided a contrast and a broader understanding of the online education ecosystem.
Then, I stepped out of the conventional academic framework and sought wisdom from a titan of personal development: Tony Robbins. His mastery in creating compelling content and engaging programs offered a fresh, impactful perspective. The lessons were clear: successful programs resonate on a personal level—they touch lives, shift mindsets, and offer practical tools for transformation.
This exploration continued as I stumbled upon Amy Porterfield, a maestro of online program construction. Her course didn’t just exemplify the excellence I aspired to—it became a resource that equipped me with new tools and strategies. It was a meta-learning experience; learning about creating educational programs from a program itself.
What this journey of learning from the best in various arenas taught me is that modeling success isn’t about imitation. It’s about inspiration and innovation—taking the principles that underpin success and integrating them with your personal flair and expertise. As you prepare to launch your venture, remember that the wisdom of those who’ve succeeded is an invaluable asset. It’s there for you to analyze, adapt, and apply.
By learning from the diversity of successful models out there, you cultivate a rich tapestry of ideas and strategies. With this tapestry, you can weave your path to success, one that is informed by the best but tailored by you. It’s a path that not only embraces the insights of seasoned experts but also carries the distinct signature of your aspirations and insights.
Step 3: Bridging the Gap – Acquiring New Skills
Entrepreneurship is a journey of continuous learning and growth. In an ever-evolving business landscape, the most successful entrepreneurs are those who recognize their skill gaps and take proactive steps to bridge them.
Let’s talk about bridging the skill gap—a challenge I faced head-on. After diving into Amy Porterfield’s training on building digital courses, I had an epiphany. The experience reinforced my belief that when you lack certain skills, the smart move is not to struggle alone but to learn from those who’ve mastered them. This is not about reinventing the wheel; it’s about leveraging existing expertise to accelerate your growth. The investment of both time and money into learning from the best is just that—an investment which pays dividends in the form of faster progress and fewer missteps.
Even with 12 years of entrepreneurial experience under my belt, launching my online course was a humbling reminder that there is always more to learn. So, I took stock of what I needed to improve. Here’s the prioritization strategy I used:
- Identify the Gap: Look critically at your business and personal abilities to pinpoint exactly where you need to grow.
- Seek Targeted Learning: Find resources that address your specific needs—this could be online courses, books, or workshops.
- Learn from Experts: Connect with mentors and industry leaders who can offer guidance tailored to your situation.
Implementing this approach, I sought out mentors who could shore up my skills, notably in personal branding and online presence. The results were astonishing. In a couple of hours of focused learning, I gained insights that would’ve taken me years to accumulate through trial and error. This wasn’t just about acquiring knowledge—it was about transforming that knowledge into actionable strategy for my business.
If you want to know more how I find and work with mentors, then you should dive into my free Mentorship guide I created to answer all these questions. You can grab your free version here.
I want to encourage you to embrace the acquisition of new skills not as a chore but as a thrilling part of your entrepreneurial quest. It’s an investment that can significantly cut down your journey to success. There are a plethora of resources at your fingertips—from free online materials to comprehensive courses and one-on-one mentorship.
And remember, I’m committed to your growth as well. In my Inbox club newsletter, I share the latest insights, free guides and invitations to my free live masterclasses for entrepreneurs, designed to keep you informed and ahead of the curve.
Your willingness to learn and adapt is the most powerful tool you have. Let’s wield it together to turn your business vision into a reality.
You Are More Ready Than You Think!
As we reach the end of our journey through the landscape of entrepreneurial skills, let’s pause to reflect. From uncovering the skills that lie hidden beneath your corporate experiences to learning from the triumphs of others, and finally, to bridging the skill gaps with targeted learning—each step is a pivotal part of the entrepreneurial odyssey.
Laura’s leap from marketing to authorship, the lessons gleaned from educational giants, and my own path with Le VPN, they all echo a universal truth: You are already equipped with a powerful arsenal of skills and experiences. It’s not about starting from scratch; it’s about recognizing, refining, and repurposing what you already possess.
Now, envision your future as an entrepreneur. It’s rich with the potential for growth and brimming with the possibility of innovation. Entrepreneurship is a tapestry woven from the threads of your past achievements, present learnings, and future aspirations.
I urge you to use these insights as a compass to guide you through your entrepreneurial journey. Remember, the path to business ownership doesn’t have to be solitary. Networks, mentors, and communities of like-minded individuals can offer support and wisdom.
If you’ve found resonance and value in our exploration, then there’s more to come. I invite you to join my Inbox Club, where the journey continues. Every week, I share deeper insights, inspirational stories, and practical tips—all aimed at equipping you for the entrepreneurial leap. It’s your weekly dose of mentorship, guidance, and encouragement right in your inbox.
Don’t let another week pass by, wondering if you have what it takes. Sign up, and let’s unlock the potential that’s been brewing inside you. The time to start is now, and you’re more ready than you think. Join me and other entrepreneurs in this Inbox community, and let’s turn those entrepreneurial dreams into your business reality.
