It seems like it has been a while since I have written about the business of entrepreneurship.
My daughter-in-law Sara Slimp, the newest entrepreneur in the family, has hung up her apron as manager of Heights Taco and Tamales for more professional attire and a career as The Property Group’s newest real estate agent.
Though real estate agents work for an agency, they are, by all accounts, self-employed. They must be self-starters (which she is), their hours are theirs to decide (good for new mothers), and they only get paid when they make a sale (the scariest entrepreneurial part).
As I listen to her worry about the start-up of her new business and watch her work part-time jobs while she builds her clientele, I think back (waaaay back) to my early days of founding FlagandBanner.com (FAB), almost 50 years ago.
Staying the Course is Not Always Easy
Many have heard my story; that I worked part-time jobs for nine years before FAB could support me. Around the middle of this nine-year period, I was burned out and bummed out. Discouraged that Arkansas Flag and Banner was not yet able to support me full time I decided, maybe, it was time to change careers. This is when I also got my real estate license and began interviewing agencies to hire me.
In an interview with McKay and Company, then the largest real estate firm in Little Rock, the interviewer, a man that looked a lot like my older brother, asked me why I would want to leave my five-year-old start-up business to start another. He reminded me that selling real estate is just another form of self-employment.
This frank question from a successful businessperson was thought provoking. Through this man’s candidness, he mentored me. Made me look at my life again. I left his office with newfound energy and commitment to FAB, the baby business I had already started and needed to continue.
Your Heart Must Be In It
Besides being hardworking and a risk taker (an entrepreneurial necessity) Sara’s biggest gift may lie in her heart and passion for the profession. This is how she announced her career change on Facebook: “Today I’m officially starting with The Property Group! Since buying our house in 2018 I have felt drawn to this profession and am beyond thrilled to be able to put my heart and focus into this as my career. I truly believe every person deserves a place where they can rest, cultivate growth, explore their creativity, and feel the comfort that only a home can provide, and I can’t wait to get started helping people find that space.”
Best Wishes and Good luck to ALL the new entrepreneurs. YOU CAN DO THIS!
Progress has little to do with speed, but much to do with direction.
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