As I interview my guest each week on Up In Your Business, I am reminded, time and again, that business is creative. That successful people work hard. And, that at the core of each successful entrepreneur is the heart of a teacher.
Last week was no different. My guest was the successful lifestyle expert, P. Allen Smith. He spoke about how he began his entrepreneurial career by founding Burnum Woods Nursery in Little Rock, Arkansas. There he taught gardening classes. One of his students encouraged him to share his knowledge and that led to a weekly radio show. That radio show parlayed into a morning show segment at a local TV station.
When he saw a business opportunity, the pull to create became just too hard to resist. Thus, partnerships were formed and Hortus Productions, a company of Allen’s, was formed.
In the beginning, he produced 90 second segments on gardening, which he distributed freely to all broadcasters. I asked how long before he made a profit and he said 5 years. I was shocked, somehow validated and remembered this to be true of many of my own business endeavors.
For FlagandBanner.com and Friends of Dreamland it took 9 years to be truly established. For Brave Magazine-4 years. And for my radio show, well that has yet to be determined.
In the past, I used to begin the radio show by saying, “Starting and owning a business is like so many things: it takes persistence, perseverance, and patience.” I’ve changed the introduction since then and now reference creativity, hard work and a teacher’s spirit; but the previous intro still holds true. Early in an entrepreneur’s career, they may find themselves wondering, “Is it worth it?” and “Where am I going?” To this I say, “Yes, it’s worth it” and “If you don’t hang in there, you’ll never find out.”
