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Extractive summaries and key takeaways from the articles curated from TOP TEN BUSINESS MAGAZINES to promote informed business decision-making | Since September 2017 | Week 338 | March 1-7, 2024
Entrepreneurship Section | 1
3 Challenges I Faced Going From Athlete to EntrepreneurCommon hurdles in the journey and practical strategies to leap over them.
By Juan M. Fernandez | Inc Magazine | March 2, 2024
Extractive Summary of the Article | Listen
Taking on an entrepreneurial path often feels like diving into the unknown. Even with a clear vision, unexpected hurdles are certain to emerge, challenging your resolve. As a former professional athlete, the author has navigated his fair share of transitions and the difficulties they bring, but none quite as perplexing as the shift to entrepreneurship. In the structured world of professional sports, according to the author his schedule was both intense and predictable, dictated by a series of external commands. However, diving into entrepreneurship meant embracing the freedom–and the challenge–of carving out my own path. This newfound autonomy, while certainly empowering, brought to light challenges he hadn’t foreseen. Three of these are:
- Not seeing a return on time investment. As a newcomer to the entrepreneurial scene, the author’s inexperience led him to spend lots of time on tasks like content creation and organic social media growth. While building a loyal online audience can be a great strategy to promote your product or service, its return on investment isn’t immediate. To navigate this challenge, it’s crucial to set realistic expectations and diversify your strategies. Aim to blend potential immediate revenue-generating activities with long-term growth efforts like content creation. Dedicate specific times for different tasks and measure their impact regularly. This approach helps manage your time effectively and can keep morale high as you see tangible short-term results while laying the groundwork for future success with others.
- Not getting out into the real world. Finding a balance between online efforts and real-world networking was key for the author. It opened doors to new collaborations and partnerships, proving that meaningful connections often come from face-to-face interactions. The potential from just one in-person conversation can be surprising. Think about where your potential customers might frequent and make plans to navigate those environments. Face-to-face interactions bring with them a different type of energy; when people can see and engage with you firsthand, they’re more likely to trust you.
- Not being able to disconnect. Throughout his journey, the author discovered the importance of routine for maintaining focus and elevating his productivity. As an athlete, his days were subject to a strict training schedule; as an entrepreneur, he realized he could benefit from setting his days up the same way. This doesn’t mean your day has to be monotonous or rigidly fixed, but having a framework for when you work, exercise, and relax or disconnect from work can significantly improve your efficiency and mental health.
2 key takeaways from the article
- Taking on an entrepreneurial path often feels like diving into the unknown. Even with a clear vision, unexpected hurdles are certain to emerge, challenging your resolve. As a former professional athlete, the author has navigated his fair share of transitions and the difficulties they bring, but none quite as perplexing as the shift to entrepreneurship.
- This newfound autonomy, while certainly empowering, brought to light challenges he hadn’t foreseen. Three of these and the suggested solutions are: Not seeing a return on time investment. To navigate this challenge, it’s crucial to set realistic expectations and diversify your strategies. Aim to blend potential immediate revenue-generating activities with long-term growth efforts like content creation. Not getting out into the real world. Finding a balance between online efforts and real-world networking. Not being able to disconnect. Having a framework for when you work, exercise, and relax or disconnect from work can significantly improve your efficiency and mental health.
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Topics: Entrepreneurship, Sports, Startups