Fear and Entrepreneurship

Fear is one of the hardest things I have had to get used to in entrepreneurship. As an entrepreneur, I constantly have to face my fears. In business school at Syracuse University I learned that people fear anything that upsets the status quo and there’s always pushback.

As a business owner, I’ve learned I have many fears that I am overcoming simply out of necessity.

I detest confrontation but when you manage a business, there’s bound to be friction somewhere. I don’t always handle it with as much grace and dignity as I’d like but I am learning not to run from it.

I’ve had to learn that with confrontation, I have had to stop assuming that the conversation is going to erupt into some terrible argument. In most cases I try not to look at the other side as an adversary, but rather someone who can help me solve a problem and I just need their buy in to get it right.

However, I have also learned that I have to stand up to bullies, too and I am amazed at how many bullies are out there.

I have learned that most bullies count on the fact that you’re not going to stick up for yourself for fear of retaliation or making the situation worse, when in fact, most of the time when you stick up for yourself nothing happens. It’s all a game of bluster. I’ve learned too that bullies try to make you feel guilty and responsible for their actions and many people fear that they have done something to trigger the event. But most times, that’s not so.

I have also learned that there are a surprising amount of people out there who will cut your throat for a penny, but there are also countless, random individuals out there who are willing to help on your entrepreneurial journey. There’s no surefire way to figure out who is going to be outstanding and who is going to stand in your way, but it’s worth the risk to find out.

About the Author
Named Top 100 Leaders by 2012 Magazine, Jasmine Grimm has been nominated for Central Penn Business Journal’s “Top 40 Under 40,” and The Lancaster Chamber’s ATHENA Award.

Jasmine founded Ruby, Inc. a personal styling business that teaches women how to dress for their body types and became a two-time nominee for Inc. Magazine’s Top 30 Under 30 Top Young Entrepreneurs in America. She won the 2013 SCORE Business Development Award, won the Central Penn Business Journal’s Top 25 Women of Influence Award in 2013 and the 2013 Leadership Award from the MS Society.

She has been a popular guest lecturer at the Maastricht Institute of Entrepreneurship and has been featured in Under 30 CEO and Productive Magazine, was the cover story for Harrisburg Magazine and her writing has graced National Geographic Television and Film, Harvard University and more.

She’s a 5,3,8,3 on the Kolbe A Index and her strengths include input, relator, learner, responsibility and achievement.

For more information visit her Google + Page.