The reading level for this article is Novice
Here you will find monologues, dialogues, thoughts, ideas and above all, the lessons I’m learning as an Apprentice Entrepreneur. I am just getting my feet on the entrepreneur ladder, taking one step at the time, giving my best in developing my intangible assets –so that if I succeed, I succeed in style, and if I fail, I fail in style too.
WARNING: This is a personal journal. Therefore it’s private. THEREFORE you shouldn’t read it&ldots; or get caught reading it! However, if caught, you alone are responsible for the consequences&ldots; and knowing from my past experience, consequences may range from a lot of screaming, calling (colorful) names to pulling hair. Don’t say you were not warned!
Lesson #1: You are never too young.
I am young. Very young. I am too young. Am I really?
When I was a child, I had big ambitions. I wanted to do a lot of things, but my family advised me to wait until I would be older. Why? Simply because people would not take me seriously.
I am a keen genealogist. At 10 I took the initiative and started researching my family tree. With relatives I had no problems whatsoever. They were proud that someone (anyone!) so young was interested in our family history. But immediately when I came OUT of the family circle, I ran into a wall. A serious wall that did not take my work, or me for that matter, seriously.
When a 10-year-old goes to her loving family with a complaint, they advise her to wait for a while. "Wait till you’re older. They will take you more seriously then", the child is told.
Well, check this out. Ten years later, this particular child is STILL not taken seriously. So what am I doing wrong? I’m older now but nothing has changed! It is actually worse –I’m stuck with an "I-am-to-young" complex, and I’m still getting the same feedback I had ten years ago!
So where did I go (fatally) wrong? My guess is that I just waited to get older, but not really doing anything about it. Similarly to when you have a dream and you are hoping your dream will come true one day –but you don’t do anything about it. You just wait for the right time to come, when all the stars will align and the timing will be perfect and your dream will fall onto your lap and just instinctively you’ll know what to do, because of course, you ARE the chosen one and THIS is your destiny.
But until the stars align there is nothing you can do apart from continuing with your daily routine, dreaming about how everything will change and how great it will be when your dream will materialize.
Yeah right!
And then &ldots; the alarm clock will go off and you’ll wake up realizing you are still Cinderella waiting for your prince to find you. But the reality is –the prince will NEVER show up! He will be too busy checking shoe sizes of girls that actually DID something to become princesses –like chopping their toes off (BTW: you ARE familiar with the true Cinderella story, right?). Well, at least they did SOMETHING&ldots; even if it didn’t work out in the end&ldots;
So, maybe I should just wait for another 10 years to get a more mature expression on my face? Will people finally take me more seriously? Well, what would you think of a 33-year-old with no experience and zero achievements? Ksenija, think again! Do not wait!
But how do I overcome my "I-am-too-young" complex and make them take me seriously? Who would’ve thought it was way more simple than I imagined! The whole point is that you have to know how to market yourself. You have to believe in what you’re doing, and you have to know how to sell it as well.
Surprisingly, when you believe in what you’re doing, it’s really a piece of cake selling it. Of course don’t ask me, ask the people who are actually succeeding at doing that! I’ve just discovered there are tons of success stories out there. Literally –tons! Young people that made it because they knew how to market themselves and their product, company&ldots; And look how young they are! Are they too young to be taken seriously as well?
Of course, it takes time and effort to learn how to market yourself, and whatever you’re selling. You will have to build your own reputation, ie: building your own brand. But everything starts with a first step&ldots; After that, most of the doors you’ll knock will open right away –some of them will even invite you in even before you knock!
It really is all about marketing&ldots; but it starts by believing in yourself, your product or service. And then adding value, of course. So, as my boyfriend loves to say, get the ball rolling! Start selling yourself now –but never sell out.
If I knew then what I know now, I could have done it years ago! If you know how to sell yourself and you believe in what you are selling – you are never too young!
Bottom line: I am definitely NOT too young. I am younger than I think, but then again I am older than I thing as well. Go figure!
But one thing is sure: if I believe in both myself and the product, nobody that matters will consider me too young or perceive my age as an obstacle. It is how you wear yourself that matters. So&ldots; GO GIRL!
