The joys and frustrations of being an entrepreneur

November 28, 2007 · Posted in Entrepreneurship, Golf, Motivation, The Rotater

JOY #1 – Its an adrenaline rush

Being an entrepreneur is like careening down a mountain road at ninety miles per hour with one headlight out. Its both thrilling and terrifying at the same time. You react to circumstances as quickly as you can but still you wonder if your last decision:

will throw you off the mountain
will cause you to run headlong into some obstacle
will allow you to gain even more speed and momentum

It can be a true adrenaline-laced thrill ride. But like an amusement park roller coaster, every peak is followed by a valley. These peaks and valleys represent the joys and frustrations of entrepreneurship.

FRUSTRATION #1 – Not everyone shares your enthusiasm

When you are “moving and shaking”, you tend to assume that everyone around you is interested in your success. They are not. In fact, some are secretly hoping that you fail. Why?

If you are successful, then others are forced to examine why you achieved your success while they have not.
If you are successful, then you may move beyond your current environment leaving some friends behind.

JOY #2 – Press Coverage

The Montgomery Advertiser ran an article yesterday about the Rotater and noted that it had been recognized as the “GOLF PRODUCT OF THE MONTH” by 1StopForGolf.com.

JOY #3 – A large spike in traffic to therotater.com

One of the benefits of press coverage is that it creates a natural curiosity in people. They want to see what all the fuss is about, so they travel to our web site to watch the Rotater video and read the testimonials.

This press coverage has increased the awareness of the Rotater and has created a viral “buzz”. More and more people are learning of the benefits that the Rotater provides for post-operative shoulder patients, athletes and breast cancer survivors.

JOY #4 – Increased sales

Increased sales are the quest of every entrepreneur! When you get more eyeballs looking at your product or service plus an unsolicited and unpaid endorsement from a fair and unbiased third party, the result is an increase in the volume of sales.

So, we had a nice increase in sales yesterday.

FRUSTRATION #2 – Learning how to maintain momentum

While I am thrilled by the attention the the Rotater received yesterday, I realize that today means going back to the drawing board.

Today, we will have to call or email contacts to increase an awareness of the benefits of the Rotater.
Today, we will have to follow through on our commitment to excellent customer service.

JOY #5 – A powerful telephone call

In the midst of all the excitement yesterday, I received a phone call from a renowned golfer who has been using the Rotater for a couple of months. He told me that he loves his Rotater, keeps it in the trunk of his car and uses it nearly everyday.

That’s a powerful endorsement!

FRUSTRATION #3 – No testimonial

I asked this championship golfer if he would give me a testimonial. He said that he couldn’t give me a testimonial for fear that it would endanger his amateur status with the U.S.G.A.

Even though his testimonial would go a long way toward establishing some verifiable credibility for the Rotater, I completely understand this golfers predicament and I don’t want him to do anything that might lead to eligibility issues.

He believes in the Rotater and has offered to help us in other ways. I believe him.

SUMMARY: JOYS = 5 AND FRUSTRATIONS = 3

All in all, it’s all good! Valleys follow peaks. That’s just the way it is. Just don’t allow yourself to stay in the valley. Start climbing to the top of the mountain and get ready for the next thrill ride down.

Tags: entrepreneurship, press, The+Rotater, golf, shoulder+stretching+device, Rotater+testimonials

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Comments

9 Responses to “The joys and frustrations of being an entrepreneur”

Stephen Hopson on November 28th, 2007 3:08 pm

Chris:

This was by far the most enjoyable article you have written to date. It was inspiring, thought provoking and something I could identify with. I particularly identified with the struggle of maintaining momentum, especially after you’ve had a nice ride with media exposure. The question is how to capitalize on it and parlay it to something bigger? That’s the problem I’ve had - how to parlay media attention for something larger?

GREAT article! I’m also stumbling it to encourage others to read it.
Chris Melton on November 28th, 2007 4:06 pm

Stephen,

Thanks for the strong words or encouragement. Although there are many challenges, entrepreneurship is never boring nor mundane. See you at the top.
Stephen Hopson on November 28th, 2007 4:19 pm

Yes, I will definitely see you at the top. Glad to have met and made friends with you.
Brad Baggett on November 28th, 2007 8:21 pm

Impressive article! I have been so busy lately and have not taken the time to stop by soupornuts and boy do I regret it. I have some catching up to do, but keep it coming. You are truly a breathe of fresh air!

I am so proud that everyone is realizing the benefits of the Rotater; the article in the Advertiser was pretty cool!

http://www.JuiceofChampions.com
Chris Melton on November 28th, 2007 10:42 pm

Thanks Brad.
End of the Week Gratitude Theme #5 on November 29th, 2007 1:03 pm

[...] Melton wrote an excellent post about what it’s like to be an entrepreneur in “The Joys and Frustrations of Being an Entrepreneur.” I particularly liked how he describes the journey as if you were careening down the [...]
Albert | UrbanMonk.Net on December 8th, 2007 9:34 pm

Hey Chris, a very refreshing and honest look at the life of an entrepreneur. I can relate to it, running my own small biz, thanks for the good read.

Cheers,
Albert | UrbanMonk.Net
Modern personal development, entwined with ancient spirituality.
Chris Melton on December 8th, 2007 11:34 pm

Hi Albert,

Thanks for stopping by. I hope to get to know you better as soon as I can get a grip on the increased publicity.
Albert | UrbanMonk.Net on December 8th, 2007 11:56 pm

Thanks Chris, awesome to hear that you’re getting more publicity. I’m seeing your name pop up quite a lot in my travels across the Net, so that’s great work.

Cheers,
Albert | UrbanMonk.Net
Modern personal development, entwined with ancient spirituality.