Answering the Call

Answering the Call

Payphone in an orange petistal

So, you want to be an entrepreneur? Here’s where you begin.

Entrepreneurial action begins when you feel the potential to be a value creator, and you respond to it; you answer the call. The first Entrepreneurial Action Level, Answering the Call, is the foundation for everything that follows.


Payphone in an orange petistal

“Answering a call will sometimes feel that way. It won’t make sense and may even open you up to rejection and criticism, but in your heart you will know it’s right. How? There will be confirmation. You will take a step, and things will happen.”

— Author , Jeff Goins

What you cultivate at Level 1, at the beginning of your entrepreneurial journey, and on an ongoing basis throughout it, is the difference between a sad entrepreneurial life and and joyful one. If you do not take regular action at Level 1, you’re much more likely to feel behind where you “should be”, uncertain of what to do next, and stuck doing what you “have to do”. On the other hand, investing in yourself and regularly acting at Level 1, increases the odds that you’ll be on track, confident, and spending your time doing what you love to do.

The Video

In this episode of the Whatever The Heck That Means on YouTube we take a deeper dive into the first level of the Entrepreneurial Action Levels framework: Answering the Call.

Check it out. Like, and subscribe if you do. Comment your thoughts and questions too.

Entrepreneurial Action Level 1: Answering the Call

Some Actions To Take

Answering the Call is not a one-time action: it is something you need to return to again and again to keep yourself fresh, creative, open-minded, humble, cheerful … all the good traits. As entrepreneurs, it is our home base. New entrepreneurs need to invest in themselves to grow their foundation. Experienced entrepreneurs need to return to Level 1 on a regular basis to “sharpen their saw” and cultivate creative energy and inspiration. At Level 1:

  • You accept where you are and the costs you’ll have to bear to get where you want to be
  • You commit and recommit to taking the journey to get there
  • You make sure you’re prepared to take the next step and choose a next step that you’re prepared to take

Some Questions

Here are some questions that might help you determine that you need to spend some time Answering the Call:

  1. Do I feel inspired to take action?
  2. Am I motivated by the good I can do for others?
  3. When I think about the actions I need to take, and especially once I start acting, do I experience a sense of joy?
  4. Are my circumstances such that I can act to realize my entrepreneurial vision? Or, given my circumstances, can I identify actions I can take to make progress towards being ready?
  5. Do I have the personal traits to create value and do it repeatedly? Or, can I identify ways I can develop those traits?
  6. Do I understand value and how to create it? Or, can I identify actions to take to learn these things?
  7. Do I know my personal values and is my entrepreneurial vision aligned with them?

Considering those questions may inspire you to action too. Perhaps to invest in your own learning, especially to prioritize immediately applicable and practical knowledge. Maybe to focus on getting your personal life in better order to support your entrepreneurial aspirations.

Examples to Learn From

Let’s take a look at some Economics for Business resources that may help you take action to answer the call.

Acceptance

Entrepreneurship as the Path Upwards From Anywhere, for Anyone

In E4B podcast episode 106, Mauricio Miller discusses how he learned that entrepreneurship is the best pathway to prosperity. Not just for those who can get Silicon Valley venture funding for their idea, but also for individuals and families with limited options. It took Mauricio 20 years running social services to realize that such programs were the worst policies possible.

Having accepted this reality, Mauricio set out on his own entrepreneurial journey to actually help people in such communities. The impetus for many entrepreneurial actions begins with accepting that the present isn’t what you want, and that you can do something about it.

Commitment

Your Value Proposition Language Is Your Customer Commitment And Your Company Culture

This Fall 2020 E4B article starts with some observations from the great Peter Drucker about customers and their relation to you business. From there it introduces the Value Learning process and outlines mindsets and outcomes you want to develop within your business.

You can also apply this thinking to your own self and the entrepreneurial life you want to have. No entrepreneurial endeavor can succeed without initial commitment and regular re-commitment.

Commitment

A Recipe for Success

In E4B podcast episode 35, Chris Wilton discusses how he turned what he loved to do into a growing catering business. While the recipe metaphor runs the risk of making us think too linearly and formulaic, there is no doubt that long-term success is intentional.

The first half of Chris’ recipe is all about preparation. The art of entrepreneurship is figuring the measure of each you need right now and starting the Value Learning process as soon as possible. In this way, we’re constantly preparing so that we can learn by doing.


As we continue to develop these Entrepreneurial Action Levels, your feedback, good and ill, is very much appreciated. Please watch the video in full and comment with your thoughts there, on this post, or directly through LinkedIn or the Simbiotrek (sim-bÄ“-‘ä-‘trek) website. I look forward to hearing from you and hope that you found some of the specific questions and actions helpful too.

Sean Kennedy

The creator of "Whatever The Heck That Means" can usually be found with his wife and younger son in their adopted home of North Carolina. (His older son is now an adult and away studying mechanical engineering.) From there he is the Founder and President of Simbiotrek (sim-bē-'ä-'trek - https://simbiotrek.com), and makes occasional digital imprints on LinkedIn (https://linkedin.com/in/seanpk) and Twitter (https://twitter.com/AkaMacGyver), as well as on the Be Action YouTube channel (https://youtube.com/@BeAction).

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What Are the Steps to Building a Beautiful Business? – Whatever The Heck That Means Posted on8:12 am - August 25, 2022

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