Social Entrepreneurism, Coaching and You.

Posted on September 19, 2013 by Jeremy Tick, One of Thousands of Business Coaches on Noomii.

When meeting new people it is often asked of me, “What do you do?” When I respond, “I am a Management Consultant,” the next question is “Oh, who for?” As a professional specialized in the development and expansion of small for and not for profit enterprises, my answer, is, “Small Businesses.” After saying this, I have learned to smile inwardly because, after several years of participating in discussions such as these I can anticipate that the next question, almost without fail, is going to go something like this: “I mean, who do you work for?” And of course, I tell them “Myself and my clients.” I am self-employed and have been since I was 24. For twelve years I have been working to help Creative Professionals and Entrepreneurs plan, develop and grow their businesses.

Depending on the audience, my response will either generate a great deal of interest or a gloss will shine over their face as I am no longer useful to them, an upstart, full of nonsense and self importance, or simply something they cannot understand. In some cases it even maneuvers disdain and mistrust because I am different than they who spend their time as a part of a system that I am not and have never been a part of. They of the corporate world tend not to understand my values nor do I theirs. For this reason and many others, the life of an Entrepreneur can be a lonely one. Not exactly fitting in to the mold prescribed at an early age by the people teaching us to be just like they are, were, or were told to aspire to be. It is easier to become a quantifiable and understood technician in some iteration, whether a teacher, an electrician, a doctor or a lawyer and to appease the collective than it is to tell the world that you have identified a need in the market and spend your days to work to resolve it. And glean both success and profit for doing so – without apology.

For the latter population, as an Entrepreneur with no exit strategy nor desire for such a thing, my values, thoughts, research and understanding of the creative spirit is worth a listen to for the as yet un-jaded and non-corporatized individual or to they who know through experience of the perils that lie in complacence. These people, with whom I enjoy interacting and to whom I devote my work to, will begin to ask questions about what I do and how I spend my days – it seems as though they wish to comprehend my output and how there may, throughout the exchange, exist a mutuality – a way to form a relationship of equal opportunity and for benefit for all parties to manifest itself. It is for they and any one else in the world with a modicum of creativity and entrepreneurial spirit that I am writing this piece.

I believe it essential to focus on the development of what I call the new ‘merchant class.’ The ‘merchant class’ is a collection of individuals doing what is required of us in order to help ourselves and others to exist in the economy simply by being the best version of ourselves we are able, and to profit from doing so. The ‘merchant class’ is something distinctly different than what has been our society’s focus for at least the last two generations. This class of individuals is not necessarily working on new technology nor in the Internet space nor is their focus on methods of quick and extraordinary wealth. Rather this this group of individuals, this frustrated and creative collective is manifesting itself as a community of bakers and butchers and shopkeepers and consultants and electricians and writers and a host of other professions and skills necessary for human interest to keep our world operating as it should and always has. I believe the growth that will occur as result of the economic correction comes not from a handout by the government, nor from a job we care not to take yet do so in order to fit into an antiquated and self serving system, but rather from the core of the human ingenuity and spirit.

With the economic correction manifesting itself as the new norm it is imperative that the merchant class, those of us with the creativity, opportunity and talent to carve out a niche for ourselves do so. It is our responsibility and duty to identify our unique talents and to find strength to maneuver jobs that we can create for ourselves. This will not only reward our aspirations and technical abilities but will also create areas of opportunity to facilitate the movement of resources so that sustainability and, ideally, economic and social growth continues to occur. What is required of us to achieve this way of being is cognition of our abilities, the ways in which we work, what is our unique capability for contribution and an understanding that to check out of the norm as it used to exist manifests itself now as an act of citizenry.

We, as a collective, must begin to reorient ourselves to remind ourselves of who we are as a people; individuals who dare to dream. Our is a global culture dreamt of and built for us by a creative and frustrated collection of individuals who put themselves to the test – however it manifested itself – in order to facilitate for us the freedom they previously had not. Part of respecting this contribution is through ingenuity. Just as our ancestors provided and fought for a foundation where every human’s voice matters, so too, is it our responsibility to their memory, their work and their commitment to our betterment, to live out the dream they had for us. We have become complacent these last many years. It is time to change.

It is through the removal of aspiration, the development of quality self expression, and through finding inspiration in our unique contribution to economic growth that we will begin to understand and find both pleasure and reward in the rebuilding of our global economy. This work begins with each of us.

My name is Jeremy Tick and I am a coach for Entrepreneurs. My job is to help you create yours.