The Entrepreneurial Journey: The Unseen Pain and Silent tears

By Steve Biko Wafula / Published November 17, 2016 | 11:36 am

Stories are told of many great men who moved from rags to riches on their own. Who claim to be self made. These stories have been told over and over and it has become the go-to analogy for inspiring young and up coming entrepreneurs.

The sad truth about these stories is that they are full of lies. I could name the names of these so called ‘great’ men but I risk a serious backlash for speaking the truth. Funny how we detest the truth so much yet we peddle lies to our own kids.

No entrepreneur ever talks about the behind the scenes drama that they face everyday as they grow their start ups and other businesses. No one ever lifts the curtain on the dark side of entrepreneurship to really enable anyone have the right picture and perspective about it.

No one ever talks about who helped them get there. Who gave them a deal when no one could even trust them. Who ensured their first tender was awarded and we’ll funded. No one ever gives the needed credit. We all see the glory and never the tears, sweat and a million prayers uttered in traffic jams.

Interesting thing is that, no one is ever really ‘self-made’. That’s a concept to give self the much needed glory which is a powerful aphrodisiac that attracts whatever one intends to attract. In 1 Chronicles 29:12 and I quote,…’ Wealth and honor come from you; you are the ruler of all things. In your hands are strength and power to exalt and give strength to all...’. This alone negates the element of one being self made.

In our journey to the top, we are helped and assisted daily by many people that we never pause to say thanks to. Everyday strangers give us deals and opportunities that otherwise would go to someone else. This is totally out of our control and the verse gives an answer to the concept of how wealth and power are gotten.

If we knew what goes on behind the scenes, if we knew what happens to honest entrepreneurs in their day to day hustles to make ends meet, grow their brands and improve their societies, we would have a different view of what honest wealth is all about.

Every business has its challenges and how we view those challenges defines many of us. Every story has three sides. The truth, his side and their side. Every narrative has a perspective that is normally ignored. Integrity and honesty, when weighed on the subjective scales of personal justice, distort the truth of a matter and that’s why the psychological pain of entrepreneurship needs to be talked about to be able to mentor, inspire and nurture honest entrepreneurs.

Starting today, I will be joining top entrepreneurs, the likes of @SamGichuru, @PeterNduati, @TerryAnneChebet and @ItsKinoti to share a table and talk about the myriad of issues that entrepreneurs go through. These are renowned names in diverse fields and they have managed to hide their pains and struggles with dignity and grace. For me, am still a toddler as an entrepreneur and I struggle with basic entrepreneurial challenges and thus listening to these great minds opens a gateway for me to learn, to grow and to make myself a better entrepreneur ready to take on whatever the big bad business world has in store. Register for the Entrepreneur’s Boot Camp here and join other entrepreneurs along with thought leaders from various industries in making your entrepreneurial journey far more informed.

About Steve Biko Wafula

Steve Biko is the CEO OF Soko Directory and the founder of Hidalgo Group of Companies. Steve is currently developing his career in law, finance, entrepreneurship and digital consultancy; and has been implementing consultancy assignments for client organizations comprising of trainings besides capacity building in entrepreneurial matters.He can be reached on: +254 20 510 1124 or Email: info@sokodirectory.com

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