Forums: Discussions for entrepreneurs and small business.

Yes, the passion of entrepreneurs is unparalleled.

In a relationship, passion is vital. The entrepreneurial spirit, however - hard-charging, independent, being in charge, charting your own course - is tough between two entrepreneurs. It can be a double-edged sword: persistence and tenacity are great traits for both business and personal life, but two independent people coming together is quite a balancing act.

You generally don`t hear about `entrepreneurial couples` doing separate work - if they are both entrepreneurial, it`s usually building the business together. I can`t think of very many examples with a couple pursuing separate ventures.

There is a lot of psychology around being a true entrepreneur, which I define as actually being in the business world with your own venture and no route of escape. It`s easy to talk about, but hard to actually do.

Part of the entrepreneurial psychology is coming to terms with who we really are, because in your own venture you can`t hide from yourself. In a corporation, it`s just a job, so you can go for years without true growth. When it`s just you against the world, getting your stuff dealt with is a key element of success. Especially, I think, when the brand you are building (as Fast Company once called it) is `The Brand You.`

I think it has nothing to do with SuN`s mission, but it might makes for a good partnership with someone who did it for a living - match.com, eharmony, etc. You can`t underestimate the value of a system versus a one-off conversation

Keycon... I agree. Love can be found anywhere. The question is, how long does it last? For some, a long time... For others, it`s short lived. Typically the long lasting flame of love depends on the burning desire inside each individual. 

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Vincent Wilcox (a.k.a. KRAKR)
Drummer
My band: Letters Make Words

Vincent: you are absolutely correct.
Whether you meet someone in a bar, online, at a funeral (ok, so that last one might be a stretch), the where is unimportant. The why is everything.

You must come to the table as a complete person. If you feel unworthy of love, there is nothing the other person can do to convince you otherwise.

Just like going for it with a business venture, real change is an inside job!

Jeff and Vince, you are definitely on to something.  You can`t start a business without a solid plan, just as you shouldn`t venture into a relationship without a solid sense of self.  There seem to be a lot of parallels between personal life and business life and the similar ways in which one should approach them. 

I`m seeing a new network being born before my very eyes...

Alison,
Thanks for starting this discussion.

I can`t think of a greater asset - not brand, not capital, not anything - more important than the love of a great person behind me. Not that I am not doing it without that right now - I am - but that`s certainly not my ultimate goal.  A Porsche and a great brownstone in the Back Bay of Boston just won`t keep me warm at night - or ultimately driven, either. I am not building this for myself only.

I don`t think a `Personal Dating Plan` - vis a vis a Business Plan - is the right answer here, but one question is at the core of every great business, every great life, and every great relationship:

What is it that you want?

Once the goal is established, the obstacles won`t disappear, but the end objective is still the same?

What do I want? I want it all - a thriving business, continued personal growth, and an amazing relationship. I`m now at 2 out of three - not bad. I wasn;t even figuring a relationship into the equation this year, but I did meet someone I thought was really special in this community. While that one didn`t work out for a number of reasons, I would be a wimp if I gave up on the first one.

henry David Throeau said, `You will meet with a success unexpected in common hours.` But remember, that`s after he said "I have learned, that if one advances confidently in the direction of his dreams, and endeavors to live the life he has imagined...".

Advancing confidently in the direction of one`s dreams presupposes three things: Advancing, Confidence, and One`s Dreams. We all know people who are confident but never advance, people who are over-confident but don`t have a dream, and those who advance seemingly without either one.

I love the phrase `Jump and the net will appear`. That`s the essence of business and relationships - going for it, with some degree of knowing where you`re jumping.

And that`s the proof. It`s one of the most well-known exceptions.

I`m contemplating how some humor relates in any way to a philosophy product line? Hm....maybe philosophy isn`t supposed to have any sort of humor? Or maybe philosophers must only use original jokes? No wait...that wouldn`t work...

It`s a deeply troubling question. I`ll just stick with whether or not people can fall in love online.

Suppose your skin feels hot, you`re sweating, you feel somewhat dizzy, and your throat it all dry. Do you have a fever, or are you in a room where the temperature is too high? How do you know?

Many people believe that it`s a one-way pipe between our mind and our feelings. We experience a mental event and our feelings take place as a consequence. Despite ongoing medical evidence showing that the body can *cause* mental events, a lot of people don`t believe it.

Passion is a body feeling. Nobody`s got a definitive separation between "passion" and "love." So if you`re passionate about something, can you really know what`s the target of that passion?

Suppose you`re feeling afraid. If it`s "obvious" that people only feel afraid for a good reason, then you`re going to look around in your mind, memory, and outside world to "figure out" what`s causing you to be afraid. But what if your body is pumping you up with adrenaline and mimicking the symptoms of fear?

I`ll argue that because you "require" a source for the feeling of fear, you`ll find one. You`ll choose something and fixate on that thing, person, or belief, and proclaim it to be the cause of your fear. It isn`t, but so what? It sure seems like it is, therefore....it is.

When a group of women live in close proximity, for instance the military, dormitories, apartments, their monthly cycle synchronizes. Why? Nobody knows, but it`s been routinely documented. If we put a group of people with a strong sense of passion into close proximity, wouldn`t it make sense that there`d be a growing sense of synchronicity? Is that love....or just a strong common bond?

Can people fall in love online? Of course. As lots of people have said, above, it happens all the time and people can fall in love anywhere. But wouldn`t it be a better question to ask if that love is authentic, or long-lasting love?

Craig - I would really suggest holding off on the bong hits until after lunch. Either that, or your LSD days are starting to flash back on you...

But then what would I do with my bong?

Craig: Do you really want a straight answer to that question, or are you being rhetorical?