Entrepreneur...Me?

Some years ago, I had to get a new primary care physician (ah...the joys of HMOs) and in our first meeting, she asked me what I did for a living. At the time, I had just left my "day job" and had just started to piece together the various things that I've ended up doing (plus a couple more) and so I was a little tongue-tied with my answer. I briefly touched on the basics: the performing and teaching, my new organizational development firm, the game design company that I have with my husband...and she summed it all up by writing "entrepreneur" in the tiny line of the form for Occupation.

I looked at that word and felt confused. It seemed pretentious and both too complicated and too simple at the same time. It didn't indicate any field of expertise, any of the years of education or experience. It was vague. I'm not a huge fan of vague.

What if I just started answering that ever-present conversation starter question of "What do you do?" with "I'm an entrepreneur." First, I'm pretty sure that I'd have to assume an accent and possibly reconsider my dress code. And what about the poor, unsuspecting question-poser? Would they furrow their brows and look about desperately for help? Would they muse something like, "well, la di da" and realize their drink needed refilling? Or would they say, "interesting...go on..." and we'd be in a real conversation?

Wikipedia says that the term is applied to the type of personality who is willing to take on a new venture or enterprise and accepts full responsibility for the outcome. Yup, that has happened a few times. It also says that entrepreneurs are successful because their passion for an outcome leads them to organize available resources in new and more valuable ways. That's pretty cool. And I *SO* love organizing available resources!

I'm not sure that I'll start using the word, but I do embrace the concept. Looking at new ventures (or adventures!) with a figure-it-out mentality, passion-driven organization, and a willingness to jump in with both feet and fully accept the outcome. Yup, I'm pretty sure that my friends and family would be nodding vigorously at this description (with perhaps small, bemused shakes of their heads and a little stockpiling of contingency insurance plans).
-written by jen