So You Want To Be An Entrepreneur

I believe that I have mentioned it before, but I feel as though I come from a long line of entrepreneurs.  I have plenty of ancestors who were entrepreneurs, my grandfathers were entrepreneurs, my parents are entrepreneurs and I even have siblings who are entrepreneurs.  I have been raised to see money-making opportunities all around me.
The important lessons that I learned in my Introduction to Entrepreneurship class this week were about personal morality and the dedication that it takes to become an entrepreneur.  I believe that these two principles were best summed up in the talk, "Success is Gauged by Self Mastery" by N. Eldon Tanner.  He taught that the two important elements in self-mastery are:

1 - determining your course of moral standards and
2 - will power

As I have thought about these two elements stated by N. Eldon Tanner, I have noticed that this seems to be a trend in all of my classes that I am taking this semester.  I am also taking a microeconomics class and a business simulation class through BYU - Idaho as well as working towards getting my real estate licence.  In all four of these classes I have learned the importance of integrity, reputation, honesty and hard work.  I love that these are the values that are being taught in school.  I have learned the importance of these values in my previous experience owning a catering company.
When I had my catering company I was also a mother of young children.  Because of this, the only way that I would advertise my catering business was by word of mouth.  I was often surprised and humbled by the fact that my business grew faster than I could handle while raising my babies and I often had to turn away events (but not without giving them recommendations on whereelse they could go).  I know that the reason that word spread so quickly about my catering company was because I always tried my best to deliver food with the highest quality and kept my business organized.  I quickly learned about time management (which is crucial when you are dealing with food) and often spent many nights cooking food in less-than-ideal circumstances.  I remember one instance when the power to my home got shut off and it was the day before Halloween and I had to cater a lunch for a spa.  I had 3 young children who were scared and my husband was at work.  After feeling completely overwhelmed, I packed up my children, took them to my parent's house, came back and gathered all of the food that I would need for the catering job and then proceeded to pull an allnighter cooking.  I finished the job just in time for it to be delivered and after collapsing exhausted on the couch, I told my dad that I was so glad that I made it in time because I wasn't sure I would.  My dad then said something to me that was the biggest compliment that I have ever received.  He said, "I never had any doubt that you would do it."  That phrase completely warmed my heart because my dad, one of my heroes, told me that he knew that I had the willpower and dedication to finish something that I had committed to doing, no matter what it took.
I believe that my perspective in this course is different from a lot of my classmates because I have already been an entrepreneur and my family is full of entrepreneurs.  I have already had experience with the ups and downs of owning businesses and working for businesses.  I do love, however, that the concepts and principles that I hold dear to my heart are the ones that are being taught in my classes.  I know that as me and my classmates continue to learn these principles of morality in conjunction with entrepreneurial skills, there will be an increased number of entrepreneurs in the marketplace who stand for honesty and integrity and I believe that these people will make the world a better place.