Rethinking the Mindset of a Business Owner

A business owner mindset isn’t exclusive to those chasing tech-startup dreams. Being an entrepreneur can happen in any industry. Discussing his journey to becoming a business owner was EJ Williams, who joined David and Matthew Shields on Like It’s Your Job.

Williams, an electrical engineer, has an interesting story. He’s worked for Tesla and a Mark Cuban startup. However, he didn’t find satisfaction in those roles, because he wanted to be a business owner. His initial ideal of entrepreneurship was tech and Silicon Valley. “That start-up is a long shot with a low likelihood of success. The middle ground is being a small business owner offering something somebody needs.”

For the past three years, he’s been learning the business of a Jiffy Lube franchise at Indiana Car Care. It wasn’t necessarily where he thought he’d find what was missing, but he expressed that life is about opportunity, and this was one to take.

The conversation included William’s favorite quote from Matthew McConaughey, “Persist, pivot, or concede—it’s up to you,” Williams said, “You have to keep asking yourself this with high-level decisions and small tasks.”

Those three options are a good framework for his life as a small business owner. He didn’t always know it was OK to want more. “If you’re the business owner type, it’s OK that you want to look at everything and not be satisfied in one role.”

Williams credits where he is now to his own perseverance but also his mentors. “I learned a lot listening to them and taking their advice. Now, I try to find mentees, because sharing knowledge is the best way to learn.”

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