What it takes...
and what I used to believe it takes
I knew quite early in my career that I was not a fit for traditional employment.
I am stubborn. I can’t really accept doing things just because someone told me to. I have opinions. I don’t like being judged or controlled, or being told what I should do next. I like to have influence and to see the results of my work. I feel truly miserable when I do things I have no influence on.
So, more than 20 years ago, I had my first idea about becoming independent. I just didn’t know what that could look like. Instead, I told myself I had to be a responsible adult. I started to believe that I didn’t have what it takes to be an entrepreneur. And I carried that belief for over 20 years.
That’s a long time. And a lot to unlearn.
Luckily, I am a bit wiser today. I’ve started to recognize the lies and false beliefs that surrounded me, and I am slowly moving through them.
Last week, I gave a talk about some of these lies. I want to share one of them here: the idea that the role of an entrepreneur is to sell things.
I’ve already told you this is a lie. But why?
This is where some basic knowledge of economics and management comes in handy. It helped me, and hopefully will help you, to understand that selling things is not the same as running a business.
Yes, running a company or working as a freelancer is about earning money. And we earn money when we sell products or services. But to sell something, we first need to have an offer. We need to know what we are selling—and we need to be able to deliver it.
And those are functions of a business that come long before marketing and sales.
The role of an entrepreneur is to create that offer. To go out into the world, meet people, and understand what could make their lives a bit better, easier, calmer—or maybe more exciting. The job is to notice what’s missing—whether in your neighbourhood or in a part of the market you care about—and to find a way to use your resources, skills, energy, and passion to change that.
This calls for curiosity, empathy, creativity, courage, and persistence.
It is something deeply human. And for many of us, very natural.
I have always been a problem solver. A facilitator of ideas. A connector of dots. Someone who questions things and looks for more effective, more logical ways of doing them. For years, I hoped these qualities would find their place in traditional employment. But in reality, they are far better suited to working independently.
And because I had been told so many times that I needed to “sell,” I was convinced I would never make a good entrepreneur.
The truth is very simple: you can sell things even if you are not a sales person. But you will sell nothing if you don’t have an offer to sell. So your first role is to create this offer, see what can you do to make the life of others a bit better, solve their problems, help them, make their life prettier… This is what makes an entrepreneur.
Last year, I finally stopped believing some of the things that had been holding me back, including the idea that I needed to be a salesperson first.
Instead, I started noticing what makes me me. What strengths I actually have. What feels good and fun, and what doesn’t.
I began to appreciate my ability to solve problems. My broad perspective, which helps me see more. My talent for connecting dots that don’t seem connected. My love of storytelling and being on stage. The joy and learning that come from deep conversations. My creativity, my empathy, and even the fact that I don’t fully belong to one group, but move between them, building connections with individuals.
Last week, I experienced a moment of pure happiness.
After a speaking event, when all the keynotes were delivered, emotions expressed, and people were simply enjoying the evening- I stood at the entrance of the room, looking at all those people, and felt completely at ease.
More even. I was happy. Grateful. Amazed.
I had been part of that evening. I had met incredible people. I had listened to their stories. And that was enough.
With a few contacts I knew I would stay in touch with, I felt I could simply go home.
I felt like myself.
Without the need to fit in. Without pretending.
For the first time, I truly felt that I could do things my way—without holding on to outdated beliefs about what an entrepreneur should be.
One of the things I now do, in my own way, is my Open Office on Fridays, live in Vienna.
It’s a free business mentoring opportunity. You can come by and bring your questions or challenges related to starting or running a business. I won’t tell you what to do -but I will help you understand your options and the context around them.
And trust me—that alone can be incredibly eye-opening.
Find all the dates and locations here: Events – Stasia Lewicka – Business Haven
And if you are not in Vienna, you can always book a free call to get to know me.
I am looking forward to hearing your story!
