In this two-part series, I want to talk about anxiety. This is something that we young entrepreneurs don’t talk about often. I am going to. This wasn’t easy to write. I stopped myself several times to write something else. It’s got to be done. It’s going to sound a little dark.

It starts with getting clear about you as a young entrepreneur. You are not any different from other young entrepreneurs around you who seem to have more control over their businesses and lives. You just haven’t figured out how to have the right people around you who can help you maximize your potential.

The biggest mistake you can make in your business and in your life as a young entrepreneur is to try and protect yourself from failure. If you want to become who you want to be, you must be willing to fail. If you want to get hired, you must be willing to get fired.

I used to think passion was enough to grow your business, go through life as a young entrepreneur, and succeed with your team. I was wrong, very wrong. I discovered the hard way that you need strategy. I discovered you need to learn how to lead yourself first before you can lead anyone else.