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I’m Bossy
By Jessica Alex
BOSS MAGAZINE LIFESTYLE
I like being my own boss. Although
I think the saying YOLO is cliché
and played out, I do understand the
common saying life is too short. This is
one of the main reasons why I decided
to give up my full-time job in pursuit of
my entrepreneurial endeavours. Some
may not understand that decision,
especially in this economy. Everyday
you hear reports that the job market is
tough, particularly for the youth. Then
here I go giving up a salaried position.
However, I crunched the numbers,
weighed the pros and cons and decided
to tap into my own business dreams.
Disclaimer: not everyone is meant to be
an entrepreneur. Sometimes it’s okay
to have a hobby and keep it as a hobby.
With that being said, entrepreneurs
can offer a great contribution to
society and can even create new jobs
and opportunities for others.
One of the things that are important
to understand is that being an
entrepreneur is not easy. Very few
people in this world will achieve
overnight success. Some people may
assume that being an entrepreneur is
the easy part and working for someone
else is the hard part. They may think
that as an entrepreneur you can sleep
in everyday, go shopping, maybe even
play video games (I heard Grand Theft
Auto just came out). Meanwhile, when
you work for someone else, you have
to show up on time and take breaks
when they tell you to. In reality, as an
entrepreneur there may be many days
where you get less sleep than if you
were working a nine to five job, at least
that is the case for me.
When I don’t have an interview,
appointment, seminar, book signing or
fashion show, I am doing research and
planning. There will never come a day
where you will know everything. There
is always something new to learn. It’s
good to have a mentor who has been
there and done that to guide you,
but make sure that they have good
intentions. It is also important to keep
up with what’s new. Trends are ever
changing and it’s good to ride the first
wave to stay on top of things (or create
a trend of your own), especially when
you are trying to build a brand.
Building a brand
I believe in always being true to
yourself, not just in business, but in
every part of life. In fact, I think that
is a big part of being a boss in any
and everything that you do. If you put
up a front, people are usually really
good at sniffing you out eventually,
so keep it real but polished as well.
Ultimately, how you portray yourself
can also make or break you. A part of
my business brand is to educate and
inspire children and youth. A part of my
personal brand is to give back. Both of
those undertakings are a natural part
of me, so portraying that is effortless.
Do your research
Before you decide to become an
entrepreneur, really take the time to
think about the pros and cons. Once
you know what business you want to
get into, research that business; what
are the trends, what are the start up
costs and who is the competition?
I know that if I didn’t go for it, I would
constantly have something nagging
away at me. Five years from now, I want
to be able to look in the mirror and
say, I did it! instead of asking myself I
wonder what would have happened if
I tried? No matter what the outcome,
I want to know that I took that risk,
and that’s what being a boss is about;
taking the risk and doing things that
not everyone can do.
If you do decide to run your own
business, it is okay to have another job
to keep your income steady until your
business takes off. Whether you decide
to hold that job on a part-time or fulltime
basis and how much time you
think you will need to invest into your
new start-up business is up to you.
As a youth, know that there are a lot of
untapped resources available to you.
If you are worried about not having
customers right away, often I find that
friends and family can start off as your
clients and then you can branch out
from there.
Don’t give up. Like I said, it takes
time. Success doesn’t always come
overnight, and it may not even happen
on the first try. A few years ago, I
started a newspaper and I believe that
was a catalyst into my new venture,
which is publishing children’s books. If
being a boss is what you want to do,
you’ve got to believe in yourself and go
for it.
I think Kelis said it best, “I’m bossy!” Are
you?
Jessica Alex is the author, illustrator
and publisher of “What If the World
Had No Colour?” a book for children.
To get in touch with Alex go to
www.uponastarbooks.ca.
To follow her on twitter: @Jess_alex88
or @UponAStarBooks
To connect on Facebook: Upon A Star
Books Inc or Author Jessica Alex
WINTER 2013
BOSS MAGAZINE
98
99