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As entrepreneurs, many of us can attest to the hard truth that this road is often one of the loneliest and most fulfilling paths a passionate dreamer can take in their career. We find ourselves almost compulsively driven to transform our dreams into a reality. As such, we will make sacrifices along the way that most people will never have even to consider making — let alone experience for themselves.
In fact, one of the most notoriously successful entrepreneurs, Jeff Bezos, has said that any entrepreneur “must be willing to be misunderstood for long periods of time.” The rewards of building a business cannot be understated, nor can the challenges.
In addition to finding the right team, partners and support system to hold us up when the storms of entrepreneurship inevitably start to swirl around us, it is absolutely crucial that we also find others who have walked this path ahead of us to lean on for inspiration, direction, and support. These trusted guides play an essential role in our hero’s journey, helping shape our mindset and providing hard-earned wisdom when faced with problems we’ve yet to learn how to solve. The insights, community and solidarity they can offer us as we learn and grow in our careers are invaluable.