What makes an entrepreneur? | Sahar Hashemi | TEDxYouth@Bath
TLDRSahar Hashemi delivers an inspiring talk on her journey into entrepreneurship, beginning as a dissatisfied lawyer and discovering a passion for coffee shops. Detailing the step-by-step process of starting a business with her brother, from conducting market research to overcoming rejections and challenges, Sahar stresses that entrepreneurship is accessible to all with perseverance. Her core message empowers the audience that within everyone lies entrepreneurial creativity and potential for success when matched to personal interests and brought to life through commitment and hard work.
Takeaways
- 😊 Entrepreneurs are made, not born - anyone can develop the qualities needed through starting their own business journey
- 📚 Doing thorough research and homework is critical - lazy people can't become entrepreneurs
- 💡 Ideas only have value when executed - stop brainstorming and start doing
- 📝 Writing your ideas down and making a business plan forces you to get organized and make them happen
- 👍🏻 Being an outsider is an advantage - you come with a fresh perspective
- 💰 Bootstrapping solutions with limited resources trains your creativity and resilience
- ❌ Overcoming constant rejection and criticism is part of the journey - persistence pays off
- ☕️ Passion and hard work beats inborn talent and intelligence
- 🤝 Having co-founders and a support network is invaluable
- 😊 Love what you do - when work and life combine, you unlock happiness and fulfillment
Q & A
What made Sahar realize that she was not suited to be a lawyer?
-Sahar realized she was not suited to be a lawyer because the job did not match her optimistic and enthusiastic personality. She felt her creativity was being stifled and that she was just working for a paycheck rather than enjoying her work.
How did Sahar's father's sudden death impact her career path?
-Her father's sudden death was a huge shock for Sahar. It made her realize that life is short and she needed to find meaningful work that allowed her to be herself, rather than staying in a comfort zone she was unhappy with.
What was the inspiration behind bringing American-style coffee bars to the UK?
-On a trip visiting her brother in New York, Sahar missed the amazing coffee bars she had discovered there. She remarked to her brother that she wished there was somewhere in London to get good coffee like that. That sparked the idea to bring that concept to the UK.
What does Sahar mean by the phrase "leap and the net will appear"?
-This phrase captures Sahar's belief that sometimes you have to take a courageous leap of faith towards your dream even if you don't know what the outcome will be. If you leap, she believes opportunities and solutions will appear.
Why does Sahar emphasize the importance of not knowing or being an expert when starting a business?
-Sahar argues that lack of expertise is actually an advantage rather than a disadvantage when starting out. It allows you to approach problems with fresh eyes rather than preconceptions. You can teach yourself as you go.
How did Sahar conduct market research for bringing American coffee bars to the UK?
-Sahar did extensive research by traveling to New York, clandestinely taking photos of a pioneering coffee shop, surveying the London landscape by stopping at every Circle Line Tube stop, and obsessively drinking many espressos to learn about coffee.
What creative tactics did Sahar and her brother use to get their new business off the ground?
-They engaged in lots of bootstrapping activities - getting friends and family to help make muffins and stickers, borrowing items, doing things themselves to save money. Creativity and scrappiness were vital to making it work.
Why does Sahar argue that entrepreneurship is a process rather than an innate characteristic?
-Sahar makes the case that anyone can become an entrepreneur through the journey of starting a business. It brings out qualities you didn't know you had. Rather than something you're born with, it's something you become.
What are Sahar's 5 key steps to becoming an entrepreneur?
-Her 5 steps are: 1) Come up with an idea you love 2) Do thorough market research 3) Write a business plan 4) Raise money 5) Make it happen through commitment and hard work.
How does entrepreneurship enable personal growth, according to Sahar?
-Sahar argues entrepreneurship enables remarkable personal growth because it draws out your hidden talents and creativity through the problem-solving process. It merges life and work in an incredibly fulfilling way.
Outlines
😃 Getting to know the entrepreneur in you
The speaker talks about how she didn't consider herself an entrepreneur growing up and compares herself negatively to famous entrepreneurs like Richard Branson. She later became a lawyer but realized it wasn't the right fit for her enthusiastic personality. After a shock of her father passing away, she decided to find work she loved and take a leap to start her own coffee business.
😊 Finding a gap in the UK café market
On a trip to New York, the speaker fell in love with the coffee bars but realized there was a lack of similar high-quality coffee shops in London. Her brother convinced her to research the market, and after surveying the options in London, she saw a clear gap to bring American-style coffee bars to the UK.
🤓 Learning on the job and bootstrapping solutions
The speaker acknowledges she and her brother were clueless about running a coffee business but saw that as an advantage of being outsiders. They gave themselves 3 months to learn all about coffee and bootstrap solutions like taking covert photos of a New York coffee bar when the manager confiscated her camera.
😤 Overcoming obstacles in making it happen
The speaker shares the many obstacles faced in making their coffee business a reality - getting loan rejections from banks, not being able to source the right cups and muffins, etc. But through persistence and hustling, they were able to open their first store.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡entrepreneurship
💡comfort zone
💡business idea
💡self-belief
💡bootstrapping
💡criticism
💡risk-taking
💡hard work
💡persistence
💡passion
Highlights
I thought you had to have a special chromosome to be an entrepreneur, some sort of magic dust or be a school dropout like Richard Branson.
I realized I had chosen the wrong career for my personality. My optimism and enthusiasm were wasted in law.
After my dad died, I realized the comfort zone is an illusion. I had to do something I absolutely loved, something where I could be me.
My motto in life is 'leap and the net will appear'. You've got to take the jump sometimes.
When you start doubting yourself, press the delete button. That voice is not reason, it's fear.
Never worry about not having expertise. You teach yourself as you go. Being an outsider is a huge advantage.
Entrepreneurship is about trial and error until you get things right. It's not a genius tendency.
A business plan is just answering a few questions: What will you do? How? What will it cost? Who with?
We got rejections from 40 bank managers before we raised the money we needed.
Entrepreneurs have to bootstrap and find creative solutions to obstacles.
Anyone can become an entrepreneur by going through 5 steps: the idea, research, plan, funding, doing.
Do what you love and your entrepreneurial spirit will emerge. Skills and belief come from taking action.
Entrepreneurship combines what you do with who you are. Work doesn't become separate from life.
The journey brings out strengths you never knew you had. Everyone has an entrepreneur within.
I've never met an unhappy entrepreneur. It's difficult but wonderful to find your inner star.
Transcripts
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