Here's to the Crazy Entrepreneurs

Real entrepreneurs live in a world where they constantly hear, "Are you crazy? or "What have you been smoking?" when they announce to their friends, family, and colleagues they are starting a business. They are the ones who hear, "It can't be done?" from all the naysayers who are not willing or able to leave their comfort zones. Real entrepreneurs are the ones who think and act differently. They are the ones who see opportunities that others cannot see. Real entrepreneurs are not like "normal" people. They are the "crazy ones" Steve Jobs described in Apple's Think Different ad who change the world. They are the ones who like operating "at the edge without a net." They identify with Karl Wallenda -the great high wire artist - when he said, "Life is on the wire, the rest is just waiting." They are the ones who cannot retire. Their lives revolve around sensing and seizing opportunities. While most people think the greatest frustration for entrepreneurs involves seeking sufficient funding, their greatest frustration is that the opportunity clock is always ticking. As one entrepreneur noted, "There are so many opportunities, but so little time." Instead of celebrating their entrepreneurial successes, they go to their grave thinking about the opportunities they did not seize. They are the ones who know entrepreneurship is not a spectator sport. Real entrepreneurs are like moths driven to the flame. Their opportunity radar is always scanning the marketplace for situations where people are not having their needs met well enough or at all. They know that for every problem, every sense of frustration, and every source of pain, there is a potential entrepreneurial opportunity. They are the ones who sense what people want before they know it. They are the ones who find a way to make possible what others consider impossible. They are the ones who are willing to "step into the darkness" and to "take the leap of faith." They are like explorers. They thrive on "Boldly going where no one has gone." In a world full of path takers, they are the path makers. They are the ones who create ventures that change the way the game is played. They are the ones who create firms that disrupt markets and create new markets. They are the serial entrepreneurs who constantly think about their "next venture(s)" while managing their current venture. They are the multipreneurs who create and run multiple ventures rather than having just one business at a time. Normal people cannot understand what drives real entrepreneurs. The only people who understand real entrepreneurs are other entrepreneurs. Here's to the Crazy Entrepreneurs takes the reader into the minds of the people who change the marketplace and who, in some cases, change the world. Stephen C. Harper demonstrates an uncanny insight in to what makes entrepreneurs tick. In his latest book, Here's to the Crazy Entrepreneurs he investigates whether entrepreneurism is a mental disorder or if "normal" people are actually the ones who are crazy by risking their mortgages, careers, and future by working for someone else.
About the Author: Stephen C. Harper, Ph.D., is an entrepreneur, consultant, speaker, award-winning educator, and best-selling author. His books on entrepreneurship and leadership include: Taking Your Business to the Next Level and Beyond! (2012), The Ever-Evolving Enterprise (2011), Extraordinary Entrepreneurship (2004), The McGraw-Hill Guide To Starting Your Own Business (2003) - a national bestseller - that includes a Chinese edition, The Forward-Focused Organization (2001), The McGraw-Hill Guide To Managing Growth In Your Emerging Business, (1995), and Management: Who Ever Said It Would Be Easy? (Editor and co-author, 1983). His latest book, Here's to the Crazy Entrepreneurs: Is Entrepreneurism a Mental Disorder? (2013) takes the reader inside the mindset of real entrepreneurs who change the way we live and work. It poses the question, "Are entrepreneurs the crazy ones or are the people who do not have the guts to leave their comfort zones to start ventures actually the crazy ones?" Steve has been on the faculty at Arizona State University where he earned his doctorate, Duke University - as a Visiting Professor of Entrepreneurship in its Executive MBA program, and The University of North Carolina Wilmington - where he is the Progress Energy/Betty Cameron Distinguished Professor of Entrepreneurship. Steve is the recipient of numerous awards including: The University of North Carolina Board of Governors' Award for Teaching Excellence. He has also received the Chairman's Service Award by the Council for Entrepreneurial Development and been recognized for outstanding service by the U.S. Small Business Administration for establishing and being the Director of UNCW's Small Business Institute for twenty years. Steve was President of Harper and Associates Inc. a business consulting firm, from 1976 through 2009. He has also been the co-founder and President of numerous economic development organizations. He has also served on the board of directors for numerous organizations. Steve has conducted hundreds of seminars on strategic thinking, breakthrough leadership, corporate entrepreneurship, and the management of change for corporations and not-for-profit enterprises. He has also made presentations at more than one hundred professional associations and been a speaker for Inc. Resources.