August 16th, 2009 
ccurwick 
One of my favorite contributors to “Fortune Small Business” magazine is Jay Goltz. Entrepreneur and small business owner, his insights are practical, helpful, and thought-provoking.
Jay’s newest article in the September Issue of FSB is called, Get Tough – You Need a Thick Skin to Make it in Business. In the article he writes,
“Entrepreneurs tend to start out young and naïve, but sooner or later we all toughen up to survive.”
He gives examples of having to “get tough” in different areas of business including human resources and relationships with vendors and customers. I think all of us, whether entrepreneur, business owner, or business executive, have had to toughen up. Whether it’s a failed business plan or just poor execution, many of us have grown harder after our own disappointments in business.
Shortly after finishing my post-graduate degree, I remember feeling so optimistic and ready to go any direction. After going through a few disappointments of my own, I am way less trusting and way more likely to challenge all assumptions in business.
I liked this article because it sparks a conversation between business owners, entrepreneurs, and execs. How have you personally been toughened up by your own experiences in business? Please add your comments below.
Posted by Corey Curwick on August 16, 2009
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I too have been a little toughened up since I entered the “real world” after graduating with my Masters in Finance in 2007. Just two years ago, I was, I guess, a little naive and overly optimistic about starting a business and making a zillion dollars. Since the crash of the markets and the liquidity crisis, I have lost not just optimism, but also time and money. I hate to admit that I’ve been hardened by this loss and am now a lot more critical of everything and everyone in business.
I think this transformation has been good for me though, as I’ve gained more knowledge in these last two years. I will say however, that maintaining optimism is crucial. So many businesspeople and entrepreneurs become overly analytical and skeptical after being toughened up, and they lose courage to go after their dreams. I think there is a balance between being blindly optimistic and having “analysis paralysis.” Even though the business world is toughening recent grads like myself up a little, we must be careful not to lose the spirit of entrepreneurship. The same spirit is what has driven the nuts like Steve Jobs and the two founders of Google to fly by the seat of their pants and create billion dollar companies.