From Apprentice to Entrepreneur:
How Your Day Job Is Your Best Business School
Let me tell you, warriors, I 've been there.
Stuck in a job that felt like a dead-end.
Work wasn't what I thought it would be, and the frustration was real.
But instead of jumping ship and chasing some entrepreneurial dream, I did something different.
I learned to treat my job like my own side hustle.
And guess what?
That approach not only made my days better, but it also equipped me with the skills I needed to become a successful entrepreneur later on.
Here's the thing.
Most guys in their 20s and 30s feel like their job is a millstone around their neck.
They think starting their own business is the escape route.
But let me tell you, building something from scratch is like going ten rounds with a heavyweight – it takes grit and skills you might not realize you lack.
And the skills needed to be an entrepreneur are not taught in schools or on the job.
So, before you quit your day job, consider this: your current role can be your best business school, if you shift your mindset.
Here's why, and how I used my electrician gig to launch myself into entrepreneurship, landing $30,000 with just two clients in my first year.
Lesson #1: Your Job Isn't About You, It's About Making Your Boss Look Good
This might sound counterintuitive, but hear me out.
When I first started as an electrician, I thought the job was all about me – showing off my skills, proving myself, being the fireman who put the fires out.
But then, it hit me: my real job wasn't just wiring buildings.
My job was to make my foreman's life easier.
The faster and better I did my job, the smoother things ran for him, which in turn made the whole company look good.
Action Step:
Shift your perspective.
How can you make your boss's day easier?
Anticipate their needs, solve problems before they arise, and take initiative.
Approach your job as if you were your boss, what does he need you to do?
This not only helps you to be a better member of the team, it helps you to be your boss, thinking and approaching the work as if you were already in that position.
The Entrepreneur Connection:
This same principle applies in spades when you're running your own business.
Your job as an entrepreneur isn't just about your product or service.
It's not about how much of a badass you are.
It's about making your clients' lives better.
When you focus on solving their problems and exceeding their expectations, you build trust and loyalty – the foundation of any successful business.
I see this all the time when I get on a website and read the "About" page.
It's all about the service provider, their products, services, and packages, not about the customer or client.
WIIFM is the most important question in business, "What's In It For Me?"
That is, first and foremost, the one question everybody is asking when they consider what you are offering, in business and in life.
Lesson #2: You're Getting Paid to Practice Essential Business Skills
Josh Kaufman talks about in his book, "The Personal MBA," the 5 Parts of Every Business.
Here's the secret most young guys miss: you're already practicing all of them at your day job!
Think about it.
As an electrician, I wasn't just wiring circuits – I was creating value for my clients and contractors by solving their electrical problems.
My work ethic and quality service were part of how I "delivered" that value.
Every time I talked with a foreman about a project, I was essentially "marketing" my skills.
And when it came to budgeting time and materials for a job, I was dipping my toes into "finance."
Action Step:
Identify the five business skills Kaufman talks about.
- How and where are you creating value to another person's life? (Value Creation)
- How are you communicating that value so that you create buy in with potential partners? (Marketing)
- Are you meeting others at a mutually beneficial spot so that all parties involved want to move forward together? (Sales)
- Are you delivering on those agreements and at least meeting expectations but better yet, exceeding them? (Value Delivery)
- Are you spending less than you earn, personally and professionally, lining the coffers for future unseen setbacks? (Finance)
Look for opportunities to practice them in your current role.
Track your progress and celebrate your wins.
In many ways, practicing these skills prepare for the #1 most important partnership of all, getting married.
The Entrepreneur Connection:
When you launch your own business, these skills become your bread and butter.
Having a solid foundation in them through your day job experience gives you a huge head start compared to someone jumping in blind.
You can build these skills now, long before you start your own business, by seeing your job as the "dojo" to practice business skills, no different than a dojo being the place we practice fighting skills in case we need them on the street.
Lesson #3: Building Relationships is Your Secret Weapon
Think of your workplace as a training ground for building strong relationships.
Whether it's
- Collaborating with colleagues
- Interacting with clients
- Managing a team
Every interaction helps you hone your communication skills, build trust, and learn how to navigate different personalities.
In my electrician days, I built strong relationships with foremen, suppliers, and even inspectors.
This not only made work easier, it created a more enjoyable work experience.
These skills proved invaluable later on when I started my own consulting business.
They became my effortless approach to building relationships, being of service and easily asking for the sale.
Action Step:
Make an effort to connect with people at your job, from colleagues to clients.
Build genuine relationships, not just transactional ones. (Never keep score!)
Offer help when you can, and be a good listener.
Research has shown that in the long game, "givers" win. More so than "matchers" and much much more than "takers."
The Entrepreneur Connection:
A strong network is gold for any entrepreneur.
The connections you build at your current job can become your biggest asset when you go solo.
Be seen as a "resource hub" the person that connects others with resources that makes their lives easier, better, and happier.
You can be of service in any of a number of ways;
- Share what you know - offer tips, tricks, and tactics that you feel might help
- Share who you know - be a connector, find people in your network who have similar interests or challenges and put them together
- Share how much you care - let people know how valued and appreciated they are to you and how they've made your life better
From Apprentice to Entrepreneur:
Putting It All Together
Look, I'm not saying your day job will be sunshine and rainbows all the time.
But by approaching it with the right mindset, you can turn it into a valuable training ground for your future entrepreneurial endeavors.
Remember, the key is to shift your focus.
Don't just go through the motions; be proactive, learn from every experience, and build relationships.
Treat your job as your own side hustle, and you'll be surprised at how much you gain.
By the time you're ready to start that side-hustle, you will already have a head start on your competition.
Leaping over them in no time!
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