A banker visited my classroom when I was a boy and explained what an entrepreneur was. I didn’t completely understand him, but I made up my mind on the spot. If it was legal and he was financing it, I was going to be one.

Not long after, I borrowed $40 from my mother, on terms, and started a candy business. I ate half of my first inventory, learned my lesson, and before long I was clearing $300 a week. I have been making payroll in one form or another ever since.

This episode is the first in a series on what it really takes to build. Social media has turned entrepreneurship into a lifestyle, and I want to take it back to what it is: a person willing to take on risk to create something that did not exist before. I break down the difference between an employee, a self-employed professional, a small business owner and an entrepreneur, and I give you one simple question that tells them apart.

Whether you are running a side hustle or dreaming about your first company, listen to this before you make your next move.

🎧 Listen now — wherever you get your podcasts, or simply click below.

Prefer to watch? The full episode is on YouTube.