Article of Interest: Crazy Like An Entrepreneur

In Business Telegraph (U.K.)

Being entrepreneur Anita Roddick, founder of Body Shop International

An entrepreneur has more in common with a crazy person. That's what I've learnt. When I could articulate entrepreneurship not as a growing business but as a sort of obsession it all made sense to me.

Entrepreneurship is obsessive and it does have certain core components: it's got to have a work ethic -- that's why immigrants make terrific entrepreneurs, and why middle-aged, middle-class, wealthy people don't.

You've got to have an obsession with freedom; you're almost unemployable and you therefore set up your own skill base to cover that. You cannot stand hierarchy -- especially female entrepreneurs, who'll try to break it down at any given point.

I've learnt that you have this umbilical cord with your business; so you really don't know what life is and what business is -- it's all blended together. I've also observed that entrepreneurs, when they leave their company, can either end up in mental institutions or committing suicide because their reason for being is their company.

To read more of this breathtakingly insightful article on what it's like being Anita Roddick and the lessons she has learned, visit here. You might also check out her latest brilliant creation Take It Personally.