QUESTION: “Hey, I’m in my mid-twenties and I think I’m ready to be an entrepreneur. Honestly, I’m so tired of having a boss breathing down my neck all the time, and I’m ready to start making some real cash. Should I go for a product-based or service-based business to kick things off?”
– Ethan M. | Burnaby, BC
ANSWER FROM THE EXPERT
Listen up, because this isn’t the kind of answer you get from motivational posters or feel-good seminars. If you doubt whether you should be starting with a service-based or product-based business, let me ask you this: Are you sure you’re ready for this path? If you’re already uncertain, maybe that’s a sign. Real entrepreneurs don’t need someone to tell them which road to take—they make their own damn map.
Here are some pieces of advice, based purely on experience and not on sugar-coated fantasies. Take it or leave it, but if you take it, be ready to act.
1. NO ONE TELLS AN ENTREPRENEUR WHAT TO DO AT 9 AM
If you’re waiting for someone to hand you a checklist or tell you when to get to work, let me break it to you: real entrepreneurs decide for themselves. At 9 AM, they’re already halfway through their to-do list, because they set the agenda, not anyone else. They drive the day, and if you need direction, that steering wheel might not be for you. And by the way, thinking you’ll get rid of bosses? Think again. Now, instead of one boss, you’ll have hundreds—each and every one of your clients.
2. NEED A MENTOR? MAYBE YOU’RE NOT AN ENTREPRENEUR
The truth might sting, but if you’re actively seeking a mentor for the basics, maybe you’re not cut out for this. Entrepreneurship means facing the unknown, trusting yourself, and forging ahead. Guidance is fine, but dependence is not. The people that carve out empires weren’t waiting for permission or hand-holding—they were out there risking everything on instinct.
3. LEARN TO LOVE LOSING
If you’re afraid of losing, then this might not be your path. Losing teaches you what winning can’t. Success can be luck, but defeat—it sharpens you, molds you. Every loss is a brutal, essential lesson. Without those bruises, you won’t know how to swing when it matters most. It’s not failure—it’s the tuition you pay for greatness.
4. FAILURE ISN’T THE END
Start your first business. Fail. It’s not a catastrophe—it’s education. Failures are the stepping stones; each one builds a bridge to something better. You get smarter, tougher, and twice as deadly in the next round. It’s called evolution, and entrepreneurs are the ones who adapt the quickest.
5. BEWARE THE MEDIA’S “GUIDANCE”
All that PR talk about “guiding you” or “partnering with you”? Let’s be real—it’s often a trap. They want you to buy into the illusion that there’s a handrail to hold onto in this journey. There isn’t. It’s a free fall, and only those ready to land on their feet can make it. The real ones jump in without a net, because they know it’s about building something bigger than safety.
6. QUALITIES OF A REAL ENTREPRENEUR
Courage. Relentless energy. And yes, a bit of madness. Without these, the daily grind will crush you. A real entrepreneur wakes up with the fire to change their world, every day. It’s not optional. It’s not for show. It’s in their blood, and it burns until something incredible gets built.
7. ENJOY THE PAIN
You have to like the discomfort. The end of the month when bills are due and you’re staring at an empty bank account. The instability, the constant surprises. If you crave stability, stay away from entrepreneurship. Business is chaos, and you need to thrive in that storm. The bigger the pressure, the bigger the potential payoff—it’s the thrill of being on the edge that makes it worth it. Every employee thinks they can do what a boss does, until they face weeks of wondering if there will even be cash to keep the lights on.
8. YOUR TEAM EATS BEFORE YOU DO
Being an entrepreneur means going without—sometimes for weeks—just to make sure your employees are paid. They’re the ones building your vision. And when the business starts making money, it won’t be just you cashing in. It’ll be you, multiplied by every single person on your payroll. Their commitment fuels your dream, and investing in them means eventually cashing in on all their successes too.
9. BE A JACK OF ALL TRADES
You have to be good at everything in the beginning. Marketing, Sales, Accounting—you name it. Hiring out for everything might feel smart, but it’ll drain you dry before you see a penny of profit. Learn the ropes yourself, from finance to production, because in the beginning, every dollar counts. Don’t let someone convince you that you can’t do something just so they can bill you monthly. Mastering the basics means you have the foundation to scale when it’s time.
10. TIME ISN’T COUNTED BY HOURS
You’ll miss out—on parties, on sleep, on leisure. But let me tell you, those sacrifices build something that one day throws the best party in town. And that moment, when you’re the one calling the shots and enjoying the success, makes all the missed moments worth it. One day, you’re the one standing there, throwing a celebration that nobody forgets—because you earned it.
WHY BEING THE BOSS IS WORTH IT
Now, I’ve laid out the hard truths. It’s not pretty, it’s not comfortable, and it sure as hell isn’t for everyone. But for those who make it past the failures, the empty accounts, the sleepless nights—being a boss is incomparable. You get to create something out of nothing. You get to call the shots. You live on your terms, and when you succeed, you’re not just surviving—you’re thriving beyond imagination. The freedom, the power, the satisfaction of knowing that every single triumph is because of your blood, sweat, and grit. It’s waking up every day and knowing that you’re doing what you love, and even if you’re battered, you’re living a life that’s truly yours.
And remember, it’s better to need a fiscal advisor to help you manage your growing profits than to deal with the stress of paycheck-to-paycheck living. That’s the difference between those who stay as employees and those who choose to build something worth fighting for.
“The More You Lose Early, The Faster Success Will Find You.”
Jean-Francois Maurice | Serial Digital Entrepreneur | Markham, ON
