Most entrepreneurs don’t start by saying they wanted to be an entrepreneur. It just kind of happened, and they became an Accidental Entrepreneur. It is often from the need to fill a void in their personal lives that causes them to start a business. They are seeing an opportunity and going for it.
Stafford Meyers, out of the door, was an interior decorator for years and kept having trouble finding great mats for her client’s homes. After having a near-death experience at a young age, she decided to jump at the wise idea she had for years to start a high-end matt and rug company. She hasn’t looked back since.
Carly Stein from Bee Keepers Naturals had personal health issues that she found were improved when she used products she saw in Europe. Once she was back in the US, she could not find similar products, so she decided to start learning everything about bees to create products.
Naomi Allen from Brighline also created her business out of the grueling process she went through to find professionals to help her son. Having done a similar business in another customer segment, she decided to use her expertise to start a company that would help many children, not just her own.
There are so many examples of accidental entrepreneurs that I have interviewed; the above models were just a few. The point is to look around in your day-to-day life. In these moments is where you will find your idea. If you have a problem or wish something was different or expected a particular product or service existed, just start researching it and seeing if it is viable. If you don’t do it, someone else will. If you wish the company existed, someone else probably does too.
Listen to the above podcasts to hear more about their journey’s into being an accidental entrepreneur by heading over to the Badass CEO podcast available on all major streaming platforms!
