Henry D. Sims: The De-education of Growing Up in an Entrepreneurial Family

Growing up in an entrepreneurial family, Henry D. Sims didn’t always see himself following in his family’s footsteps.  In fact, seeing the rollercoaster of highs and lows in his family’s entrepreneurial journey often left him daydreaming about a 9-5.

However, that would all change after going to an entrepreneurial event with his father, simply called Board Meetings. It was there that he met a group of entrepreneurs and their children that helped him visualize his own future.

During a podcast, he shared some of what he learned from growing up in an entrepreneurial family. To listen to Sims talk, you can almost picture his path to entrepreneurism as a type of de-education from what is taught in school.  Here are three things he learned about becoming an entrepreneur from growing up in an entrepreneurial family.

You Can Work Hard for a Company, or You Can Work Hard for Yourself

Sims credits his parents for instilling in him the drive and determination it takes to be an entrepreneur. Growing up in school, he noticed that everyone worked hard for their grades, but no matter how hard you worked, you all achieved marginally the same outcome.

When he came home, he noticed something else. He began to see a direct correlation between his family’s entrepreneurial output and their acquired income. That was part of his de-education when it came to working and what’s possible.

As he grew up, he began to realize that if he was going to work hard, it might as well be for himself rather than for someone else. No matter how hard you work for a company, you still earn the same salary (mostly), but it’s quite different when you’re an entrepreneur.

Sometimes, It’s the Things You Don’t Want That Drive You to Become an Entrepreneur

One of the habits he learned from the Board Meetings was the ability to craft your future. At the time, he had trouble drawing out what he thought his life would look like. The task was cumbersome, to say the least.

Instead, he shifted his focus and instead drew out what he knew he didn’t want. That exercise helped him see his own entrepreneurial spirit as he quickly realized many of the things, he was doing in life were the things he didn’t want.

So, in true entrepreneurial fashion, he pivoted and changed course in his life. That led to his decision to leave college and start his digital marketing agency, Zesty Owl.

 Life Experiences Illuminate Your Path to Entrepreneurism

While some people believe that people are born to be entrepreneurs to Sims, he believes that life experiences illuminate your path to becoming an entrepreneur.

Sims explains that when he was younger, he thought the traditional route of education was what he wanted. However, it wasn’t until he experienced the lives of other entrepreneurs that he realized that he was destined to become an entrepreneur himself.

His analytical nature isn’t the usual characteristic of the typical entrepreneur, but he realizes now that this is a strength for him. He uses his analytical mind to dissect his mentor’s biases to discern what’s worth using and what may be biased information to discard.

While he credits his life growing up in an entrepreneurial household being a motivator for becoming an entrepreneur, it wasn’t the all-encompassing life experience that set him on that path. His life experiences did. 

It’s All About Freedom for Sims

In the end, he says he chose to be an entrepreneur because it gave him the freedom he was looking for when it came to building a successful life. While he’s the first to admit that the life of an entrepreneur can be challenging, in the end, it’s the freedom that he truly admires about the entrepreneur lifestyle.

If you’d like to learn more about Henry Sims, you can follow him on social platforms @henrydsims. If you have dreams of being an entrepreneur, reach out and share.

If you’re a brand looking for digital marketing solutions in the post-COVID climate, contact Zesty Owl for a free consultation.

Website: https://zestyowl.com/

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