It all starts when you graduate from high school. Then you proceed to college or university. You complete those studies, graduate, and are ready to unleash your academic skills. You just want to go out and “Save the world”, right?

So, after several years of working (the number of years will vary from person to person), you sit down one day after losing your job (perhaps for the first time, second time, or more) and quit all the jobs you’ve ever had. Dyed. This is your “master resume”, which only you will see, in preparation for writing the focused resume you will send.

This is what he put on his master resume: 32 years of work, 15 jobs (that’s 2.2 years per job), shortest job was 3 months, longest job was 6.5 years, 3 jobs They were transition jobs. Ugh, you say. It is not surprising that you are somewhat bewildered and feel lost. This analysis resulted in another interview and a successful offer, which you accepted. You start your 16th job!

This well you have reason! That’s not you, that was me!

“Wow! How did that happen?” I ask.

Well, partly because I never gave up and adapted to the times with new resume formats and different marketing avenues, like LinkedIn. Tenacity also came into play (ie being stubborn). I also continued to work in my profession, without a segway in lawn care or grocery bagging (not that there’s anything wrong with that).

I reviewed those 32 years. It was easy because I created that “Master Resume” that allowed me to fly for 32 years, right on my desk. So I asked myself, “What changed during those 32 years?”

Good…

• Recommendations are few or none
• It seems that there is no business plan of 1, 3 and 5 years in companies
• loss of teamwork
• job instability
• No loyalty to the employee.
• The work schedule is shortened
• Collaboration at work slimming down / dying out

For the employee, this results in;

• suspicion
• uncertainty
• Loss of identity

I realized that I entered a new paradigm, without even knowing it.

“The people at the top are motivated by money, the people at the bottom are motivated by fear”

Fear of… losing their job… being demoted… left out… not being part of the TEAM… not being accepted as a contributing member.

Then one day we have an epiphany…

“The world doesn’t want to be saved! JUST SAVE YOURSELF”

Don’t get me wrong, I don’t mean this in a vindictive or blasphemous way.

We realize that the world has much bigger fish to fry than worry about us. The world doesn’t really care about us individuals. You have much bigger concerns to take care of…and that’s good because only we know what’s best for us…right? Of course!

As HAL said in 2001: A Space Odyssey, “Something wonderful is going to happen” – And it did!

I don’t know exactly when, but… something happened. I went into…

“Dawn of the INNERpreneur – INNERpreneurship”

Definition of INNERpreneurship: “INNERpreneurs use their facets to find fulfillment and personal growth, creatively, spiritually, emotionally… and create social change”

So what are some of the characteristics of an INNERpreneur?

• high need for achievement and independence
• low need for compliance
• internal locus of control
• love of ambiguity
• propensity to take risks
• obsessed with opportunity
• total “outside the box” thinking

Not convinced? Have you noticed in the last 10 years or more, the variety and types of self-help, wake-up type books that have been written?

What I have experienced and probably noticed is that work deadlines have accelerated. What used to be a 33 year career and 1 job, has turned into 2-5 year block segments over the same 33 years. As the Internet has accelerated, so have people’s expectations;

• Our expectations are rising (perhaps our expectations of ourselves too)
• works on promise – under delivery
• people, like you and me, want things to happen, things to progress

INNERentrepreneurs…

• believe you should do what you are/love
• see a different world
• let their values/passion guide your life
• innate need to be creative – unique path
• do things differently – attracted to improve the world
• alternative career approach with reflection periods

So what happened to me? Well, I got another job in my profession, actually a good job. But that brief dry spell, when the lights came on and I had an epiphany, well, that’s when I started my INNERpreneurship.

It was a magical moment, a perfect storm, so to speak. I had been a Toastmaster for 15 years, always loved radio, had experience on the web and social media, and wanted to harness all the leadership and public speaking skills he had learned and applied. So I thought… “why not project that forward to help others come out of their shell and help them move forward with their challenges and personal development, with leadership, team building and public speaking.”

And here is the best part. If one develops a product or service that someone is willing to pay for, then the INNERpreneurship can easily be migrated to an ENTREPRENEUR.

An INNERpreneurship could be many things, such as;

• because
• a charity
• a philanthropy
• a product
• serve
• volunteering
• a book

Everyone has a passion that they can turn into an INNERpreneurship to fulfill their personal growth and create social change.