In a very real sense, entrepreneurship has changed everything. There is truly no part of my life it hasn’t touched. Still, I feel that it has been less about change and more about simply allowing me to be myself.
While growing up I would often spend hours upon hours learning something new. When I was young I loved building things with Lego’s. In 6th grade I made my first web sites, and I started making online computer games just a few years later. I’d ask for books on graphics programming and AI for Christmas. I was, and will always be, a total nerd.
Once I got towards the end of high school I realized I didn’t just like computers; I actually loved learning. I’m interested in almost everything. In college I spent a ton of time starting new and interesting projects, reading books and articles, and watching lectures online. I was lucky to land a number of awesome jobs, including an internship at Lockheed Martin writing flight control software for the Federal Aviation Administration when I was 19.
However, I eventually found that I didn’t have much patience for college. And, as much as I had fun learning at my various jobs, I eventually arrived at the end of a project and started looking for something new. This created a big dilemma. When you are young you don’t get to call the shots and determine the direction. This was a huge problem for me because I like to be on the cutting edge, exploring new ideas, and making new things. I’m a project starter and builder. Once I get into a routine of doing the same thing I get bored, and then I feel like I’m wasting my time and the company’s money.
I had been interested in entrepreneurship over the years, and now it seemed like the ultimate solution. I had this epiphany where I realized I wasn’t looking for a job; what I was really looking for was a way of life. I really wanted to be in complete control of my life and have the ability to do things I was interested in. The more I worked on designing the life I wanted, the more I saw that entrepreneurship was the avenue to get there.
Once I started working on Book Hatchery I found that everything felt like it was finally as it should be. I built learning into my job description. I’m able to work with some of my favorite people, and with them we get to build a company and environment we always imagined. Every day is different and I’m always working on something new. My role as founder tends to evolve and change every few months depending on where growth or problems arise. Perhaps the biggest and best change is the fact that I get to interact with all sorts of people, and by doing so I get to spread my passion and ideas around. And, by running Book Hatchery, we get to help other people follow their passions as well.
In a recent interview for a student I was asked “how many hours per week do you work”? I stopped to think about that and I realized a very important change. When you are enjoying what you do and you’re having fun, you have actually stopped working and started living instead. Isn’t that something you want to do as much of while you can?
About the author: Nick Cash is the founder of Book Hatchery, a service that helps authors publish their books digitally. He is also a finalist for Entrepreneur Magazine’s Entrepreneur of the Year. Visit http://www.bookhatchery.com for more information.