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When you hear the word entrepreneur, do you think of a business owner or a CEO? What if I told you it could also mean an employee, a single mother, or an orphan?
In the book The Obstacle is The Way, Ryan Holiday says:
An entrepreneur is someone with faith in their ability to make something where there was nothing before.
The fact is, the meaning of the word entrepreneur and its impact on society was lost in the late 19th century.
What we know today barely scratches the surface of the potential this word holds.
Do you want to know what entrepreneur really means and how to use this knowledge to change your life and the lives of people you care about?
The Origin of the Term “Entrepreneur”
The idea behind the word entrepreneur comes from the Latin “entreprendere.”
“entre” means between, and “prendere” means to seize, catch, or take.
“entreprendere” means to catch something between your hands. To seize something that’s out of your reach.
Catching something between your hands means that whatever you’re catching was not available to you in the first place.
“entreprendere” is all about conquering forces against the odds.
Evolution of the Term in English
But English speakers didn’t take that idea directly from Latin. They took it from the French “entreprise.”
And “entreprise” is simply an undertaking.
But with the evolution of economic societies, people started to undertake something under one legal person’s name.
That legal person became the “entreprise.” The enterprise.
Now, think about it. What do we call someone that undertakes something under one person’s legal name or an enterprise?
We call them “Entrepreneur.”
Modern Misconceptions
So, by the time the term got to England during the 19th century Industrial Revolution, it was integrated into the language of economic theory and business.
That’s why, in our modern society, we mistake an entrepreneur for a business owner.
But that’s NOT what it means. Not necessarily.
True Meaning of an Entrepreneur
An Entrepreneur is someone who takes charge and thrives against the odds. Remember, ”entreprendere”? It’s all about catching something that was beyond your reach?
So, a single mother who raises her kids to become valuable citizens of society. That’s an entrepreneur.
An orphan who grows up to become a loving parent. That’s an entrepreneur.
An employee who shows up every day to do more than expected and give results. That’s an entrepreneur.
Conclusion
Consider the moments in your life when you’ve faced overwhelming odds yet chose to persevere.
The times when you uplifted others despite your own struggles, or when you transformed setbacks into stepping stones.
Every act of courage, every gesture of kindness, and every step taken with determination shapes you into an entrepreneur.
It’s about having the vision to see potential where others see none and the heart to make a difference, no matter how small.
So, may you thrive against all odds.
May you become the best version of yourself by doing so.
And may you rise as the entrepreneur the world needs and wishes for.
