"Let me get this straight Mr. Palumbo...You own a successful online business...you live in the Canary Islands and you want to give it all up to come and work here?" said the recruiter, pointing towards the London rain, pounding the window.
He saw right through me.
"Why don't you just scale your business and stay where you are?"
He was literally saying, don't take this job. Stay where you are and build what you have.
That was the last ever job interview I had, for Bloomberg Finance in 2017. It was a shame: I loved the TV studio on the ground floor.
I learned 2 lessons that day:
1. I have no choice. Entrepreneurship is what I am.
2. I am 'un-hireable'.
A lot of people are drawn to entrepreneurship and creating their own business because it sounds sexy.
"Be your own boss..."
"You make the rules..."
"Keep all the money..."
All arguably true but any business owner will tell you that's far from the full story.
The truth is:
After 1000 days of running your own business,
you too become, 'unhireable'.
Seasoned entpreneurs know that once you're in the driver's seat for that amount of time, you transform. Your mind kicks into gears you didn't know you had and there's no off-switch. You're constantly thinking and planning, at all times, even on a 'break' - if and when that happens....
You develop new skills and build pyschological stamina you had no idea you were capable of. All thanks to stepping up to challenges bigger than you, every, single, day.
The other part of the learning curve is when you hit a rock bottom. It can happen so hard you feel indrescribable emotions that ripple through your nervous system and into your brain. This is no word for it.
The late nights, last minute solutions and the constant rollercoaster of energy and emotions is enough to make regular people feel nauseous. What side of the bed you'll wake up on in the morning is a coin toss.
You are your best friend and worst enemy and the funny part is, you can't even see it!
What do you think any previous boss you've had sees when they look at you after all of this?
How does your CV read after these experiences?
When I look at my CV, if I take out the experience as a business owner, I have a 10 year void to fill.
I am not an employee. It will take a very special company to take a risk and hire me.
You're the ultimate leader: fully independant and responsible for your actions, consequences, time, lack of time, success, failure, ego and self-loathing.
How will a company control such a force? How will such a force allowed itself to be managed?
Is there really no way back for me?
I'm not going to lie, the odds aren't stacked in your favour. Standard companies aren't likely to hire you for the reasons mentioned and would you want to anyway? How would you fit back into the company box that's set up for you to play in?
The only alternative is a cutting-edge new startup looking for creative individuals. A place where you can act as an intrapreneur and apply your unique skills to the company and help it flourish..
...But if you're anything like me, you'd want to create your own start up instead anyway.
Welcome to the creation club. We're unhireable so we create our own opportunities.
Love, success, creation.
Stefano
PS Have a track record of success as a solopreneur or corporate leader but feel like something is missing?
When you are ready, let's explore how to create your vision.