Monday, October 15, 2007

How does an emotional support network help male entrepreneurs?

How does an emotional support network help male entrepreneurs?
I am still pretty naked out here in the valley, and it gets chilly at night. So it was fortunate I ran across this quote I saved on my Netvibes page. From Networking Around the World from BusinessWeek:

How does an emotional support network help male entrepreneurs?

It's difficult to say exactly why emotional support networks of male entrepreneurs facilitate revenue growth, but I can suggest a few reasons. Getting praise and encouragement from their friends boosts self-confidence of entrepreneurs. Also, emotional support may indicate high social legitimacy and approval for starting new ventures, and therefore lift the social standing or informal status of entrepreneurs, which can be an asset itself.

Those entrepreneurs who receive more emotional support may develop greater psychological resources such as persistence, perseverance, and risk tolerance. And those network ties may provide not only emotional support but generate other resources and benefits such as finance, supplies, product ideas, and introduction to new clients and distributors.
I wonder what I was thinking when I left one and everything in Toronto to move out here this summer to get into VCs and start ups. It seems unreal. Who I was back then and who I am now. I must had a huge ego back then. Now I feel pretty bad sometimes*. I have some friends (Brian, Joanna, Jin, etc) who like me have just started life after college in a new city or country tell me how it's so hard to adjust. Now add that to not having a job and no support network. And mood congruence sets in. I don't think I've ever listened to so much country music in my life....

Guess what just started playing on my Pandora? Life ain't always beautiful by Gary Allan. Now that is pretty amazing. Lyrics:
Life ain't always beautiful
Sometimes it's just plain hard
Life can knock you down, it can break your heart

Life ain't always beautiful
You think you're on your way
And it's just a dead end road at the end of the day

But the struggle makes you stronger
And the changes make you wise
And happiness has it's own way of takin' it sweet time

My life under construction sign, taken in August in Toronto (click to view):



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