My grandfather was a builder in Florida in the 50s and 60s. He worked extremely hard and was good at what he did. His family saw the ups and downs of running your own business but my mom remembered his words that you can't be successful if you don't work for yourself. Not that that is entirely true but I think what he was trying to impart is that working for yourself might be scary and risky but the ultimate reward, if you work hard, is the satisfaction that you called the shots, you won or lost based on your own ability. That being said, he was a fantastic people person. He was honest and forthright and did what he said he was going to do. He built trust in his clients. It was the combination of his skill and his character that made him so successful. I wish I had the chance to know him better but a lot of his personality and drive is present in my mom.
My mother has always had the entrepreneurial spirit. After my grandfather died, she started a business called Mandy's which sold children's gifts and clothes and personalized items. She rented a little store front in Jacksonville Beach and filled the store with things that she designed and made or had made by local artisans. I was even involved at five years old by decorating the paper bags that we used to wrap our packages. We spent many hours there, day and night, and it was my first taste of working for yourself is definitely not easier than working for someone else.
