40 U.S. VETERANS MAGAZINE WWW.USVETERANSMAGAZINE.COM
VOBs & SUPPLIER DIVERSITY
Get good at silencing your fears and get comfortable being uncomfortable
To get to the next level, you gotta learn to get comfortable being uncomfortable. -Eric Thomas Your entrepreneurial journey WILL be a roller coaster. There will be days where you look at yourself in the mirror in the morning and wonder why you are putting yourself through this - times where you will feel like a hamster on a wheel. During these times, you must maintain discipline, look past the short-term pains and uncertainties and keep your eye on your main objective(s). You have to shift your mindset and maintain a steadfast perspective. So, what are you waiting for? Get after it!
Paul Peng holds a masters degree in Political Science from California State University, Fullerton and is an Army veteran with two Iraq combat tours. He continues to save lives through security training certifications, situational awareness courses and concealed weapons permits.
For more information about Paul Peng & Sentri Institute, scan here!
3 Lessons Learned
From a First-Time Veteran Entrepreneur
By Paul Peng
COURTESY OF PAUL PENG
E
ntrepreneurship is difficult, period. Statistics published in 2019 by the Small Business Administration (SBA) stated that roughly 2 in 10 businesses fail the first year, jumping to 5 in 10 within five years. By year 10, only 33 percent of those businesses survive. On the other hand, a Gartner study published in 2019 found that only 13 percent of employees were largely satisfied with their jobs. That means that 87 percent of American workers are dissatisfied with their current occupation. Here's the thing, my entrepreneurial journey would not have even started if my wife hadn't talked with an Uber driver about getting firearms training and becoming a security guard. She always knew I had a passion for teaching and firearms. When my wife came home from her Uber ride, she asked me one question that ultimately launched me into my business, Sentri Institute. Have you ever thought about starting a firearms training company? You'd be good at it. It has been two-plus years since that conversation, and what have I learned?
Entrepreneurship is no walk in the park, not by a long shot
Do not go where the path may lead, go instead where there is no path and leave a trail. -Ralph Waldo Emerson Coming from the corporate world, I was used to being one cog of a gigantic machine, performing small tasks as a part of a larger objective. Most businesses start with limited funds and just one or two people, which means they are no longer cogs of a machine; they ARE the machine. They have to manage sales, marketing, tech, finance, operations and HR issues. There will be a lot of mistakes and pitfalls during this phase, and at times it can be highly demoralizing, which leads to the next lesson.
Be a part of a good support network(s)
Someones opinion of you does not have to become your reality. -Les Brown A sound support system is a must. You will face many criticisms from those closest to you (e.g., family, long-time friends). You have to distance yourselves from critics and start relating with like-minded people. As for me, my wife and kids are my biggest supporters.
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