Into the Unknown
Frozen 2 and lessons on the entrepreneur journey
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I know you're scared of the unknown (Known)
You don't wanna be alone (Alone)
I know I always come and go (And go)
But it's out of my control
- ‘Sunflower’ by Post Malone & Swae Lee
I think one of things I will always remember most when I look back on the pandemic and the time in lockdown with my kids will be the amount of times I have been forced to watch the movie ‘Frozen 2’!
My youngest daughters are 4 and 7 and grew up on Frozen and all things Disney. The songs, and the quotes from the movies, are seared in my memory to the point that I think I hear certain quotes in my sleep!
We signed up to Disney+ to help keep us occupied through the tighter lockdown restrictions, which meant it was wall-to-wall Frozen and Frozen 2. (Frozen 2 being the much anticipated sequel, released in 2019).
Without spoiling the movie for anyone that hasn’t seen it (and if you have young kids…you have definitely seen it!), the plot of the sequel is as follows:
Set three years after the events of the first film, the story follows the main characters Elsa and Anna, who embark on a journey beyond their kingdom of Arendelle in order to discover the origin of Elsa's (the queen) magical powers and save their kingdom after a mysterious voice calls out to Elsa.
Why Should You Care?
In the movie, a strange voice beckons to Elsa, sending her on a dangerous journey to discover the origins of her magical powers.
Despite everything being settled on the home front, Elsa is drawn on this journey and cannot resist the pull of finding out where her powers have come from and what more she can learn.
To me, there are a lot of similarities with this storyline and the journey of an entrepreneur.
Over the course of the past 2+ years, we have been fortunate to interview over 70+ entrepreneurs on our podcast show, MoneyNeverSleeps.
Some are first time founders, others have started multiple businesses.
Some have had great success in the past, others have had multiple failures.
Some have always worked in startup businesses, others have always worked the steady job in the corporate world.
But each of them spoke of pursuing their opportunities as if it was a ‘calling’. They were unable to resist the journey, even if it was uncertain.
They spent countless hours, and sleepless nights, following their dream, their passion.
Being an entrepreneur is a journey into the unknown. You can read all the books and listen to all the podcasts out there but nothing will prepare you for the unknown, the unexpected.
You can try to plan and prepare for every eventuality, but there will always be something that you didn’t expect.
Being an entrepreneur is not for everyone. It can take years for you to become an ‘overnight success’. Many don’t make it out the other end and many businesses fail.
But you cannot ignore it if it calls to you. It is the strange voice in your head that will never go away. It will nag away at you, even when the timing might not seem right.
There will never be the perfect time. There will always be challenges and it may seem dangerous to take that first step.
But the voice will always call you.
Don’t be afraid, take the first step.
As Elsa sings it best…….
‘Show yourself. Step into your power’
Tell me why I’m wrong…
- Eoin
Left Field
How do I describe ‘Left Field’? It’s a place to put the content (newsletters/articles, etc) that we have amassed over recent weeks or previous years that really make us think or change our thinking on a particular topic. All the content will offer an alternative view of some topic in financial services, technology or sport (or a combination of all three!)
Chess (Yes, Chess) Is Now a Streaming Obsession
I am happy to admit being a huge chess fan and playing a lot as a child. I have my kids slowly learning the game and hope to spend many afternoons playing with them as they get older.
But even I was surprised to hear that chess has become popular on streaming platforms during the pandemic, where from March through August, people watched 41.2 million hours of chess on Twitch, four times as many hours as in the previous six months!
Anyway, I won’t give away too much. Enjoy the article and feel free to get in touch to discuss more!
- Eoin
Can’t Sleep?
MoneyNeverSleeps podcast episode from this week:
Episode 102: Connector: Jean Evans and Venture Business Network
Jean Evans from the Venture Business Network joins the show this week to share her insights on how to get started with professional networks, building your own board of advisors by developing your network, and being a master networker and a shy introvert at the same time.
Podcast Recommendation: Highly recommend checking out the ‘Firewall’ podcast hosted by Bradley Tusk (a previous guest on the MoneyNeverSleeps show). Every other week, Bradley talks with the most influential investors, policy makers and entrepreneurs about the latest trends in the venture space, tech world and political arena.
Book Recommendation: I highly recommend the new book ‘The Psychology of Money’ by the excellent Morgan Housel. I am a big fan of Morgan’s writing over the years on his blog for the Collaborative Fund.
Article/Newsletter Recommendation: if you haven’t heard of it already, check out ‘Of Dollars and Data’, a weekly newsletter that focuses on personal finance using data analysis, written by Nick Maggiulli.
This newsletter has been written by Eoin Fitzgerald and Pete Townsend
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