3 Lessons for Creative Entrepreneurs

When people say, “Well, everyone has to start somewhere,” they’re usually not referring to dropouts like me. I was a pretty rebellious kid, to be honest, and by 16 I had managed to flunk most of my classes – all but art and tech – so I dropped out. You could say I wasn’t exactly setting myself up for success, but what 16-year-old doesn’t love a good challenge?

One thing I knew was that I wanted to use my artistic skills, so I decided to become a designer and applied to graphic design school. But my low grades and lack of detectable academic skills did me a disservice and my application was rejected. Irritated, I got a job at a creative production agency as a tea boy (yes, that’s exactly what it sounds like). It didn’t take me long to realize that if I made the tea badly enough, my colleagues wouldn’t ask for it as often. I would then have more time to understand how to make myself really useful in the company.

But the biggest challenge I faced at the agency wasn’t the kettle; it was my family. I was the son of one of the three owners of the agency, which forced me to do twice as much work to be accepted by my colleagues. But it soon became apparent that it wasn’t working. Two weeks into my tenure, my older brother, who had been with the agency for a few years, pulled me aside. “Everybody hates you,” he said.

It stung. I could not believe it. I was hurt, angry and more than a little embarrassed. But that harsh reality motivated me to prove myself over the next 20 years by constantly looking for ways to make myself valuable to the organization. By the time I was named CEO some two decades later, I had held almost every position. Along the way, I learned lessons that would end up being incredibly useful to me as a CEO. And I could have learned them only by slowly climbing the ranks and working in all corners of the company.

Here are three lessons I would like to pass on to any inspiring entrepreneur:

1. Don’t believe what you see in the movies

Entrepreneurship is not for the faint-hearted: new problems, frightening unknowns, and intriguing (but entertaining) opportunities will challenge you every day. And you will question yourself every step of the way while others rely on you to make decisions. People rely on you to make the right decisions — and they expect you to do so with some confidence, whether you have it or not!

Movies love to portray entrepreneurs with automatic access to lavish parties, fancy cars, and a golden ticket to Silicon Valley. In this case, life does not imitate art. Entrepreneurship includes many struggles. And if you’re lucky and your business starts to grow, so will your struggles.

In fact, you can compare entrepreneurship to parenthood. Some of the most challenging, challenging and stressful times in life involve raising a child. The bigger the child, the bigger the mess, right? It often feels like an uphill battle to keep the house clean. But parenthood is also magical. It includes some of the most moving and memorable moments of your life. Parents and entrepreneurs often find themselves in high-pressure situations, dealing with unique personalities and getting no credit. But these facts are true for both:

Despite the difficulties, you can succeed with perseverance. As Benjamin Franklin once said, “Energy and persistence conquer all.”

Related: 4 Success Secrets for Creative Entrepreneurs

2. Passion sustains perseverance

As an entrepreneur, you need passion to succeed. It inspires your business plans and sets you apart from the competition. Your passion attracts the right customers and employees, and perhaps most importantly, gives you the motivation to carry out your mission.

If you want to give your all to something, you have to do what you love. Otherwise, you’ll burn out, get frustrated, and be tempted to throw in the towel. To identify your goal, ask yourself:

• What was I put on this earth to do?

• What motivates me to get out of bed every morning instead of languishing under the covers and thinking about life?

• What motivates me?

Once you have identified your goal, take a step back and examine your career. Ask yourself: does my career feed my purpose? Entering the business world means choosing a business that you believe in and that you are passionate about. Find a way to leverage that goal and push yourself forward to get the best possible outcome.

This starting point requires a vision and goals to be successful. Where do you want to see your business in one, five and 10 years? Every day, check the alignment of your goals and passions with your plan for the future.

My goal is creativity. It motivates me and advances me in my career. In my world, it is essential for me to understand the creative process, how people think and work. By thinking creatively, I find more solutions to problems and even question my own assumptions.

Related: Remember Perseverance Pays. Stay motivated with these 5 tips.

3. Defend, cherish and promote creativity

Creativity comes from adversity and constraint. Growing up, I knew both very well. My parents played cheating tennis for much of my childhood, arguing and tormenting each other while my brother and I could only watch. My constraint was the academic system, which crushed my mind. It wasn’t the right solution for me and it didn’t give me what I needed at the time.

Adversity pushed me towards creativity to soothe my anxiety and escape my parents’ tortuous relationship. I channeled my passion for the creative process into drawing, building and creating, which also served as a rebellion against the constraints of the academic system. My creative spirit protected me and helped me thrive, despite the upheavals that were happening at home.

To some extent, the creative spirit represents a higher power in man. And while creativity doesn’t come naturally to everyone, it lives in all of us. Entrepreneurs must use the creative process to solve problems, escape difficult times, and leverage that creativity in good times to develop products and innovate. I started my business in 2011 with a mission to unleash creativity through liberating technology. That goal hasn’t changed, and it still gets me out of bed in the morning.

The challenges I faced in my career and personal life, along with my passion and creativity, have made me the leader and entrepreneur I am today. If you have the next big idea, give yourself permission to explore it and see where it goes. Use your experiences, your purpose and your creativity, of course, to unlock your potential.

Related: 7 tips for emerging creative entrepreneurs