A Poor Man's Mentality
Something came to mind after our live show titled “Blurred Lines-The Entrepreneurs Version (Friends w/Benefits, Sex & Manipulation).” If you haven’t watched the video yet, what are you waiting for? It was a really good show! To help you out, I've included the link below. The premise of the show is that often times when it comes to business, people like to “blur” the lines between friendship and business. This means that if you’re friends with a business owner, you are constantly asking for discounts, handouts or hook ups. We talked about the importance of respecting the businesses your friends are building. If they offer you specials, discounts or hook ups great. But don’t go into the discussion with that expectation already there.
What I thought about after the show was that the concept of always looking for a handout is actually a poor man’s mentality. If you think about, that’s you automatically putting into your head that you can’t afford whatever the product or service is, so rather than working harder so you can afford it, you continue to do the same thing day in and day out, but then expect a discount. This is the thing. Your friends are working hard so they can pay their bills, take care of their kids, and pay their mortgage or rent. To balance it out, you should be working hard and paying them for their services. When you ask for handouts, you are taking away money for kids, homes and bills. If you can’t afford the product or service yet, wait until you can and stop taking money away from someone who is working hard for it. Not only does it demean your character, but it also undermines their hustle.
I should be clear. I’m not saying there’s anything wrong with friends giving each other discounts or handouts. If your friend can afford to do that, and they are so led, great! What I’m strictly referring to is the mentality of entitlement and expectation of a handout. As an entrepreneur, I know full well how much work goes into growing and sustaining a business. It’s not easy, so I have a lot of respect for others who are out there building and growing their businesses every day. Do the same and show the same level of respect. Get out of the poor man’s mentality and hustle so you can afford those amazing people who are in your
life.
https://youtu.be/9u3yZKb9kI4
Rebeckah Ruth