“Being an entrepreneur is not for the faint of heart. However, it allows you the freedom to explore all the spaces and crevices of your mind and abilities and work on your own terms,” said Natasha Miller, EO Los Angeles and EO US West Bridge member, and founder of Entire Productions.  “I couldn’t imagine another way of life for myself. But understand it’s not for everyone.”

It can, however, change your perspective on life. As Julia Duran of EO European Bridge chapter explains, “I was born in Buenos Aires, Argentina. I was taught that if I wanted a comfortable and safe future, I had to work for someone else—ideally a large company. However, owning a business taught me that the opposite is also true: If I want a solid future, I’m the one who needs to make it happen.”

In recognition of Global Entrepreneurship Week, here’s how EO members from around the world responded when asked:

What is the best thing about being an entrepreneur?

Freedom to Live the Life we Dream

“In a word: Freedom. Freedom to create. Freedom to dream and execute. Freedom to make an impact in our community. Freedom to set my own goals, vision and mission. Freedom to invest in people and things that I feel are important. Freedom to succeed or fail on my own accord (though failure is just another opportunity). Entrepreneurship is Freedom to Live the Life we Dream.”

— Mike Bacile, EO Dallas, founder and CEO, The Daily Java

Contributing in a Positive Way

“Entrepreneurship means that we are creators and builders rather than destructive forces in the world. We can positively affect the lives of our team, clients and community. When we get it right it means that we are good citizens that contribute to our communities and the world.” 

—Stephanie Clark, EO Nebraska, co-founder and CEO, GMP Pros

Changing Lives

“Being an entrepreneur is the most meaningful job I’ve ever done. I was born in a small village without electricity. Education changed my life. I came a long way to reach where I am now: a social entrepreneur who is founder and president of a foundation that supports girls whose dreams do not fit the life they live—like me in my youth. That is why I support university education of young women. I believe in the transformative power of education. With education, a woman changes, she changes generations, and then the world changes. For this aim, I will work until I die.”

— Meryem Salman, EO Turkey, partner and vice chairman +partner, Finance & Insurance and founder, Buldan Foundation

Facing Challenges Confidently

“Being an entrepreneur has pushed me to acquire new skills and face challenges actively. I never know what competencies I will need for my future ideas to materialize, but I will grow confidently in that direction. Entrepreneurs live between the uncertainty of risks and the excitement of upcoming adventures.” 

— Julia Duran, EO European Bridge Chapter and EO Silicon Valley, co-founder and CEO, SouthGeeks 

Creating Impact

“Entrepreneurship is the number one change agent in the world. I’m honored to work with partners and employees to create businesses that change the world. I was drawn to entrepreneurship for the freedom of lifestyle, and have learned that my most fulfilling moment is when we create products that help others impact the world!”

—Patrick Bryant, EO Charleston, founder and CEO, Go To Team

Opportunity to Fix What’s Broken

“Entrepreneurship provides opportunities: the opportunity to grow intentionally (I’m attending EO with Harvard Business School); the opportunity to live flexibly (my family and I spent September hiking the Pacific Northwest); and the opportunity to give back consistently (mentoring other founders, serving on boards, investing in employees, etc.). But the greatest is the opportunity to fix what’s broken. Entrepreneurship is an innately iterative process. Sometimes you fail, and it sucks. But the next day, you have the opportunity to get up and make it better. It’s all inside yourself and nobody can take that away from you.”

—Daniel Roberts, EO Atlanta, founder and CEO, Friendly Human and VidLoft

Improving Our World

“The best thing about being an entrepreneur is having the ability to make and build things that improve our world, our climate, and the lives of our customers and employees.”
—Kyle Ewing, EO Colorado, founder and CEO, TerraSlate

Freedom and Disruption

“The three best parts of being an entrepreneur:

• Location Freedom: I can travel the world while growing my business—fulfilling my dream to live across the globe. 
• Position to Change Lives: I was able to grant location and schedule freedom to our 250+ team members, allowing each to engineer their ideal lifestyle.
• Disruption: Market failures are the bane of my existence. It kills me seeing people or companies struggle when there is a better way out there! As an entrepreneur, I can turn industries on their head by disrupting them with innovative products.”

—Kean Graham, EO Vancouver, founder and CEO, Monetize More

Realizing Dreams

“You are constantly sharpening your skills by learning from failures and improving your personal self — every day. You start to accept that making mistakes becomes a part of your journey when your goal and vision is clear. Even if you started with a vision that was a bit selfish, over time your vision becomes about the people who work for you to make your dream a reality. When your people truly appreciate your empathy and understanding, they work really hard to achieve your dream.”

—Tony Raval, EO San Diego, founder and CEO, FrescoData

A Life of Free Will

“Entrepreneurship to me means living the best version of myself every waking moment because this is a life I crafted for myself. I am essentially living a life of free will, the capacity to make choices that fulfill my desires and dreams, and hold only myself accountable. “ 

—Alicia Chong, EO Philadelphia, founder and CEO, Blu Monaco

Freedom of Time

“The best part of being an entrepreneur is the freedom of time it can provide. Now in my 20^th year of my company, I spend my time working “on” bigger picture, visionary ideas vs. working “in” the business. This also gives me time to give back to my local community through several volunteer boards and EO. The EO Path of Leadership for both my local chapter and now region is both challenging and rewarding. The more I give, the more I receive. I feel lucky to spend an increasing amount of my time working with other outstanding entrepreneurs, learning, and growing into the best version of me. Freedom of time has been the best gift I could ever give myself.”

—Cameron Johnson, EO Edmonton, president, California Closets Alberta

Improving Lives Daily

“Improving lives daily: It’s both our company motto and the best part of being an entrepreneur. We employ 40-plus women—many are moms who work from home while juggling households and families. Watching how what we do every day improves the lives of our people and clients—it’s phenomenal!”

—Jim Jacobs, EO Philadelphia, founder and CEO, Focus Insite

Leading with Higher Purpose

“The best thing about being an entrepreneur is the ability to show people the innate potential of business to make the world a better place, and therefore change their perception of capitalism at large. As a conscious capitalist, I believe in leading with a higher purpose that integrates the interests of all stakeholders, including everyone the business touches and the planet we all share together. My mission is to inspire current and future leaders to look into what is truly important in the world, and choose a mission that both feeds their passion and does right by their community. As entrepreneurs, we have the unique ability to demonstrate that business can and should be guided by purpose, not just profit.”

—Kent Gregoire, US East Bridge Chapter, founder and CEO, Symphony Advantage and a Certified Conscious Capitalism Consultant

For more insights and inspiration from today’s leading entrepreneurs, check out EO on Inc. and more articles from the EO blog.