If there is one advice I wish someone told me before starting out is this :

Entrepreneurship is a rollercoaster. Be humble during the highs, don’t despair during the lows. The journey is long and full of twists.

When I started division5, the business I have been building and scaling for the past 9 years, I had no idea what it meant to run a business. So obviously I had no clue of all the ups and downs I would experience along the way.

Little did I know that entrepreneurship is a rollercoaster.

One time, I didn’t have the money to cover the monthly expenses. Another time, we had so much demand we were not able to keep up.

It’s crazy how fast things change and you go from the top of the world one day, to feeling you are an utter failure the next one.

However, there is one thing I have learned during the years.

Don’t take business decisions based on emotions.

You will almost always make a mistake.

Been there, done that.

This is easier said than done though.

I can’t recall how many times I wished to yell at a customer for being irrational.

Or how many times I had the feeling of giving up because all the effort I was putting in, was not yielding the right results.

You very badly want to scratch the itch, give in to whatever emotion you are going through and let it all out.

Don’t.

It will be bad and you won’t like the result.

Emotions are not a good way to do business.

If you are feeling strong emotions on something business related, sleep on it. If you have a sparring partner, talk about it with them. But don’t decide anything until you can make a clear-headed decision.

This brings me to my next point.

You will need support.

Let me tell you a story.

I had this one friend a few years ago who was quite supportive of me. As soon as division5 started to grow, we started drifting apart.

Not only was he no longer supportive, but he also did his best to belittle what I was achieving. I think he still does.

You don’t need these kinds of people in your life.

Hate never comes from above, always from below.

The only people who hate on you are those who are less successful than you. More successful people don’t think about you at all—they have other things on their minds.

So, find people who support you, who can teach you things, and who genuinely want to see you win. Everyone else will drag you down.

Entrepreneurship can be a very lonely journey. It’s better if you don’t travel alone.

Buckle up; it will be a long journey.

After almost 10 years of doing business I’ve learned a thing or two about entrepreneurship.

My key takeaway is: buckle up; it will be a long journey.

Entrepreneurship is a rollercoaster.

Don’t despair when things are bad, don’t celebrate when things are good. Set emotions aside and surround yourself with people who support you and can teach you things.

Most important of them all, enjoy the ride, it can be a very fulfilling one.