Becoming an Entrepreneur: Conversation Transcript 

 
Bethany: ​Hi, everyone! I’m Bethany, and I’m here with my husband, Tyler, and 
today’s topic of discussion is: Becoming an entrepreneur.   
Tyler: ​(rubbing hands together) This’ll be fun. 
Bethany: ​I have some questions for you. 
Tyler: ​Okay. 
Bethany: ​What ​were​ some of your first jobs that you ever had?   
Tyler: ​My first job was at an electronic store, and I ​sold​ car stereo systems. 
Bethany​: Mmm. 
Tyler: ​And I ​was​ sixteen years old. 
Bethany: ​Would you say you know a lot about car stereo systems now? 
Tyler: ​Uh… no.  
Bethany: ​(laughing)  
Tyler: ​I wasn’t good at that job. (laughing) I shouldn’t have ​had​ it, but I 
learned. I learned a little bit more than I knew going in, which was nothing. 
Bethany: ​How many systems ​did​ you sell? 
Tyler: ​A lot. I was good at selling things, even if I didn’t know what I was 
talking about. 
Bethany: ​You sell things now, just in a different way. 
Tyler: ​Maybe I found my calling. It was just in the wrong field. 
Bethany: ​(laughing) So then after that, what other jobs did you have? 
Tyler:​ I worked at a coffee shop, I worked in a computer lab at my school, I 
sold furniture... 
Bethany: ​And when we ​met​, what job did you have? 
Tyler: ​Mm… I think I was a retail associate at a hotel. 
Bethany: ​Always selling things. 
Tyler: ​Yeah. Uh, I eventually ended up working for Apple. I was an advisor for 
customers who had trouble with their iPhones.  
Bethany: ​Like tech support? 
Tyler: ​Yeah. 
Bethany: ​And now what do you do? Would you call yourself an entrepreneur? 
Tyler: ​Yes, because I am my own boss. 
Bethany: ​What do you think the definition of “entrepreneur” is? 
Tyler: ​Somebody who forms a career based on their own skills and hard 
work? 
Bethany: ​Hm. That’s pretty good. (laughing) What’s your exact job now? How 
do you make money? 
Tyler: ​My exact job is I run an online education subscription service for guitar 
players. I teach guitar lessons to people on the internet.  
Bethany: ​So how did you first start your journey of becoming an 
entrepreneur? 
Tyler: ​Well, I ​found​ out a lot of things that I didn’t want to do with my life and 
so, I just​ kept​ trying new things until I figured something out that I enjoyed, 
because that’s the key to being a successful entrepreneur is to like what you 
do. 
Bethany: ​You started on YouTube first, right? 
Tyler: ​Yeah. Well, no. First I ​made​ a course curriculum with a bunch of 
different videos and then, I didn’t have anybody to sell that to because 
nobody ​knew​ who I was. 
Bethany: ​(laughing) Uh huh. 
Tyler:​ So then I tried to make videos on Facebook. 
Bethany​: Mm. Oh yeah, that’s right. 
Tyler​: And that would be to get people to be aware of me. And then if they 
liked my Facebook videos, which were usually funny videos, humorous, 
entertaining... if they liked those, then they would discover that I also taught 
guitar lessons and potentially give me some money to teach them. 
Bethany​: So you ​built​ an audience, ​let​ people get to know you, ​gave​ them free 
content​1​, and then that ​led​ to them buying your course later on. 
Tyler​: Yeah, if they wanted more, they could pay to have the “​cream-of-the- 
crop​2​” lessons, which were not available for free. 
Bethany​: And that’s kind of your system now, right? 
Tyler​: Yeah, now I use YouTube as the top of the funnel. Then as people see 
those videos and learn the lessons and watch the skits and things like that, 
they eventually arrive at the “​paywall​3​” where they can choose to pay for 
premium content. 
Bethany​: Do you like being an entrepreneur? 
Tyler​: (nods head) 
Bethany​: What do you like about it? 
Tyler​: Uh… nobody can tell me what to do. 
Bethany​: You’re your own boss.  
Tyler​: Yeah, and I get to make my own choices and work when I want to. 
Bethany​: Mhm. 
Tyler​: Which there’s probably a ​misconception​4​ that you can never work, and 
it will still all happen, which is actually the opposite. I work more now than I 
ever did, uh, in any of my other jobs. 
Bethany​: But you do have a more flexible schedule. 
Tyler​: Mhm. Yeah. We can travel when we want to, and I can work remotely. 
Bethany​: So we’ve talked about some of the ​advantage​s5​​ of being an 
entrepreneur, but what are the disadvantages? 
Tyler​: One main disadvantage is that your brain never turns off. So, I’m never 
really fully removed. I’m relying pretty much on just myself to keep it going, 
so there’s some sort of pressure, but... 
Bethany​: I do think that’s a lot of pressure though, because your entire living 
depends on how much and how hard you work. So, it’s a lot of pressure on 
yourself. 
Tyler​: But I ​thrive​6​ under pressure. 
Bethany​: (laughing) Okay, now I have some facts for you.  
Tyler​: Mhm. 
Bethany​: The first fact is that ten percent of Americans are ​self-employed​7​.  
Tyler​: Okay. 
Bethany​: Does that number seem reasonable to you? 
Tyler​: Yeah, that sounds about right. 
Bethany​: So you’re in with the ten percent of Americans who are 
entrepreneurs. That’s a small number, I ​thought​. 
Tyler​: I would say a lot of them are musicians too. 
Bethany​: Hm. 
Tyler​: Because I can’t think of a lot of people I know who are self-employed 
who aren’t musicians.  
Bethany​: Maybe in Silicon Valley. 
Tyler​: Yeah.  
Bethany​: All of the tech people are entrepreneurs. 
Tyler​: Yeah, ​startup​s8​​ across the country... 
Bethany​: The next fact is that ninety-five percent of entrepreneurs have a 
bachelor’s degree. Do you have a bachelor’s degree? 
Tyler​: I do. 
Bethany​: What is your bachelor’s degree in? 
Tyler​: In, uh, professional music? (laughing) Which isn’t a very descriptive title, 
but the concentration is in performance… guitar performance. 
Bethany​: I’d say you’re putting that to good use, right? 
Tyler​: Yeah. It’s worked out. 
Bethany​: The next fact is that seventy percent of entrepreneurs are married. 
Tyler​: (shows ring finger) 
Bethany​: (laughing) Why do you think that’s the case? 
Tyler​: Um… Well, I wouldn’t be able to do what I do without your support. 
Bethany​: Aw, that’s a sweet answer. 
Tyler​: Having some sort of significant other is important because it’s really 
hard to be an entrepreneur, which is why there’s only ten percent of our 
country that can do it. So, I think sharing that burden with somebody is 
important. 
Bethany​: Yeah, having a support system is helpful when you’re creating 
something brand new. 
Tyler​: Mhm. 
Bethany​: The next fact is that the average entrepreneur works sixty-six hours 
a week compared to the average American worker who works forty-seven 
hours a week. 
Tyler​: Mhm. That sounds about right. 
Bethany​: So you work a lot. 
Tyler​: I used to work like seven days a week for ten to twelve hours a day. 
Bethany​: So, that is a big misconception… a lot of people think when you 
work from home... 
Tyler​: Mhm... 
Bethany​: ...you get to do whatever you want and you get to be lazy, but it’s 
the exact opposite. 
Tyler​: You can do that, you just won’t be able to succeed. 
Bethany​: The next fact is that ninety percent of startups fail.  
Tyler​: Hm… I would think it’s higher. 
Tyler​: I was involved in other startup businesses that didn’t go anywhere, but 
this was one that was really all me. So, I could work on it day and night and 
didn’t have to rely on anybody else to make decisions or control the vision. 
Bethany​: But really, you started this, and it worked.  
Tyler​: Mhm. 
Bethany​: So that’s pretty amazing since ninety percent of startups fail.  
Tyler​: Yeah, I think I’m lucky. 
Bethany​: (laughing) 
Tyler​: That may have something to do with it. 
Bethany​: Or talented. Or both. 
Tyler​: Yeah. Luck, skill… it’s a blend of all of it. 
Bethany​: Okay, I have two more questions for you. The first one is: Do you 
think this job, um, of being an entrepreneur will be your forever job? 
Tyler​: Yeah. In some way, shape, or form. I don’t know if I’m gonna be doing 
this exact thing in twenty years. I’d like to be some sort of advisor, maybe, or 
something like that. I’d like to travel around and give... 
Bethany​: So... 
Tyler​: …talks to people. I don’t know. 
Bethany​: ...still be an entrepreneur but kind of evolve... 
Tyler​: Mhm. 
Bethany​: ...into, or maybe expand into other areas. 
Tyler​: Yeah, I’d always like to be in music, that’s for sure. Or film. That could 
be another direction that’s interesting as well. 
Bethany​: Okay, last question is: What ​advice​9​ would you give to others out 
there who are interested in becoming an entrepreneur? 
Tyler​: Well, you have to be really, really good at whatever it is you’re trying to 
do. Or become really good at something, but the point is you have to really 
love something. 
Bethany​: So you have to be passionate about something and then either be 
good at it or become good at it. 
Tyler​: And that’s before you even start with the business side.  
Bethany​: So any other advice for starting the business side of it? 
Tyler​: Yes. Uh, set a big goal and then three medium goals that, when 
reached, will fuel the big goal, and then ten little goals that will help you 
reach those three medium goals. And if you detail what those are, it will help 
your workload and help you determine how to spend your time most 
effectively, and it won’t allow you to be so overwhelmed by the thought of 
that big goal. A lot of people just go right after the big goal. Take stepping 
stones up to the big goal with those smaller goals. 
Bethany​: Do you think with those goals there should be a timeline or not? A 
timeline to reach those goals or not. 
Tyler​: It depends on what’s called a “runway” in the business world. It 
depends on how long your runway is. So, if you have another job and you’re 
doing your entrepreneurial ​endeavor​10​ on the side, your runway could be very 
long. If you quit your job because you just can’t take it anymore, then maybe 
your runway’s a lot shorter. Um… both can work, but I would recommend 
working really hard at the entrepreneurial thing while you’re also sustaining a 
normal income, so you don’t stress yourself out. 
Bethany​: Well, that was a fabulous conversation about becoming an 
entrepreneur. Thank you for your time, Tyler. 
Tyler​: Bye, bye.