10 Ways To Develop An Entrepreneurial Mindset (Whether You Have A Business Or A 9 To 5)

No matter where you are in your career journey, you'll benefit from thinking like an entrepreneur. Whether you're running a business, climbing the corporate ladder, or balancing a side hustle that'll be your full-time job one day, there are essential skills that you should master to grow your career.
What makes Millennials so unique is that many of us possess a lot of these skills even if we don't realize it. Born and raised in the digital age, technology comes second nature to us. We creatively carve our own paths by using our resources to be innovative and improve the spaces that we occupy.
I interviewed 14 entrepreneurial-minded Millennials from various backgrounds to learn more about the hustler spirit and how they practice mindfulness.
Here are 10 gems that they shared to help you get your mindset right, whether you have a business or slay at a 9-5:
1.First, get clear on what it means to have an entrepreneurial mindset.

Alechia Reese
Alechia Reese, a brand strategist for large companies, influencers, and celebrity clients, summed it up perfectly: "One who is keen at building, creating, and progressing toward a goal that solves a problem - without being prompted, or directed."
2.Hone in on the essential traits that every Millennial who’s an entrepreneur at heart must possess.

Rashida Banks
"The entrepreneurial mindset is directly tied to having leadership and problem solving skills," says Shay Duriel of The Bronze Hustle, a learning and community platform for Black bloggers and online entrepreneurs.
"If you are able to exercise those skills in your job, not only will you be a better employee, you'll be a better entrepreneur."
The ladies also ranked having the ability to take initiative, creativity, and innovation, critical thinking, and fearlessness as the top characteristics that every entrepreneurial minded Millennial must have.
Rashida Banks, blogger and creative business consultant, emphasized that being orderly is another essential trait. "Having order, not only includes keeping good records, or making sure your email is organized, but it also includes your work area as well. Order helps to speed things up and it makes you more efficient, and the lack of order slows you down."
Other traits to embrace: resourcefulness, flexibility and adaptability, good communication and listening skills, persistence, and good intuition.
3.Take control of your career - whatever that may look like.

Lauren Bealore
Vivian Nweze is a media host/producer and influencer that's in charge of her career. "I believe that anyone who seeks out opportunities that aren't handed to them or already a part of their 'duties' has an entrepreneurial mindset."
"We have more skills than we realize and someone is going to be willing to pay for it."
Lauren Bealore, who works in political fundraising while running Y.A.B., a venture conglomerate that's owned by women of color, describes an entrepreneurial-minded Millennial as "an individual that doesn't just carry an ambitious mindset but one that uses their tenacity to execute ambitious ideals. This individual must design the roadmap for their career rather than follow what society historically carved out before them. That is what separates the Millennial spirit from other generations."
4.Hustle… HARD.

Diamonde Williamson
No matter what you do for a living, you have to put in work to reap success.
"The same energy you put into your passion should be the same energy you put into your day job no matter what it is. In order to build up the characteristics needed to be a successful entrepreneur, you have to continuously practice those skills," says Joanna, founder of Loud Music Tour, a live music production company and booking agency for indie artists.
"To be entrepreneurial minded means the work you're doing must be obsessive," says Diamonde Williamson the creator of Blossom, a video-on-demand platform for women of color.
"Our livelihoods are at our stake. We may or may not know when the check is coming in so we must be obsessive in figuring out ways to make our business grow. I'm not doing this just so I can work 9-5p. I'm doing this so one day we have a massive office with floor to floor ceilings we can all work out of."
5.Be a strategic and innovative expert in your industry.

Lauren Jackson
"When I think of an entrepreneurial minded Millennial, I think of people who have found a void in society and figured out a way to fill it. [We] recognize the value of providing services and products to a specific target market," says Lauren R. Jackson, Esq., an attorney who also runs IMANEE, Inc. a nonprofit organization that empowers African American girls and women.
Being strategic as a business owner is a must, but it's also important in the workplace. Brittany Dandy, a branded content producer and journalist, believes: "An entrepreneurial minded Millennial understands that they have entrepreneurial career options no matter their industry."
"They also understand how to leverage their skillset to amplify their professional value and impact on their community or career field."
Anique Hameed, a philanthropy and social good advisor at her firm Opulence Consulting Group, agrees:
"We are consistently trying to build something new, and create a better world in doing so. We are inspired by the experiences of past generations, but know that the old models for achieving success don't often work for us. We are unafraid take the reins and drive innovation forward."
To remain competitive and strategic, many of the ladies encourage becoming an expert in your field. Study the industry, stay up to date on trends, and publish work on relevant topics to position yourself as a thought leader.
6.Work your hustle.

D'Shonda Brown
We are all challenged with not having enough hours in the day, but that's especially true if you have a side hustle and a full-time job. D'Shonda Brown, CEO of Gold Blooded Communications, a public relations and creative branding agency, encourages other Millennials to get scrappy with their time.
She recommends that career climbers use their lunch break or other gaps in their time to build their dream.
"There are always those small crevices and crannies in your day where you can work on your business. Don't let your day job be your center. Being an entrepreneur is all about adjustment and change and a 9-5 job is the perfect way to test your adaptation skills."
7.Leverage where you are and what you have.

Tiffany Malone
"You have to see yourself as the 'CEO' of me. The intrapreneurship [behaving like an entrepreneur while working within a large organization] of Millennials is our way of demanding our own leadership development, creating our own learning outcomes, and adding variety to our own careers. It means we have to rise to leadership across the board in the day job as well as the side hustle," says Aerial Ellis, a professor and author of The Original Millennial.
"See your salary as an investment in your entrepreneurial pursuits. Allow the resources and relationships to fuel your direction by letting the influence you gain show up in both worlds and watch the benefits become assets."
Tiffany Malone is doing just that. She balances working as a social media specialist for a nonprofit with her wellness lifestyle brand InspireFire, where she hosts the Soul Filling podcast.
"I take everything I learn at my job and apply it to my businesses if I can," says Tiffany. "For example, I'm learning more about PR and fundraising for my job, but you better believe I'll be applying what I learn there to my own businesses. Think about what skills your day job has and how you can apply it to your own side hustle."
8.Get your money by creating multiple streams of income.

Mia Hall
"I love the option of being able to pursue your passion at your job, or working at a job to fund your passion until you can find a job you love or pursue your dream as an entrepreneur full time," says Mia Hall, a social media strategist, writer and founder of Brown Girls Glow, an empowerment organization for young women.
"It's said that millionaires have 7 streams of income so 'side-hustles' are work just like jobs and I celebrate them."
Diamonde of Blossom touched on an important topic that entrepreneurs and career climbers alike should strive towards. "For me, one of the larger goals is generational wealth and I can't get there playing small. So everyday, I choose to play BIG."
9.Identify strategic mutually-beneficial collaborations.

Brittany Dandy
"Let's band together to make a difference. Two powerhouses can co-exist and succeed, while also collaborating to make a change. There is power in numbers," says D'Shonda.
10. Find a mindfulness practice that works for you.

Aerial Ellis
Many of the ladies found that journaling, praying, going to church, exercising, writing to-do lists, relaxing, and meditation helps them practice mindfulness.
"When we quiet the mind, we gain inspired ideas and can think of more ways to solve and serve. As entrepreneurs, mindfulness can help us have the discipline and discernment we need for intuitive thinking," says Aerial.
Music can help your mindfulness practice as well. Here's a Spotify playlist that these ladies helped me curate to get your mind in the zone and keep you focused.
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This article is in partnership with Lexus.
Luxury is often defined by someone else’s standards. But what if the finer things in life looked different through the lens of those crafting and shaping Black culture?
In Redefining Excellence, a two-episode short-form video series presented by Will Packer Media in collaboration with Lexus, we dare to broaden how we think about luxury. Here, it’s not just about the price tag. Luxury is a practice.
At its core, Redefining Excellence is a celebration of intention woven into every detail of how we live: our joy, our spaces, our craft, but also our rituals of care. These are the Black creators who not only give the best to themselves in what they build, but also pay it forward to the communities around them.
Through their vision, they embody the same precision and artistry that Lexus embraces when in pursuit of a higher standard, the Standard of Amazing.
In Episode 1, “Ingredients of Success,” the series follows chef, restaurateur, and Lexus Culinary Master Kwame Onwuachi, whose artistry is imbued with rich cultural storytelling. We see him wander purposefully through a garden, gently testing the ripeness of fresh fruits and vegetables. “Luxury isn’t about exclusivity. It’s about being intentional with your choices and craft,” he says.
The article continues after the video.
“Now, because of my work and the ingredients I use, luxury means something different. I am boldly setting a new standard of amazing and innovation.”
As he chops vegetables, plates vibrant dishes, and loads the finished product into the sleek Lexus LC Convertible, he continues, “For me, luxury means ingredients that carry memory… dining experiences and locations that honor the stories that raised me and feel like us.”
In Episode 2, “The Texture of Luxury,” the lens turns to founder and CEO of CurlyCon LA Ava Pearl, whose ingredients take a different form. As the trunk of her Lexus LX 700h lifts, she says, “When I think of luxury, it isn’t expensive, it’s expansive.” The scene shifts, and we watch Ava lay down a bouquet of fresh flowers upon entering her home before using aloe vera leaves to prepare gel by hand.
The article continues after the video.
“When I was younger, I thought luxury was something you bought. Now I know it’s about living up to a higher standard… Black women have always defined what’s next, setting the standard for beauty, luxury, and excellence.”
Like Kwame, she builds with intention, pouring care into the details, believing, like Lexus, that “luxury isn’t just a finish, it’s a standard. One that’s built to amaze.”
Through these stories, Redefining Excellence serves as a reminder that the journey is not just about the destination, but also the ingredients you choose along the way.
Watch both episodes now and learn more about how Kwame and Ava set their own standard of amazing.
Featured image by xoNecole/Will Packer Media
As Cuffing Season Steadily Approaches, What The Heck Is 'Winter Coating'?
Y’all, I ain’t got not one lie to tell you. With the way that this summer has gone in my world (check out “I've Been Estranged From My Mom For Years. She Died Last Week.” and “I Was Hired To Be An Online Life Coach. Then Got Scammed For $4K. Here's How To Avoid This.”), I am not surprised in the least that it caught me off guard that, once again, we are officially in the drafting portion of yet another cuffing season.
What I will say threw me a bit is that there are actual dating trends in cuffing (did y’all know that?), and one of them happens to be something called “winter coating.”
What do I personally think about cuffing season? I think it’s more than a notion and you should proceed with caution. As far as the subset of it that is known as winter coating, though — well, as you’re about to see, if you’re going to try to take it on, you absolutely need to know what you are getting yourself into because if you lie to yourself, it may not exactly give you the results that you were looking for.
Read on to see what I mean by that…
What Is the Science Behind Cuffing Season?
GiphyOkay, so first let’s get into if cuffing season is a “real thing” or not. Well, from what I’ve read and researched, apparently, someone should send an artist by the name of Musa Murchison a Cash App because, although she isn’t the originator of the phrase, she does seem to be the one who made it popular by shouting it out back in 2008 on her campus radio show. And yes, beyond the term being something that comes up on social media, like clockwork, right around this time every year, there does seem to be some real science behind it all — even if you want to chalk what I’m about to say up to being nothing more than mere coincidence.
What do I mean specifically? Well, being that cuffing season is (generally) all about finding someone to boo/bae up with before the weather drops below freezing, only to potentially break up with said-person once the temperatures start to rise again — did you know that dating apps tend to pick up on traffic between October and December (although the most popular dating app day is Dating Sunday which is in January)?
Did you also know that dating, in general, tends to happen the most between November and February? And, if you do decide to take what I just said seriously, it also shouldn’t surprise you that most children (in the US) are conceived during the fall and winter seasons as well. So yeah, at the very least, it does seem like people want to get “closer than close” the colder it gets outdoors.
And exactly why is that? Chile, you can read an article that I wrote for the platform last year entitled, “Did You Know Fall & Winter Are The Best Times To Have Sex?” to put two and two together on that tip.
Cooler (and even rainier) weather. Pumpkins (which are a bona fide aphrodisiac; especially for men) being in abundance. Being indoors more often. The romance of the holiday season. Shifts in our DNA making us hornier (not to mention the fact that men find women more attractive during the colder months — no joke). All of these things literally help to create the perfect storm as far as cuffing season is concerned.
8 Interesting Straight-Up Facts About Cuffing Season
GiphyI’m pretty sure I’ve mentioned in one of these articles on here before that a web series I enjoyed watching last year is called Cuddle Season. You can currently watch it on — yep, you guessed it — Tubi; it’s all about some not-so-slim fellas adoring what the cooler weather brings them as far as female company is concerned. LOL. As I thought about it and all of the other intel that I just provided, I decided to further solidify the impact that cuffing season provides by bullet pointing a few other semi-fascinating facts.
1. 1 in 3 individuals find cuffing season to be a real phenomenon, although more millennials are caught up in the hype than those who are older than they are (by the way, 54 percent of Gen Zers find the holiday season to be the perfect time for finding a potential partner too).
2. Although around 30 percent of individuals think that cuffing season is mostly about staying warm, about 45 percent think it’s more about avoiding loneliness.
3. 60 percent of people who tend to feel lonely during the fall and winter will rely on dating apps to bring about some sort of mental and emotional relief.
4. Getting “cuffed up” has actually been proven to reduce anxiety and stress.
5. Not everyone thinks that cuffing season is (potentially) selfish or shallow. In fact, the most engagements transpire between November and January.
6. Know all of those holiday movies where single people fake being in a relationship during the holiday season in order to avoid any pressure from family members and friends? Apparently, it’s art imitating real life because one popular study revealed that a whopping 40 percent of singles have asked a friend to pretend to be their date during the holiday season.
7. Testosterone levels are higher in men during cooler months while being lower in hotter seasons. Women’s eggs are apparently in optimal condition during the fall and wintertime too.
8. Some researchers actually finding “cuffing” to be a means of literal survival due to the fact that (affectionate) touch lowers stress and, since stress is attached to health-related issues like digestive issues, a lower libido, irregular cycles, heart disease, headaches, depression and shortened longevity — well, yes, cuffing season could potentially be a lifesaver.
Okay, So What Is Winter Coating All About?
GiphyAight, so now that you know more about cuffing season than you possibly ever thought that you would, what in the world does the dating term “winter coating” come from? Well, the long-short of it is…what some of y’all call “spinning the block?” How I oftentimes see it is “hitting a cul-de-sac.” LOL. Yes chile, if you decide to participate in winter coating activities during cuffing season, what you’re essentially doing is making the intentional decision to either reach out to an ex or — respond to one who decides to call, text, DM or email you, seemingly out of the blue.
Now the interesting thing about winter coating is it’s not really something that dating experts are thrilled about. One reason is because if someone is in your past, you’ve got to remember that it got to that point for a purpose. Another issue is because, well, why did you/they wait until cuffing season to try and reach out/rekindle something?
Usually, the motive for that is because, oftentimes, the combination of nostalgia mixed with the feeling that love bombing is easier to do on an ex than anyone else. And while that indeed may be true, does that sound healthy and long-term beneficial to you? Yeah, me neither.
Yeah honestly, when you really stop to think about it, winter coating seems a lot like what we do with our actually winter gear — we cram it somewhere where we don’t have to deal with it until it gets cold outside and then we pull it out from a closet, hope chest or under our bed to use it all (and up) for a couple of months — until we don’t need it anymore…and then we discard it all over again. SMDH.
So, if you’re someone who is an avid fan or big-time participant of cuffing season, before you decide to bring winter coating into the mix, really ponder if it’s a good idea or wise decision — because doing something that keeps you warm for a few weeks only for it to turn you cold afterwards…that typically turns out to be more counterproductive than anything else.
5 Tips for Guarding Your Heart (and Perhaps Genitalia) During Cuffing Season
GiphyMatter of fact, while we’re on the topic of cuffing season overall, let me share a few tips to keep you as unscathed as possible, period:
1. To thine own self be true. It’s a French philosopher by the name of Jean de La Bruyère who once said, “It's motive alone which gives character to the actions of men.” You know, the reason why a lot of people trip their own selves up in life is because they aren’t being honest with themselves about WHY they do the things that they do. That said, if you’re going into cuffing season just to have someone to cuddle up and watch Hallmark movies with until spring — have at it.
However, if you’re using cuffing season in hopes of getting something more out of it, SAY THAT. The more honest you are with yourself about your intentions, the less disappointed, disillusioned or hurt you will be…regardless of how things may play out in the end. You were genuine. Karma has taken note.
2. Think about your short and long-term (relational) goals. Let’s be real — for most people, cuffing season is a short-term goal. So, if you want something that is fleeting, do you. On the other hand, if you’re looking for something more meaningful, playing all of the games that come with cuffing season is not going to be your best bet — especially when it comes to the whole winter coating thing.
Yeah, please keep that in mind as you and your ex are taking a walk down memory lane because, more times than not? It’s probably going to lead to (another) dead end. If not immediately…eventually. Bottom line with this one: cuffing season only thinks about the present. Make sure that you also factor in your future.
3. If he’s your ex, don’t sugarcoat why. I’m not the person who thinks that an ex can’t be upcycled — just make sure that you aren’t merely recycling him. The difference? Recycling is using something old (or used) all over again. Upcycling is taking something old (or used) and making it better. That said, sometimes time gives people the opportunity to grow and that can make the “take two” of a relationship better.
Just make sure that if you are entertaining getting back with an ex that you are real with yourself about why the relationship ended to begin with. If you see signs of that mess/drama/ridiculousness still hovering around — cuffing season or not, you should probably take a pass. Why let him infiltrate your holiday season with some bullshishery that you will carry with you for years to come? Girl, uh-uh.
4. DO NOT follow your heart. If you’ve read enough of my relational content, you know that I can’t stand the motto, “Follow your heart”. The fact that it’s not biblical should be reason enough — and it’s not because Jeremiah 17:9-10 says that the heart is deceitful and that’s because emotions can indeed cause you to think/believe that something is one way when it may indeed be something else. And so, as you go into cuffing season this year, follow facts and reality.
That is biblical too: “It’s best to stay in touch with both sides of an issue. A person who fears God deals responsibly with all of reality, not just a piece of it.” (Ecclesiastes 7:18 — Message) In other words, if how you feel is conflicting with what you see — pause, ponder and reflect.
5. Avoid peer (and social media) pressure as best you can. I don’t even know if people would give a damn (at least so much) about cuffing season if social media didn’t talk about it so much. And don’t even get me started on just like peer pressure can get kids and teens to go against their core values and/or participate in risky behavior, it can impact adults in a similar fashion.
Bottom line with this point: Don’t engage in cuffing season or winter coating just because you see other people doing it. If your mind, body and spirit are telling you that it’s not what’s best for you — TAP OUT. You’ll be just fine.
____
Winter coating. Hmph.
Your best bet: Buy one to wear and avoid this dating trend.
The former is an investment. Chances are the latter is a complete waste (of time).
Just sayin’.
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