I was reading Jeff Gitomer's "Sales Caffeine" email, which I just started getting, and was struck by a comment by one of his guest writers, Tim Brownson.

“If somebody tells you you’re a horse, they are insane. If 3 people tell you you’re a horse, there is a conspiracy. If 10 people tell you you’re a horse, you need to buy a saddle.”

Its about how difficult it is to be honest with ourselves about our strengths but, especially, our weaknesses. How many of us can be brutally honest about who we really are? I know that I don't want to hear that I'm impatient and get frustrated easily - but it is often true. I certainly don't want to hear that I don't have the true entrepreneurial spirit and, luckily, I either haven't heard it yet or have ignored it. But what if 10 people told me that, people that I trust. What do I do?

Its too late for me (if those 10 people show up in my life and tell me not to open a business, I am in deep doodoo). But for those thinking about a big change in life, such as starting a small business, take heed. Talk to people, people who know you and whom you trust. Ask them what their opinion is of your plan. Make sure that they trust you enough to tell you the truth and that you give them the freedom and safety to do so ahead of time. (Oh, yeah, then LISTEN and DON'T REACT if they tell you what you don't want to hear!) If a lot of people who know you well are worried about your makeup given what you're proposing, its time to take a step back and reconsider.

Now, seperate their opinion of your abilities and makeup and their opinion of what you're going to do. A lot of people scoff at entrepreneurial ideas because of THEIR makeup. Make sure you discuss you in relation to your ideas, not just your ideas.