Am I an entrepreneur? I believe with what I have experienced and done within my job and previous workplace; I believe I meet the criteria of being an entrepreneur according to how ODU defines it. Originally, I thought the definition of being an entrepreneur was someone who can use their brain and creativity to put together a product or service that will profit others and themselves. Within my workplace (warehouse/sales), I participate in open dialogue with plumbers/customers that come into the counter, and each time I discuss problems they have, I learn different tricks and solutions that applies to certain scenarios a plumber may see. Having the accumulated knowledge of almost two years in doing so, I can now assess problems rookie plumbers/homeowners will have when coming across similar problems, and properly equip (sell) them with the materials and knowledge they may need to solve the current problem. I applied this entrepreneurial technique when studying for, and taking, my Security+ exam. Each question tested my ability to critically think in a security mind assuming I already had the knowledge necessary to take the exam. By having practice test experience and meetings with people going for the same exam, I was able to turn knowledge I had into tangible solutions allowing me to pass that exam. That is why I would consider myself and entrepreneur (according to ODU standard definition of an entrepreneur).
Success to me is positive result of an action or idea that was given the room and work to grow into something beneficial. While that definition of success is very narrow, what I ultimately view success as is the ability to achieve positive results. The way in which success is given is ultimately through the time, effort, and dedication of the people acting towards implementing that action/idea. Anyone who has the ability to think can generate good ideas, but the way those ideas become something successful is the work put into it. That is how I view what success is.
Being a self-starter requires motivation, creativity, and an enormous amount of willpower, which is why I believe I fit that definition. I am not the most creative man alive, nor am I the most determined man alive. What sets me apart is my ability to set reasonable goals and create schedules to meet the goals that were set. In the warehouse environment I made decisions on how to properly store and mark items and brought it up to my employer. With my ideas, he gave me the ability to act on those ideas, and I incrementally achieved small goals I set for the completion of those tasks which allowed more space and access to material needed to complete orders. In the sense of taking security certifications, I did the same process, and I found that when I set my mind onto a task I can plan for, success is usually the result. Although I have not given time or thought to the creation of new ideas to revolutionize the industry, within my sphere of influence I was able to use my knowledge and work ethic to complete tasks that would be beneficial to my company and my education, and that is why I would call myself a self-starter.
As described in my initial paragraph, Old Dominion University curriculum describes as being an entrepreneur, as someone who uses problem solving skills that align with the knowledge and experience, to create a beneficial product or service for themselves and others. This definition is a more project-oriented way of looking at entrepreneurs than the original mindset of what an entrepreneur is. Originally, entrepreneurs were only seen as people who use their knowledge and skills to create something that has never been thought of and use it to benefit themselves in the form of monetary value. This included people like Bill Gates, Steve Jobs, Mark Zuckerburg, etc. The definition ODU gives does not count those tech giants out, but it also illustrates original and creative ways people can contribute to companies that already have the foundation created.
My role in this ecosystem is to learn, grow, and use my skills to support companies from foreign adversaries trying to break into their sensitive data. I am still young and have a lot to learn, but I also have a different perspective on certain issues that can be used to strengthen the security of these companies and allow more commerce to flow to the company. In order to have a strong entrepreneurial impact on the company I will work for, I must first learn to listen, observe, and think on my feet to fit into the mold of security.