Don’t Stereotype: 5 Common Mistakes Writers Make When Profiling Entrepreneurs

Everyone has taken a different journey to founding their own business.

Question: What are common mistakes writers make when profiling entrepreneurs?

Categorizing Individuals

"Sometimes they try to put you in a box and are less cognizant that you are a person and have other interests and topics that you also enjoy speaking about. Sometimes those interests and experiences were the stepping stones to the place that you are standing today."


Overgeneralizing Experience by Tagging on '-preneur'

"Writers sometimes use a prefix for "-preneur", such as  "solopreneur," "mompreneur" or "multipreneuer." Often these labels are often unwanted, inaccurate and subtly downplay the person's experience and contributions to their work. This approach is a sloppy shortcut to actually telling someone's story and it's a disservice to the reader who wants to get to know them."


Laser Focusing on One Thing

"Writers can focus too much on one aspect of the entrepreneur's life or career. To really get an idea of the factors behind an entrepreneur's success (and of who they are as a person), one needs to paint a complete picture of their life. Too often, writers get caught up on one specific detail."


Not Recognizing the Differences Within Entrepreneurship

"There's a lot of hype about entrepreneurship and writers tend to put us all in one big bucket. The reality is that there are many different flavors of entrepreneurship and it can be confusing for readers when we are all lumped together."


Failing to Consider Someone's Journey

"Sometimes writers are more focused on the stories of the entrepreneur rather than their journey. They fail to see that the journey is what really makes up the entrepreneur, not just the story."


Resources

Don’t Stereotype: 5 Common Mistakes Writers Make When Profiling Entrepreneurs

Everyone has taken a different journey to founding their own business.

Question: What are common mistakes writers make when profiling entrepreneurs?

Categorizing Individuals

"Sometimes they try to put you in a box and are less cognizant that you are a person and have other interests and topics that you also enjoy speaking about. Sometimes those interests and experiences were the stepping stones to the place that you are standing today."


Overgeneralizing Experience by Tagging on '-preneur'

"Writers sometimes use a prefix for "-preneur", such as  "solopreneur," "mompreneur" or "multipreneuer." Often these labels are often unwanted, inaccurate and subtly downplay the person's experience and contributions to their work. This approach is a sloppy shortcut to actually telling someone's story and it's a disservice to the reader who wants to get to know them."


Laser Focusing on One Thing

"Writers can focus too much on one aspect of the entrepreneur's life or career. To really get an idea of the factors behind an entrepreneur's success (and of who they are as a person), one needs to paint a complete picture of their life. Too often, writers get caught up on one specific detail."


Not Recognizing the Differences Within Entrepreneurship

"There's a lot of hype about entrepreneurship and writers tend to put us all in one big bucket. The reality is that there are many different flavors of entrepreneurship and it can be confusing for readers when we are all lumped together."


Failing to Consider Someone's Journey

"Sometimes writers are more focused on the stories of the entrepreneur rather than their journey. They fail to see that the journey is what really makes up the entrepreneur, not just the story."


See Also: How to Get Your Team to 'Show Up' For Your Next Meeting

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