I’ve been teaching entrepreneurship for over 30 years. I’ve interviewed more than 175 entrepreneurs for my podcast. I chair the board of a NYSE-listed company with $2.5 billion in assets.
But at the Collegiate Entrepreneurs Organization Conference in Tampa this past weekend, a college sophomore reminded me of something I’d forgotten.
He was president of his university’s CEO chapter. When he arrived on campus as a freshman, the club was floundering. Most students would have joined a different organization or waited for someone else to fix it.
He stepped in as chapter president. As a freshman.
When I asked him about the experience, he didn’t talk about strategy or metrics. He talked about how the role built his self-efficacy, his confidence, and his belief that he could actually make things happen.
That’s the pattern I kept seeing throughout the conference.
The See, Do, Repeat Cycle in Real Time
The Collegiate Entrepreneurs’ Organization brings together hundreds of young entrepreneurs, students, and faculty for two and a half days of intensive learning. I was there as both a CEO board member and speaker, which gave me a unique vantage point.
I watched students move through what I call the See, Do, Repeat cycle. It’s the framework I developed through 20 years of research on entrepreneurial mindset, and it’s the foundation of my book See, Do, Repeat: The Practice of Entrepreneurship.
First, they saw opportunities. Not in some abstract way, but in real conversations with close to 50 entrepreneurs and business leaders who were sharing their actual experiences.
Then, they took action by asking questions, challenging assumptions, and pitching ideas in competitions. They didn’t wait for permission or perfect conditions.
Finally, they normalized failure. Speaker after speaker talked about setbacks and pivots. The students started to see failure not as a stop sign but as part of the process.
This is experiential learning at its best, not theoretical or abstract. Hands-on and immediate.
Intellectual Humility as Competitive Advantage
Here’s what surprised me most about these young entrepreneurs.
They were willing to admit they didn’t have all the answers. They were actively seeking input, as they were listening more than talking.
I call this intellectual humility: the willingness to recognize the limits of your knowledge and remain open to learning from others.
I’ve been doing this work for decades, but I’m still learning. At the conference, I learned from students, from fellow faculty members, and from watching how peer-to-peer conversations created insights that no keynote could deliver.
That humility isn’t weakness. It’s a superpower.
For mid-career professionals thinking about entrepreneurship, this matters. You might feel like you should have everything figured out by now, or you might hesitate to ask “basic” questions or admit uncertainty.
The most successful entrepreneurs I’ve met do the opposite. They ask questions constantly, stay curious, and recognize that their experience is valuable, but it doesn’t mean they’ve stopped learning.
The Power of Peer Learning
We did a live En Factor Podcast at the conference with Bob Circosta, the pitch master who was the first host of Home Shopping Network. He’s done thousands of pitches over decades.
Students preparing for the pitch competition were able to take his insights and apply them immediately. That’s just-in-time learning. Not theoretical knowledge they might use someday, but practical wisdom they could test that afternoon.
But here’s what made it even more powerful.
After the session, students didn’t just absorb Bob’s wisdom and move on. They talked to each other, compared notes, refined their pitches together, and challenged each other’s assumptions.
That peer-to-peer learning is where the real magic happened.
Traditional entrepreneurship education has value. I’ve spent my career in that world. But there’s something irreplaceable about bringing hundreds of people together who share a similar mindset and letting them learn from each other.
The energy in that room was electric. Students were connecting, collaborating, pushing each other to think bigger. Faculty and business leaders weren’t just lecturing, they were participating in conversations.
You can’t replicate that with a textbook or a video course.
Community as Antidote to Loneliness
Entrepreneurship can be incredibly lonely.
You’re making decisions that affect your livelihood, your family, your future. You’re taking risks that others don’t understand and facing challenges that feel unique to your situation.
Having a community of people who get it makes all the difference.
At the conference, I watched students form connections that will last years. They found people facing similar challenges and they discovered they weren’t alone in their doubts or fears or ambitious dreams.
This matters just as much for mid-career professionals.
Maybe you’re a nurse or doctor wanting to create a healthcare business. Maybe you’re a mid-career employee ready to pursue your passion. Maybe you’re a retiree with decades of experience to share.
You need people who understand what you’re going through. Not just mentors or advisors, but peers who are in the trenches with you.
That’s the insight I’m carrying forward into En Factor Plus.
Building Two-Way Conversations
I started the En Factor podcast in 2019 to share entrepreneurial stories and insights. Over 175 episodes, I’ve interviewed everyone from everyday entrepreneurs to the founders of Barefoot Wine to Kevin Harrington from Shark Tank.
The model was simple: I ask questions, guests share wisdom, listeners learn.
But the conference reminded me that broadcasting content is only half the equation.
The real transformation happens in conversation, community, and the back-and-forth exchange of ideas and experiences.
So we’re building En Factor Plus not just as a learning platform, but as a community. A place where aspiring and practicing entrepreneurs can access my experience and expertise, learn from 175+ entrepreneur interviews, and connect with each other.
We’re still developing how this will work. But I’m committed to listening to our community to understand what they need. What would actually help them take action and build something meaningful.
Because that sophomore taught me something important.
He didn’t wait for the perfect program or the ideal conditions. He saw an opportunity in a floundering club, and took action, even though he was just a freshman. He built his confidence through doing.
That’s the entrepreneurial mindset in action.
And it’s available to anyone willing to see opportunities, take action, and persist through challenges. Whether you’re a college sophomore or a mid-career professional ready for a change.
The question isn’t whether you have enough experience or credentials or resources.
The question is whether you’re willing to start.
