In our entry-level mastermind group, Fast Foundations, we bring on incredible guest speakers who’ve accomplished amazing things in order to help entrepreneurs who are still in the early stages of their journey. In my last group, one of the participants asked the guest – who has over half a billion dollars in exits – how to know if you’re a real entrepreneur? And it turns out this feeling of shame over your business was something many people in the group felt. I’m going to break down entrepreneurial shame and why we can’t stand for it.

No matter what your goals are, no matter what your current business ambitions are, if you are creating any kind of service or product for sale, and taking on the risks associated with trying to sell it, then you’re an entrepreneur – and don’t let anyone else tell you otherwise. Every entrepreneur starts from the same level, and whether you’re trying to raise your first six figures or even just your first fifty-thousand dollars, you are an entrepreneur.

That PR agent starting out with five or six clients; that nurse taking care of people individually; the person who just bought their first rental property; that life coach sharing tools on how other people can get through what they’re struggling with in life; the landscapers whose goal is to make a good living, and employ a few happy people: they are all entrepreneurs.

It’s time to stop listening to the entrepreneur shamers out there who are stopping people early in their journey. Lift up the person next to you, lock arms, and support fellow entrepreneurs – whether they’re starting to see success or just starting out.

If you’re doubting yourself, I want you to recognize what you are contributing, and to tell yourself: “Yes, I am an entrepreneur.”