GEt to work

Actions trump words, even fancy ones, especially in business ventures

Years ago, I knew a guy pretty much like me who called himself an “entrepreneur”.

It wasn’t a hugely common word back then, so identifying someone that way sounded exotic and successful and romantic.

His friends introduced him at dinner parties as an “entrepreneur”, rattling off his various business interests, and at first blush it was an impressive list.

At the time, I worked for a big company in a time-clock kind of job, and being identified as an “entrepreneur” sounded better than my gig. I was spending a good amount of time, both during work hours and afterwards, working to release my inner businessman. In fact, another guy and I investigated buying a gas station, several newspapers, even a Dairy Queen.

But nothing ever worked out, primarily because our cash reserves barely filled the bottom of a cookie jar, and I remained an employee rather than a budding entrepreneur.

Finally, and mostly in frustration, I cornered Mr. Entrepreneur at a party and started asking him about his various businesses, looking for some wisdom I could use to build my own.

He talked and he talked and he talked, and I noticed a pattern: There was a lot of discussion about research into this company and investigation into that business, but when it came right down to it, Mr. Entrepreneur wasn’t one. He was just a guy who liked to talk big about the things he was going to do with his life when the opportunity arose. But as it turned out, when opportunity knocked, as it does eventually for everyone, he didn’t answer.

In fact, his biggest financial accomplishment seems to have been convincing his eventual wife that since sooner or later one of his ideas would surely hit it big, she should contribute to their joint success by funding their family on her own.

Being identified as an “entrepreneur” just sounded good, apparently to both of them, and presumably they were content with their parallel lives of sacrifice and dreams.

No matter that the bottom line showed a wife working a time-clock job a nd a husband talking about business success that didn’t exist. All because he was afraid to pull the trigger on any of his ideas to find out if he had it in him to make at least one idea work.

Our cover story this month on kid entrepreneurs is the antithesis of this story, in that these kids are doing something. They woke up one day with a dream, and with a fair amount of help and guidance from parents and friends, they’re giving something a try. Just from reading the story, you can sense the hap-

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214.292.0490 / rstone@advocatemag.com piness and pride they and their families have in what they’ve done, even if the results haven’t exactly been Facebook-like in terms of riches and fame. And who knows where what they’re doing today might lead them or their watchful friends someday. web editor: CHrist Y ro Binson 214.635.2120 / crobinson@advocatemag.com senior art director: JYnn E tt E nEaL 214.560.4206 / jneal@advocatemag.com art director: J ULiann E ri CE 214.292.0493 / jrice@advocatemag.com designers: JE aninE miCHna-BaLEs, LarrY oLiVEr contributing editors: JEff siEGEL, saLLY wamrE contributors: sE an CHaffin, BiLL kEffEr, GaYLa kokEL, GEorGE mason, BLair moniE, ELLEn raff, mEGHan rinEY photo editor: Can türk YiLmaZ

Talk is cheap when it comes to being an entrepreneur. But talking and dreaming about building a business isn’t all that fulfilling; sooner or later, you have to pull the trigger or live with the consequences.

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Next up was chocolate. When I decided to take on this very serious and socially significant journalistic endeavor, my boyfriend was like, “ALL of them? Even chocolate? Chocolate is going to be awful.” Not that he ever tried it. Chocolate is not awful at all. It’s not really that chocolatey, but I’m going to also give it the “flavors to mix” classification. I’m gonna go out on a limb here, since all great journalists must take risks, and guess that a really bitchin’ sno cone would be chocolate, raspberry and cola. I think it might taste like Dr. Pepper. I don’t know. Maybe you should try it and report back to us. Cherry is a go-to flavor. Not sure what to get? Order cherry, you unimaginative sod.

CONDUCT YOUR OWN INVESTIGATION and tell us your favorites. Aunt Stelle’s is located at 2002 W. Clarendon and is open 2-9 p.m. Friday-Sunday.

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Sno cone season is in full swing, and editor Rachel Stone is undertaking some serious raspa research at legendary Oak Cliff stand Aunt Stelle’s. Check out excerpts from this summertime blog series below, and search: Aunt Stelle’s for the latest on the stand’s famous flavors, from banana to zoro.

BANANA,BEATLE ANDBUBBLE GUM

05.27.11 On Friday I wanted what I always get, pink lady or cherry. But I am dedicated to the mission of the Aunt Stelle’s report, so I ordered a small banana ($2.50).

Banana-flavored stuff usually tastes strangely tangy and artificial. But not this. My sno cone was really, really yellow, and it was delicious. Like a banana made of high-fructose corn syrup.

Saturday’s flavor was beatle. It tastes nothing like beetles or Beatles. It tastes like sweet tarts, and it’s navy blue. A beatle sno cone will turn your teeth and tongue dark blue. And you might recognize the food dye again later, ahem, after it’s digested. Sunday’s flavor was bubble gum. It’s more of a true blue, so coordinate your beatle- or bubble gum-colored tongue depending on your outfit. After beatle, bubble gum just didn’t do it for me.

CHERRY, CHOCOLATEANDCINNAMON

06.03.11 The problem I had with cinnamon, I think, was anticipation. Over the week, I imagined a cinnamon sno cone would taste like Big Red gum in liquid form over ice. In reality, not so much. It does taste like cinnamon, sort of, but it doesn’t have that spicy kick I wanted.

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