A fledgling business startup named The Vapes of Wrath recently opened in a desolate strip mall less than a mile from my house. This marks the sixth business to occupy these premises in the last 15 years. Each previous business, such as Tantastic (a tanning salon), Cardofile Collectibles (a baseball card shop), Inkfinity Studio (a tattoo parlor), The Retro Rack (a used clothing boutique), and Crusties (a pizza restaurant), began with high hopes. Whenever I noticed a new sign above the doorway, I envisioned a new occupant with a new dream setting up shop and couldn't help but smile at their enterprising nature. However, my thoughts were also a sobering wish for good luck on their difficult journey ahead. Let us salute them all. These new owners may have faced temporary setbacks but they are still in the game, not on the sidelines. We should always give a nod to those chasing their dreams.

Entrepreneurial Personality: Dreamers in Action

Participants in harness racing, gamblers, drivers, owners, and breeders share a lot in common with those now defunct businesses. They are a group of people wired with a need to take on challenges against the odds and strive to reach distant goals. An entrepreneurial personality can be defined as a dreamer who takes action. These are the people who turn vision into reality, are action-oriented, believe they can skillfully navigate obstacles, and love opportunities and challenges. I would add another adjective to entrepreneurs and potential racing converts - rebellion. Don't we all acquire, claim, or raise a young horse with a bit of a rebellious spirit? We silently think to ourselves, "Watch me do the impossible" or "This horse didn't work out, but I will do better with the next one."When we envision the future of our sport, those with this entrepreneurial gene and confidence can be valuable assets and our most likely targets for recruitment. On the other hand, we should not waste time or resources appealing to risk-averse people. Suggesting that a novice simply observes a few races and falls in love with our sport rarely works. Framing our sport as a unique business challenge has more potential. Can you take X amount of money to do Y and, within Z years, turn a profit? This is a siren song that calls to millions of people in thousands of fields. In gambling, ownership, or the breeding business in our sport, the personality of the potential player is of utmost importance.Ask yourself why you play this game. Whether it's your first time around the racetrack or you've been participating for 50 years, for many of us, the answer that drives us to take action and keeps us in the game is a burning need to prove we can do it. We all have a bit of "hold my beer and watch me" when we hear statements like these:"Very few shrewd gamblers can turn a profit gambling on harness horse racing. Turning a profit may be impossible.""Not many people could purchase a stable of five yearlings, recruit owners and trainers, race the horses, and turn a profit.""Unless you are a commercial breeding farm and know people in the business, no backyard breeder can raise and consign a yearling sales topper.""The chances of a Hambletonian winner purchased for under $20,000 is science fiction."Introducing our sport using clear, measurable challenges can gain traction because the words "You can't do that" will ignite a specific type of person. Money is not the ultimate goal. It is just a measurement. Satisfaction comes from doing something that others believe is impossible.

It Ain't the Gold

It ain't the goldThat keeps you on the highway in the cold.It ain't the goldThat keeps your wheels a-turning when you're old.It's not the end, it's the beginning,Here's to Errol Flynning, mmmm,It is the winning.It ain't the goldIt ain't the fameThat keeps you on the highway in the rain.It ain't the fameThat keeps the warhorse playing in the game.It's not the end, it's the beginning,Not the fall, it's the pinning,It is the winning.It ain't the gold