Are Entrepreneurs Born?

People often ask whether entrepreneurs are born or made.
I’ve thought about that question a lot—mostly because, looking back, I can’t remember a time when I didn’t feel the pull to build something.

From an early age, I was motivated by the idea that effort could be turned into opportunity. I didn’t just want a job; I wanted to create value, find angles, and make things work. If there was a way to earn money by solving a problem, I was interested—even if it meant teaching myself how to do the job from scratch.

That mindset showed up early.

When I was young and dropped out of university I sold Kirby vacuums door to door. I took an array of temporary jobs that exposed me to different industries and ways of working. I started my own food truck. I constantly looked for unmet needs—gaps others overlooked—and asked myself, How could I fill this? How could I make this better? How could I turn this into income?

At first, the motivation was independence.
The ability to control my time, my outcomes, and my upside.

Later, it became about stability.
Building something that didn’t disappear if I stopped showing up for a single shift.

Eventually, it evolved into a pursuit of wealth, not just in dollars, but in options—choice, resilience, and long-term security.

Was I born an entrepreneur?
Maybe not in the sense of having a perfect roadmap or innate business knowledge. But I do believe some people are wired to see opportunity differently—to tolerate uncertainty, to learn by doing, and to keep moving even when the path isn’t clear.

What I know for certain is this: entrepreneurship isn’t just about ideas. It’s about willingness—to work hard, to adapt, to take risks, and to keep searching for value where others see inconvenience.

That’s why, today, working with business owners feels personal. I understand the drive behind what they’ve built. I understand how much of themselves is tied up in their business. And I understand how important it is to eventually turn that effort into a successful transition, not just financially, but emotionally.

Entrepreneurs may not all be born—but they are shaped by action.
And the ones who succeed are almost always the ones who were willing to learn, pivot, and keep building long before the results were guaranteed.

Chantelle Jacobs Business Broker, Alberta Business Sales and Commercial Ventures