ABSTRACT
The industrial revolution in the United States (U.S.) sparked population shifts that brought people from rural areas to cities and from other countries to the U.S. Most were looking for the “American dream”—a way to make money by doing things they were good at and loved doing. The U.S. economy in the 1990s and early 2000s provided many people with economic freedom and luxuries at a level never before seen in the U.S. Those economic luxuries allowed many people to leave their stable jobs, complete with salaries and benefits, and pursue their own entrepreneurial ideas and passions. More recently, U.S. TV shows like ABC’s “Shark Tank,” CBC’s “Dragon’s Den,” and Bravo’s “Start-Up: Silicon Valley” have helped to popularize the idea of entrepreneurship. These shows and the many stories of successful ventures have also glamorized the idea of building a business from scratch and often neglect the adversity, long hours, and hard work that go into making that business successful.
