Reading an article on another entrepreneur of the year usually births some torn feelings in the business person I am. Judges look for “vision, leadership, achievement and social responsibility”: all this is great and inspiring. I am only curious to know how one can judge something s/he may not have tried or experienced, unless, of course, the entrepreneur happens to be a chef like Vikram Vij. Maybe I just question the very definition of what it is to be an entrepreneur: does one need to employ a team, reach some sort of fame to draw attention to a public who may never become a customer to be considered as one?

Yes, running a business takes guts and passion, and I still have doubts around how much public exposure is necessary to be successful. Or maybe it has nothing to do with it: the confusion may lie in the concept amalgamation of success and notoriety. I take that awards recipients boost their public credence, and likely get some Return On Investment’s botox at the same time (minus the potential lethal side effect, of course). It sure helps when someone famous injects and adds some assistance in starting or developing a business: I still believe it is not all.

I got to meet a fairly successful man during my last trip in Paris, and I had almost turned into a private investigator to manage and reach him: he was surprised about my perspicacity, and agreed to share his 30-year’s business story. No website, no official distinction published in some business magazine, yet he just keeps being called (granted, in 30 years, hard to hide from the industry) to coordinate and broadcast live events, anywhere, at any time and for any serious customer. His projects cover a broad panel of circumstances, calculated or not, and he built a name for himself away from the spotlight.

As an entrepreneur, although I welcome, and am honoured with any professional accolade when it happens, I privilege my client’s satisfaction first: seeing them shine and grow through my business input fuels my passion for what I do even more. Ending on the cover of a magazine is fun, no doubt, and being noticed is undeniably flattering. That may also add pressure: how to keep up at the level one has been awarded for? How long can the fame go for? What is required to prevent this public interest from fading?

Those are arithmetic concerns, and I prefer to dedicate my business to a strong dynamic, working on better it down the road. Make my clients sparkle thanks to the skills and ideas I share with them is, to me, the best business reward. I remain open to further possibilities, as a person and an entrepreneur. Being in event management, I would rather trust a lighting professional when it comes to being in the spotlight. Fashion follows cycles and revolves around some particular media community: the bulb of the spotlight is often about to burn out. I am happy to stay backstage.