Our real estate coaching and mastermind programs welcome everyone from brand-new agents to seasoned investors scaling multifamily portfolios. Beginners can start with introductory strategy sessions focused on foundational deal-making and mindset, while experienced professionals may qualify for advanced masterminds after a brief 15–30 minute alignment call to ensure goals and group dynamics are a strong fit.

When do classes start?

Classes and cohorts begin immediately after signing the agreement and completing onboarding, typically within 24–48 hours for individual coaching. Mastermind groups launch monthly, with some advanced programs having short 1–2 week waitlists to maintain limited group sizes.

We offer flexible scheduling including weekly one-on-one coaching calls (45–60 minutes), bi-weekly mastermind roundtables, or ad-hoc sessions for urgent deal reviews. All sessions are held via Zoom with recordings available for review.

What if I have a coach already?

Our programs integrate seamlessly with existing coaching by adding peer accountability and fresh perspectives. We begin with a free audit of your progress to identify gaps, then match you with a specialist coach or mastermind aligned with your market and goals. Many clients use us as a next-level accelerator without leaving their current coach.

Why didn't past coaching work?

Many past programs fail due to generic, one-size-fits-all systems that ignore individual market dynamics and personal challenges. Our approach is fully customized to your local regulations, buyer behaviors, deal types, and ambitions. We co-create a roadmap tailored to you rather than imposing cookie-cutter strategies.

Support is unlimited and multi-channel, including daily access to coaches via chat or email, personalized feedback on listings and deals, weekly live Zoom workshops, and entry into exclusive collaboration networks. Extensions or pauses are available for vacations or personal events without penalties.

Entry-level coaching starts at approximately $99 per month, while full masterminds range from $497 to $2,997 for 6–12 months. Core certifications typically last 6–12 months, and advanced investor or diploma tracks may extend 12–24 months. Transparent pricing and payment plans are available.

Our programs work across competitive urban markets, suburban regions, and international locations. We provide proven frameworks with region-specific adjustments for regulations, financing, and buyer trends, enabling success in diverse market conditions.

What Is an Entrepreneur?
A Complete Guide to Becoming
a Business Entrepreneur

Entrepreneurship isn’t a job title. It is a mindset, a daily practice, and a decision to build something meaningful out of an idea, a problem, or an unmet need. Whether you are asking “what is an entrepreneur,” “what do entrepreneurs actually do,” or “what does it take to become one,” the answers point to the same truth: entrepreneurs are made through vision, action, and persistence, not luck.

This guide covers what entrepreneurship means, what the daily work looks like, the traits it demands, and the concrete steps to begin. It draws on the experience of Dearonne Bethea, a retired U.S. Army Chief Warrant Officer Four who started with little money and no formal business education. Today he is an investor and entrepreneur coach, and he has built businesses across real estate, property management, marketing, and more.

Key takeaways

An entrepreneur spots a problem or opportunity and builds a product, service, or brand around it.
The daily work is problem-solving, selling, managing risk, and building systems.
You don’t need a degree, a large budget, or permission. You need direction and the willingness to start.
Sustainable businesses run on repeatable systems, not on hustle alone.

What Is a Business Entrepreneur?

A business entrepreneur is a person who identifies opportunities, solves problems creatively, and takes calculated risks to create value, usually through a product, service, or brand. That holds whether you are launching a startup, running a small business, or expanding into new markets.

At its core, being an entrepreneur means:

Creating something from nothing
Wearing multiple hats, especially in the early stages
Navigating uncertainty with vision and adaptability
Learning from every setback and every win

Entrepreneurs aren’t born. They are built, and it takes vision, grit, and a willingness to grow through discomfort.

Entrepreneur vs. Employee vs. Small Business Owner

People often use these terms interchangeably, but the roles differ in how they handle risk, growth, and ownership.

	Entrepreneur	Small Business Owner	Employee
Primary goal	Build something new and scalable	Run a stable, established business	Perform a defined role for a salary
Relationship to risk	Takes calculated risks to create value	Manages moderate, familiar risk	Risk is carried mostly by the employer
Income source	Profits, equity, and multiple income streams	Business profits	Salary or wages
Focus	Innovation, systems, and growth	Consistency and local customers	Tasks and responsibilities assigned
Control	Full ownership of direction	Ownership of daily operations	Limited to the role

None of these is better than the others. The key point is that entrepreneurship is a way of operating, and you can practice it inside a startup, a family business, or a real estate portfolio.

What Do Entrepreneurs Actually Do?

Entrepreneurship is more than “starting a company.” Day to day, entrepreneurs act as problem-solvers, innovators, and leaders who turn ideas into impact. The table below shows how that work breaks down in practice.

Core Activity	What It Looks Like in Practice	Why It Matters
Spotting gaps	Noticing problems in the market and designing creative solutions	Every strong business begins with a real problem
Validating ideas	Researching the market and collecting honest customer feedback	It protects your time and money before you invest heavily
Developing offers	Building products or services that solve those problems	Solutions create value only when people actually use them
Building the structure	Creating business models, teams, and partnerships	Growth needs more than one person’s effort
Managing resources	Handling time, money, and risk with discipline	Most businesses fail from poor management, not poor ideas
Selling and marketing	Presenting ideas to gain traction and revenue	An idea creates value only once it reaches customers
Adapting	Making sound decisions quickly under pressure	Markets shift, and slow decisions cost opportunities

In short, entrepreneurs build, and they build with purpose. More than anything, they are value creators. They don’t wait for opportunity. They create it.

What Does It Take to Be an Entrepreneur?

A great idea is only the starting point. Sustaining a business takes a specific combination of mindset and skill. The foundation looks like this:

A clear vision for where you are headed
The ability to start before you feel fully ready
Discipline to keep moving when motivation fades
Confidence to take calculated risks
Resilience to recover from failure
A willingness to keep learning and adapting
A genuine desire to create value for others, not just for yourself

Beyond those foundations, long-term success rests on five core competencies:

Trait	What It Looks Like	How to Build It
Leadership	Inspiring and influencing others toward a shared goal	Lead small projects, mentor others, and communicate the “why”
Focus	Staying committed despite distractions	Set one priority per quarter and protect your calendar
Execution	Turning plans into real-world progress	Break goals into weekly actions and track results
Adaptability	Adjusting as markets and expectations shift	Review results regularly and change course without ego
Ownership	Taking full responsibility for outcomes, good or bad	Stop blaming circumstances and ask, “What can I control?”

It is not about being perfect. It is about being persistent.

What Starting From Zero Really Teaches You

Theory only goes so far, so it helps to look at how it plays out in a real career. Dearonne Bethea began his path in the military at age 18, and he has described it as a second chance out of poverty. He has spoken openly about living paycheck to paycheck, wanting autonomy, and questioning whether success was possible without a traditional path. He had no formal business education and few resources.

Over two decades, including two deployments and 20 years of service, he built businesses while serving. He retired as a Chief Warrant Officer Four. According to his about page, his track record includes:

Business and real estate assets valued at over $165 million
Ownership of 1,200 multifamily units
More than 82 streams of income
Founding Band of Brothers Investment Group in 2014
Recognition as the 2023 SBA Veteran Owned award recipient for the state of Hawai’i
Hosting Hawai’i’s largest yearly business and real estate conference

His story reinforces three lessons that show up again and again among entrepreneurs:

You can begin without the ideal resources. Resourcefulness beats resources. As Dearonne puts it, life isn’t about resources, it’s about resourcefulness.
Systems create scale. He emphasizes leveraging technology and repeatable processes so a business can grow beyond one person’s effort.
Wealth is bigger than money. For him, the goal is leaving a lasting legacy for family and community.

His work has also been covered by outlets including Pacific Business News. You can see more on the media page and in the portfolio.

How to Become an Entrepreneur: The Path Forward

You don’t need a business degree, a large budget, or permission to start. You need direction. Becoming an entrepreneur is a process, and each step builds on the last.

Step 1: Find your passion and shape it into a viable idea

The best businesses sit at the intersection of what you are good at and what the market needs. Passion alone isn’t enough, and a market alone isn’t enough. Write down your strongest skills, list the problems you see people struggling with, and look for the overlap.

Step 2: Validate the concept

Research the market and get honest feedback before you invest heavily. Talk to potential customers. Ask what they currently do, what frustrates them, and what they would pay to fix. Then run a small test, such as a pre-sale, a pilot, or a simple landing page, before you commit serious money.

Step 3: Learn to pitch, sell, and scale

Ideas only create value once they reach customers. Selling is a skill you can learn, and every entrepreneur needs it, even those who plan to hire salespeople later. Practice explaining your offer in one clear sentence, and learn to ask for the sale.

Step 4: Build systems, not just hustle

Sustainable businesses run on repeatable systems that create freedom over time. Document how you deliver your product, handle customers, and manage money. Automate what you can, and delegate what you should. Hustle gets a business started, but systems keep it running.

Step 5: Face fear and failure head-on

Every entrepreneur hits setbacks. What separates success from quitting is how quickly you adapt and keep moving. Treat failures as data, review what happened, adjust, and try again.

Your First 90 Days at a Glance

Timeframe	Focus	Sample Actions
Days 1–30	Clarity	Define your idea, target customer, and the problem you solve
Days 31–60	Validation	Interview 10–20 potential customers, test a simple offer, and gather feedback
Days 61–90	Launch and learn	Make your first sales, document your process, and refine based on results

Common Mistakes New Entrepreneurs Make

Knowing what to avoid saves time and money. These are the mistakes that most often slow new founders down.

Mistake	Why It Hurts	A Better Approach
Waiting until everything is perfect	Delay costs momentum and market timing	Launch a simple version, then improve it
Skipping validation	You may build something nobody wants	Talk to customers before spending heavily
Doing everything yourself	It limits growth and leads to burnout	Build systems, delegate, and use technology
Ignoring the numbers	Cash problems close otherwise healthy businesses	Track income, expenses, and margins weekly
Going it alone	You miss advice, contacts, and accountability	Join a community of experienced entrepreneurs

Why Entrepreneurship Matters More Than Ever

In today’s economy, entrepreneurship is about more than being your own boss. It is about ownership, flexibility, and legacy. Business entrepreneurs are:

Driving innovation in underserved markets
Creating jobs and strengthening communities
Building wealth through strategic, long-term decision-making
Turning passion into purpose

Many entrepreneurs also use real estate as a vehicle for that long-term wealth. If that path interests you, these guides on the blog are good next reads:

The Ultimate Guide to Buying Multifamily Property covers financing, market research, cash flow, and property management.
Can You Buy a Multifamily Home with an FHA Loan? explains the rules and strategies for newer investors.
Managing Multifamily Properties shows how systems and tools keep operations efficient at scale.

And you don’t have to figure it out alone.

How Dearonne Bethea Helps Entrepreneurs Grow

Dearonne knows what it means to start from zero, from navigating early setbacks to building a multi-company portfolio. He now helps aspiring and active entrepreneurs move faster and smarter. Here is where each type of support fits:

What You Need	How Dearonne Helps	Where to Start
Personal strategy	One-on-one business coaching and strategy sessions tailored to where you are right now	Coaching
Investment education	Real estate and investment education for long-term financial growth	Services
Connections	Access to investor and partner networks to accelerate opportunity	Join the DB Community
Marketing and branding	Marketing insight and brand positioning to help you stand out	Thrive Marketing
Mindset	Coaching to keep you focused, resilient, and accountable	Podcast
Live learning	In-person mastermind and event experiences	All Events

Whether you are brainstorming your first venture, validating an idea, or scaling an existing business, the goal is the same: to help you build the business, and the mindset, needed to succeed on your own terms.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is an entrepreneur in simple terms?
An entrepreneur is someone who spots a problem or opportunity and builds a product, service, or business to solve it, taking calculated risks along the way.

Do I need a degree to become an entrepreneur?
No. A degree can help, but it isn’t required. Many successful entrepreneurs started with limited education and resources. What matters most is skill, action, and persistence.

How much money do I need to start?
It depends on the business. Many people start small, validate demand first, and reinvest early revenue. Start with the smallest version of your idea that can prove customers will pay.

What is the difference between an entrepreneur and a business owner?
A business owner runs an established business. An entrepreneur focuses on creating new value and building scalable systems, though one person can be both.

Can I be an entrepreneur while working a full-time job?
Yes. Many people build a business on evenings and weekends until it can support them. This lowers risk while you validate your idea.

How do I find guidance from experienced entrepreneurs?
Look for mentors, coaches, and communities with a proven track record. You can start with one-on-one coaching or contact Dearonne’s team to ask about the best fit.

Ready to Build?

It doesn’t matter where you are starting from. What matters is how you build from here. Explore the free resources, get Dearonne’s Strategy of the Week in your inbox, join the DB Community, or connect directly with Dearonne Bethea to create momentum toward the business and life you are working to build.

Start your entrepreneurial journey with Dearonne Bethea today.

connect@dearonnebethea.com

Retired Chief Warrant Officer 4 (CW4)

A retired Chief Warrant Officer 4, who found his path at 18 by enlisting in the military, Dearonne took his opportunity for a second chance out of poverty to change his life. Two deployments and 20 years of service later, he’s retired as of this May, leaving behind a legacy of dedication and growth.

CEO of Band of Brothers Investment Group (BOBIG)

In 2014 Dearonne Bethea took a chance and founded Band of Brothers Investment Group, a dynamic force driving his diverse portfolio of businesses, strategic investments, and a flourishing real estate empire. With visionary leadership and astute decision-making, he has cultivated an impressive legacy, forging a path of entrepreneurial success that continues to thrive under his guidance.

CEO of Luxury In Every Wave (LEW)

At the helm of Luxury in Every Wave, Dearonne, alongside his partner and wife, Pamela, serves as the CEO of a premier property management company. Their collective expertise ensures a seamless experience for both homeowners and renters, offering unparalleled service and optimal rates. With a commitment to excellence, they have transformed Luxury in Every Wave into a thriving venture that redefines luxury vacation accommodations.

CEO of Treazure Studios

Introducing Treazure Studios, the latest venture by Dearonne, poised to revolutionize the salon industry. Beyond hairstyling, Treazure Studios empowers contracted stylists with a unique focus on financial literacy through educational courses, exclusive investment opportunities and retirement account establishment, all aimed at fostering generational wealth. As anticipation mounts, we eagerly await the unveiling of this pioneering concept that promises to shape not the salon industry but also the future prosperity of those it touches.

Key Principal of Tri-City Equity Group

Occupying the pivotal role of Key Principal at Tri-City Equity Group, Dearonne embodies the essence of their investment endeavors, a venture birthed alongside his partner and fellow conference co-host, Vince Gethings. With an active role in identifying and evaluating promising real estate properties, as well as his own investments, Dearonne fuels the company’s growth trajectory, mirroring the same core tenets of financial enlightenment that are upheld at the Millionaire’s Mindset Blueprint Conference.

Entrepreneur 2023 SBA Veteran Owners of The Year

In a resounding testament to his entrepreneurial hustle and commitment to excellence, Dearonne Bethea emerged victorious as the recipient of the esteemed SBA Veteran Owned 2023 award for the state of Hawai’i. His relentless dedication and visionary leadership have propelled his businesses to remarkable heights, garnering recognition and acclaim within the community

Thrive Marketing

Thrive Marketing Co is an avant-garde marketing agency that harnesses the power of Artificial Intelligence (AI) to amplify brands and drive transformative growth. Catering predominantly to mid-sized enterprises, our unique blend of innovative AI-driven strategies and a client-centric ethos ensures tailor-made solutions that resonate deeply with target audiences. Rooted in values of integrity and excellence, Thrive is not just about traditional marketing; we’re shaping the future of brand engagement in an AI-augmented world.

Blacksand Property Management

Blacksand Property Management oversees and manages Multifamily properties. This includes directing the daily operations of property including collecting rent, handling maintenance, tenant complaints and more. Blacksand Property Management is a vertically integrated company focused on privately owned Multifamily assets of its partner controlled portfolio.