Why I believe you should think like a Pirate for Business Success

The original title for my book was The Pirate, Gambler and Entrepreneur (which became shortened to The Pirate Entrepreneur when published). This is the introduction to the book and explains why I wrote it, and how I believe that the pirate mindset can be applied in business - the spirited, determined, ambitious and adventurous qualities.


I confess that my inspiration for writing the book came about because I needed an outlet for creativity and emotion. At the time of writing the first draft of this book, my professional life remained my bedrock, however, my personal life was in pieces.

I retreated to gain some inner composure and reflection time. That is when The Pirate Entrepreneur book was born.

The location I chose to write the book was a place called Nash Point in South Wales, just under a hundred miles from the birthplace of the notorious pirate, Bartholomew Roberts (Black Bart).

I hired the keeper’s cottage directly beneath Nash Lighthouse, which was designed in 1832 to mark the sandbanks off the point at the entrance to the Bristol Channel. The decision to build it followed a public outcry after the passenger steamer Frolic was wrecked with heavy loss
of life in 1830.

The lighthouse was ideal because I’ve always felt a great affinity with the sea. I also felt ‘emotionally’ safe there and the location allowed me to draw inspiration for my writing.

For one, solitary week, I looked out to sea, walked the coastline and immersed myself in the mindset of the pirate and drew on my own experiences as an entrepreneur. I read and researched as much as I could on the different character traits of successful entrepreneurs in history, past and present, and delved into the traditional pirate’s mindset.

As I stood looking out at the great expanse of water and its constant changing face, I was reminded that the analogies of business are all around us in life, but no more so when you look at the sea.

Business changes constantly, just like life. It ebbs and flows; it can be calm one minute and a monster the next. Just like business, if it doesn’t evolve, it dies. The sea and its different moods can affect everything in its path; an analogy of business life, if ever there was one.

For me, the pirate epitomizes the spirit of the entrepreneur. I suppose in some way it’s because I’ve been lured by the popular imaginary and stereotypical characters that exist on film. But saying that, I can’t help but love the rebellious, mysterious and determined characteristics that I believe lay at the heart of every pirate.

The mindset of risk and thrill seeking is also a common denominator for both the pirate and the entrepreneur. This mindset is the one of chances, playing the odds, trying to beat the competition. And yes, the ‘gambling’ part of the pirate’s mindset is highly competitive and full
of energy.

The only difference between an addicted gambler and the entrepreneur, in my opinion, is the level of control. The entrepreneur’s mindset, I believe, is very similar to that of the trader and the stock market!

The entrepreneur loves being a ‘leader of men ... and women’ and playing the business ‘game’ at a high vantage point, predicting all the moves. They are very calculated with risk in business, which doesn’t prevent them from losing, it just means they get better odds.

Many entrepreneurs choose to pursue extreme sports in their spare time – take Richard Branson, as a prime example. Successful entrepreneurs like pushing the limits, playing the game of chances.

I’ve tried hard not to stereotype the entrepreneur, as there are always exceptions to the rules, however, there are many successful business men and women who love calculated risk and the ability to ‘feel the fear and go for it anyway’.

This book is NOT a ‘how to’ manual of how to start a business – there are more than enough books on that subject. It was written with the intention of inspiring ‘would be’ entrepreneurs and also to support, encourage and keep the spirits high of those of you who are already ‘sailing on the high seas’ of business.

The Pirate Entrepreneur demonstrates the importance of thinking positively in business and how to use the most powerful thing you have at your disposal – your mind. By learning about the power of the mind, you can tap into that ‘super computer’ that you carry around on your shoulders!

If you would like to learn more about the Pirate mindset and how it can be applied in your business, click on this link to The Pirate Entrepreneur website: http://www.pirate-entrepreneur.com