This is a story I've never shared on any podcasts; I don't even think John has heard it before.

Becoming an entrepreneur is no walk in the park.

I speak from personal experience when I say that I've spent years and years "thinking" about entrepreneurship, but it wasn't until 2011 that I actually did something about it.

But why 2011?

What finally changed that helped me build the bridge from Corporate America to entrepreneurship? Was it a single event? Where did I even start?

Valid question.

When you learn how to ride a bike, well that starts with buying a bike. Pretty straight forward.

But what are you supposed to buy when you want to become an entrepreneur?

I only just realized this recently: I actually started my journey to becoming an entrepreneur in 2006 over a glass of wine with two of my best girlfriends.

At the time all three of us were in Corporate America, and every Thursday night we would get together for a glass of wine and dinner.

I very distinctly remember during one of our chats one of us mentioning how cool it would be if we devised a plan to quit our jobs and all start an advertising agency together.

We had it all planned out in our minds: who would be responsible for what, and what each of our strengths and weaknesses were.

Thing is, none of us had any clue what we needed to do in order to set ourselves up for success with this "crazy idea". None of us knew what specific steps we had to take in order to actually become an entrepreneur and start an advertising agency.

But we started talking about it anyway. We weren't going to let what we didn't know at the time hold us back from potentially figuring it out some day.

So as we continued talking about it and thinking about what it would actually look (and feel) like to not be working at our day jobs anymore – and instead be doing something we actually loved – that talking and thinking was actually bringing us one step closer to the reality.

Unfortunately, every week was the same: Thursday nights we'd get together and talk about it, and then on Friday we would go back to our jobs and complain to one another about how much we hated it.

Then, we'd wait for Thursday and do it all over again.

This is where you need to start: change your mindset.

Until you can truly believe that whatever "crazy" conversations you're having with your friends, family – your self – that it is possible, you're not going to get very far.

Your conversations will start and end in the same room, just like mine did in 2006.

Remember that bike you bought? It's the same idea. Until you're willing to continue to get back up on it and try again – believing that one of these times you're actually going to start riding – even after falling off dozens of times, you're never going to learn how to ride.

Me and my girlfriends had it kind of right: we started the conversation. But when it comes down to it, I'm not sure that any of us actually believed we could make it happen. Not at the time anyway.

You can figure out what steps you need to take in order to quit your job. You can also learn how to build a foundation for your business, and even follow those who have successfully grown an audience for tips and tactics that are proven.

But it all starts with mindset.

We started the conversation, but it wasn't for a long time – years – that we finally started believing it was actually something we could make happen.

Today, all three of us are entrepreneurs. But it didn't start that way.

The difference between what we were doing back then – in 2006 over a glass of wine – and what we're doing now is massive.

For starters, we were able to eventually all have major mindset shifts in regards to what's possible – but in completely different ways.

For me, that mindset shift came in the form of a lost promotion in 2011. For my sister, who was one of the two girls I'm referencing here, her mindset shift came in the form of becoming a mom in 2012. And for my other friend, that mindset shift came in the form of moving across the country after her husband was re stationed in the Navy, also in 2012.

Furthermore, once those mindset shifts took place, we started doing something that will ultimately prevent thousand of wantrepreneurs from ever becoming actual entrepreneurs: we started taking action.

We started actually getting on our bikes and pedaling.

The very first step to becoming an entrepreneur has everything to do with your mindset. If you don't believe it and actually see it, you're going to have a really hard time creating it.