It can feel discouraging when you only look at where they are now; it’s easy to think, “Oh, I’ll never get there.”

S

omething that stands out to me after speaking to (and editing articles about) many entrepreneurs is that starting your own company begins with just a single, small step. It may sound obvious, but the intimidation factor and the way we build up ideas in our heads are enough to turn anyone away from going for that dream. I had the privilege of attending the Jewish Woman Entrepreneur (JWE) conference this year in New York City. There were panelists who have million-dollar companies and offices across the globe — and they started it all from their dining room tables. It can feel discouraging when you only look at where they are now; it’s easy to think, “Oh, I’ll never get there.” But if those women acted on that thought, they never would’ve known the greatness they could have achieved.

It’s actually a concept I’ve been thinking about a lot in my own life — I’ve been living in Russia for nearly a year, and when I got here, I knew maybe three words in the language. Now, I find myself stringing together sentences and actually understanding conversations and responding back. I still have a long way to go, but looking at how far I’ve come, and how it happened so slowly, through each individual Russian lesson, I see that you really can accomplish anything if you work at it consistently. Those little moments add up.

It’s what we’re taught as Jews, too, no? Each Rosh Hashanah when we want to make a change, we’re told to focus on the one or two small things we know we’ll be able to stick to, versus taking on more than we can handle and not succeeding. And it’s through those tiny changes that we ultimately become the people we want to be.

This special section of 2.0 is jam-packed with others further spreading that message and helping you achieve your goals. Our cover story on Moshe Neuman, reveals that he didn’t know a thing about technology before launching his first start-up. He just started and learned along the way, meeting and speaking with anyone he could. Now, people turn to him for advice. Business consultant Jacob Engel details small but important ideas you should keep in mind when attempting to launch your own company. Each one will make you a better leader. Investor Jordan Odinsky snowballs off of that — breaking down key dos and don’ts entrepreneurs should understand as they move through this new, unchartered territory — some of which might be the difference between closing a deal or not.

So if you’re thinking about making a change but don’t know where to start, just try one thing, a single step that would help you move toward it. Maybe it’s shooting off an e-mail to ask for an informational interview, sending in an application to that job, or pitching an idea. A year from now (or maybe even sooner), you’ll be so grateful you did it today.

Alex Abel, Editor-in-Chief

(Originally featured in 2.0, Issue 4)