John Dearie -- The Entrepreneur’s Advocate

Episode details

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Summary

Hey everyone. I wanted to quickly let you know about the release of the audio version of my book, The Entrepreneur Ethos, narrated by David A. Conatser. If you want to support the show, you can buy it wherever audiobooks are sold. Links are also in the show notes. 

Now on to my guest for today, John Dearie. If you’re an entrepreneur or venture capitalist or angel investor, this one is a must listen to.

John Dearie is founder and president of the Center for American Entrepreneurship, a research, policy, and advocacy organization dedicated to promoting policies that promote entrepreneurship. John has made a career of studying and working on policies and legislation to grow economies. 

After the Great Recession ended in 2008, John set out to understand why the economy was not bouncing back as quickly as everyone had hoped. That led him to leaving his job as CEO of the Financial Services Forum to founding his own organization dedicated to the promotion of entrepreneurship. 

According to the latest research, entrepreneurship and startups are one of the biggest factors in growing an economy and in creating more jobs. Yet until recently, legislators in D.C. didn’t have anyone seriously advocating for and teaching them about the importance of entrepreneurship. 

The legislation passed in response to Covid is just one example of the short-sightedness; while many businesses have been helped by the Paycheck Protection Program, a lot of startups and new businesses were left scratching their heads on how it could help them.

John and his group have helped educate legislators on this and many other issues. Whether you’re an entrepreneur, thinking about a startup, an investor, or even if you’re anyone concerned about the future of the American economy, this is information you’re going to want to hear.

Now let’s get better together.

Actions to Try or Advice to Take

If there’s one takeaway from this discussion with Dearie, it’s that we all have to make our voices heard. Dearie’s organization has stepped up to be a conduit and provide expertise and advocacy for entrepreneurs and startups, but they need everyone’s input to help them set their agenda. Armed with the research that shows we have a big part to play in recharging our economy, our voices are more important than ever.

Here are some actions you can take: 

• Get educated about policies and legislation that affect startups. Learn the research that points to the importance of nurturing entrepreneurship to grow the economy and share this information with the public and policymakers. 
• Reach out to your local representative or volunteer to serve on a citizens’ board to help make an impact locally and make sure the views of entrepreneurs are represented. 
• Sign up for lists to be notified of hearings at the local, state, or national level. Advocacy organizations are always looking for people to come testify so lawmakers can better understand their challenges. 

Links to Explore Further

• Center for American Entrepreneurship
• John Dearie on LinkedIn

Books mentioned: 

• Where the Jobs Are: Entrepreneurship and the Soul of the American Economy by John Dearie (Wiley)
• Start-Up Nation: The Story of Israel’s Economic Miracle by Dan Senor and Saul Singer (Twelve)

Information on Current Legislation: 

• New Business Preservation Act
• The Endless Frontier Act
• Ignite American Innovation Act

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