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It may be hard to remember, but Kanye West wasn’t always a household name. Although he first started producing music in the 90s, Kanye struggled to become signed as a rapper, and didn’t start to achieve fame until his first album came out in 2004. While Kanye is considered to be VERY controversial, we think there are a few things he could teach us about the small business world.

1. Always Follow Your Dreams

Kanye spent much of the late-1990s producing records for a number of well-known artists and music groups, but despite his success as a producer, it was often a challenge for him to be accepted as a rapper. However, Kanye persisted, and his first album, “The College Dropout” became certified triple platinum in the US, and earned Kanye 10 Grammy nominations, including Album of the Year, and Best Rap Album (which it received). Kanye was very successful as a producer, so it would have been really easy for him to just continue along that path. Instead, he followed his true dream of being a rapper.

What We Can Learn:

It’s okay to change your profession once, twice, or more than a few times. Kanye was really successful as a producer, so it would have been easy for him to just continue along that path. Instead, he followed his true dream of being a rapper. If you have an idea for a small business, invention, etc. – go for it!

2. Don’t Be Afraid to Crowdfund

Skip forward to 2016, and Kanye recently took to Twitter to announce that he’s $53 million in personal debt, which came as a surprise to many. In a series of tweets, Kanye asked Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg and Google CEO Larry Page to invest in some of his ideas.

What We Can Learn:

Entrepreneurs often balk at the idea of asking for money outside of a traditional business loan, but if Kanye can do it, so can you! If you’re having trouble securing a business loan, why not take to the web and crowdfund the resources you need to start your dream business?

3. Be Your Biggest Fan

In the song “I Love Kanye” by Kanye West, one of the lyrics reads: “And I love you like Kanye loves Kanye.” Sure, this song may be a bit tongue in cheek, but we all know, Kanye is Kanye’s biggest fan. And that’s the way you need to act when you run your own small business. You need to be your biggest fan.

What We Can Learn:

It’s essential in business that you have confidence in what you’re doing. You can’t have any doubt in your mind that you’re going to succeed at what you do. Even when you feel like you’ve bitten off more than you can chew, just fake it till you make it. Be your #1 fan.

So next time you’re having a bad day at work, just ask yourself, “What would Kanye do?” Well, besides go on a crazy Twitter rant, Kanye would ignore the naysayers and do the absolute best job he could do. He would follow his dreams and succeed. And most importantly, he would love Kanye like Kanye loves Kanye.