“I didn’t know?!”: What it means to run a business
There is a little lie permeating through our society that says that being an entrepreneur means you have all this freedom, competent people around out to help you succeed, and a steady flow of customers eagerly awaiting your wares. A-hem….yeah….
If that’s your experience - wow, congrats, but it sure hasn’t been mine, nor the many clients that I’ve worked with over the years. Having a business is a SLOG, and I want to dispel these freedom myths out there so you can understand what you’re REALLY getting into!
DISCLAIMER: this is my experience as a people-pleasing, work-a-holic, who wants to build an empire. You may not be on this path, so take this as you will <3
STRESS
Ever wonder what it feels like to always be in “fight or flight” mode? Start a business. I swear that 80% of my current health issues are directly related to the amount of stress I feel on a day-to-day basis. I’m at the point that I don’t even notice the stress unless it's REALLY bad, and that’s a little scary.
I’m definitely wired to be stressed. Even in my old 9-5 I was always taking on too much, overloading my time and brain. As a business owner though, there’s a whole crop of new things that we get to stress about:
Is there money to pay our bills?
Is there money to pay ME?
Is client ABC going to pay up?
How many late nights do I need to get project X done?
Should I hire someone?
Why can’t people I hire know what to do? What do you mean they can’t read my mind??
Why does software Y not work?? Isn't this supposed to be making my life easier???
Oh the list can go on…I have the added bonus of getting to worry about a lot of these same things for all the clients I work with too! Yes you got it…you not only get a business & money guru when you work with me, you get someone that will STRESS for you too! ;P Help me.
I (and maybe you too!) need to do a better job hiring, training, and delegating. The wonderful reality is that I have no intention of stopping my growth, so building a team is the only way I can manage that capacity without needing a few stints in my ticker. By clearing some time and space in my day, I can clear the burden on my sanity and invite some zen into my life.
LONELINESS
I don’t know if it started when I was home with my babies, but I have full conversations with myself daily. Some days I’m super insightful and helpful, other days I’m a toxic nightmare. I think the one thing I miss the most about working my 9-5 was having colleagues and teams that you could brainstorm with, share ideas, get input, and generally just confirm that you’re not going crazy.
Today, while I have a team, I don’t have that “collaborator” to help me work through all the things. I’m fortunate to have some great clients that are equally as lonely and in need of brainstorm partners! We get to share what we’re dealing with and help each other work through our ideas. It's fantastic, but it's definitely few and far between…so for now, I continue to talk to myself.
OBSTACLES
I struggle with social media. Up to last year, I found every excuse in the book to avoid stories, reels, posts, DM’s…all of it. It was a huge barrier for me and the growth of my business. We all have these tic’s..for many of my clients its money; for others it’s systems and operations; or maybe you’re with me on the social media barricade. Whatever you fear; whatever area feels like a giant black hole - that’s the obstacle that you need to deal with.
For me, I had to find a way to get over my aversion to social media. I learned a system that worked for me, and am fortunate to have an awesome team member that can make it happen! I’m still a bit lost when it comes to these things but I keep pushing through.
And that’s the trick with being an entrepreneur…we’re thrown obstacles our way and we need to always be in problem solving mode.
GRATITUDE
The last thing you may not expect from being a business owner is the crazy gratitude that comes from someone agreeing to trade their hard-earned money for your services (or products!). I can still remember the excitement of getting my first client…and I have to say, I still feel that same excitement today. That’s the great thing about working with (and as) an entrepreneur - everything you do is directly impacting a family. I feel like a meme now so we’ll leave it at that, except to say - it's an awesome part of entrepreneurship.
There you have it. Being an entrepreneur is a SLOG but at least it ends in Gratitude. Don't be dissuaded though, it may not be all the sunshine, roses, and freedom 55, but I honestly wouldn’t trade it for a 9-5 anyday.