What nobody tells you about entrepreneurship

I used to HATE the word entrepreneur.

I thought it sounded so douchey, and arrogant. Who calls themselves that?!

Of course, that’s now:

• my job title,

• target audience for my work,

• and a significant part of my identity

As well as being a community, or “tribe” if you will, that I actually feel I belong to.

When I was acting, I never “felt” like an actor, even though I grew up in a family of theatre artists.

Some of my best friends to this day are actors, but I didn’t feel like I was part of the community, because deep down, I knew it wasn’t my passion.

But despite feeling part of a community of entrepreneurs, both in Toronto and globally, it is still the loneliest job I’ve ever had.

If you’re a founder, or a business owner, you know.

The weight of your business lies on you, and you alone. Even if you have co-founders, it still feels like the only thing keeping the ship afloat is your willpower and stamina.

Your spouse doesn’t understand. How could they?

It’s so hard to talk to your friends about your challenges, unless they run their own business, because it sounds SO FUCKING BORING from the outside.

I have great friends, interested family members, a supportive wife and a therapist, and yet I STILL feel that no one understands what I go through on a daily basis.

Again:

How could they?

There is just too much to know, too much to think about, too many options for doing things differently, and no possible way to communicate all this to another human being.

And on a deep level, that creates loneliness.

Loneliness is not just about social isolation. It’s also caused by the perceived isolation of being different or misunderstood, and the effects are the same:

• alcohol and drug misuse

• poor decision making

• heart health issues

• memory impairment

• increased stress

Luckily, before I started my own business for the second time, I had undergone a hugely difficult injury and recovery, which forced me to deal with my shit.

I went to therapy, started yoga and meditation, read about positive psychology, and took my physical health more seriously.

However, I feel an insane amount of loneliness day to day as an entrepreneur, and I bet you do too.

Even if you’re not an “entrepreneur” in the traditional sense, as Naval Ravikant predicts, more and more “one-person businesses” will start to be formed as AI takes over and traditional jobs get automated.

So how can we, as “solopreneurs” or founders, deal with this sense of loneliness?

Only one way I know.

Talk about it.

Find people who get it, as in other entrepreneurs. Make an effort to spend time with them, in person if possible, virtually if not, and REVEAL YOUR STRUGGLES.

Or (AND?) pay a business coach to help you.

Half of the value of my business coach is the therapeutic effect I get from saying out loud all the fears I have:

• running out of money

• managing people

• running out of money

• finding new clients

• running out of money

• creating better processes

• running out of money

• improving my product/services

• and running out of money

This shit is HARD. Stop pretending it isn’t to seem successful.

Talking about your struggles to people who care AND get it is healing. We all know this on an emotional level, but the same is true for business problems.

And finally, if you can, share your struggles online, with whatever audience you have.

Not the deepest darkest stuff; nothing that will make potential clients or partners hit the panic button; but a struggle that is teaching you something, or you think might be shared by your listeners.

Post about it, and see what happens.

That’s what this is, and I hope it helps you! If it did, please SHARE THIS NEWSLETTER so we can grow this weird little community of Greenblasters.🚀

Love to you all