The Unsexy Truth About Entrepreneurship: It Can Be Boring And Very Lonely
No one talks about how lonely being an entrepreneur can be.
Yes, it can be really exciting and fun too… But that’s not every day.
In fact, most days are monotonous and filled with must-do tasks to make sure the business doesn’t go under.
Tasks like creating and posting content, making sure people actually know you exist, doing your finances and keeping time, networking, researching, looking for keywords and hashtags, updating your website and blog, learning about SEO, AI, and rotating trends, and a million other micro-tasks that make you want to quit altogether.
The Entrepreneur Escape Fantasy
I think most business owners have an escape fantasy.
That vision of themselves running away to the Caribbean or the mountains where they sell an obscure object like flip-flops or coconut water served in real coconuts shaped like celebrity heads.
I know for me that vision disappears really quickly if I start actually thinking through the details.
Do tourists or locals really need more flip flops?
How long will it take to learn how to carve coconuts into recognizable shapes?
And really, I’ll still have to make people know I exist and market and sell my services…
Not to mention needing a website and social media just the same 🙄
Or worse, working for someone else again…
The Overwhelmed Entrepreneur
When I snap out of this fantasy, I go back to my day-to-day tasks and remember that I actually love the services I provide when I get to be in my business instead of needing to work on the business.
I just get lonely and feel scattered sometimes.
But… Don’t we all?
Why don’t more people talk about the unsexy bits of entrepreneurship?
How easy it is to procrastinate and just sit on the couch for three hours before doing any work.
How boring it is to read or watch videos about optimizing your YouTube channel…
I don’t care how many millions of views you have on that video that went viral and which current celebrity reposted your reel.
If you’re talking about keyword optimization, picking the right font for your thumbnail, or which correct headings to use for your blog sections, I’m going to be bored (I’ll still watch it because I need to know 😅 but I’ll hate that I have to watch it to be better at business).
Entrepreneur Fun Facts
Most entrepreneurs didn’t go to business school, don’t have an MBA, and aren’t actually in business just to make money.
I wrote this because it felt true, but after some light Googling (also a huge part of regular business and entrepreneurship tasks), it turns out it’s all true.
I started my first business, my NYC-based psychology private practice, because I had spent over a decade learning how to be a great anxiety therapist and because I wanted to help people be happier.
I started my second business, Together Mindful, because I knew how life-changing mindfulness was for me and my clients and I wanted more people to experience it for themselves.
The Importance of A Values-Driven Business
My core values of impact, service, and kindness drive my decisions every day and help me keep going when I’m not motivated, feel restless and overwhelmed, and daydream about being on a beach.
Because despite all the ups and downs, I still want to help other people create a life they love.
I enjoy teaching people about mindfulness and meditation.
I’m passionate about helping other women stop overthinking and doubting themselves and trust their decisions more so they can thrive in life and business too.
The Downside of Entrepreneurship
The hardest part of entrepreneurship that no one talks about, especially when you’re a one-woman show, is having to do all these tasks and make all these micro decisions on your own.
Not having a manager, partner, or boss to ask questions when you’re not sure of the best next step.
Not having coworkers to go to happy hour with and vent about the tech issues that made you want to toss your laptop in the garbage.
Not having a built-in community of people all working towards the same goal as you, that are just as passionate about your vision and mission in life.
Who all care about the impact and the quality of service and the details enough to keep going on the rainy days, and through the PMS, and when things at home are rocky and life keeps life-ing.
When motivation is low, procrastination is high, and that memory of your last fresh-air vacation creeps in when you should be emailing your list but instead you’re scrolling through your favorites album on your phone or someone else’s social media feed….
The Pros and Cons of Communities
These are all reasons I got fed up enough to create my own community, Mindful Mavens.
When everyone else was creating memberships and group programs, I rolled my eyes and sighed.
Not because I didn’t believe in them, I totally did. I was even a part of many (and still am).
But because they felt like A LOT of work.
While I am a dreamer, I’m also a realist.
I knew that starting a community (and having it be successful and profitable) would not be as easy as all those ads make it seem (“For just $9/month get my proven blueprint/template/vault to create a million-dollar business!” Sound familiar? 😒)
What I can recognize now that I was missing then was the secret reason that motivated all these entrepreneurs.
Beyond money.
Beyond scaling.
Beyond any shoulds.
It was because they were lonely. They might not have admitted it, but being surrounded by clients who tell you how amazing you and your content are feels great.
You’re the expert. They literally pay you monthly to be around you and hear what you think.
But beyond the lure of being a cult leader, there’s satisfaction in knowing you have your people.
Your own entourage to vent to, inspire, and honestly, sometimes just ‘shoot the shit’ with.
Because that’s what you do when you spend hours a week with the same group of people.
And that’s what these communities offer. Not just the promise of success and financial freedom, but a community of familiar faces across the globe to make you feel less alone.
The reasons I think many of them no longer exist are because:
- The facilitator burnt out
- There was too much content/pressure on both the facilitator and the members
- It was too time intensive for everyone
One of my goals in both my businesses is to help people prevent and recover from burnout. I’m also great at helping others with time management (even though it’s something I can struggle with myself).
I love making things as simple and easy as possible.
Hard Work Isn’t Everything
One of the first programs I ever bought when I started my business taught me a valuable lesson: You don’t have to work hard all the time.
In fact, a lot of times you’ll get the best results when you work less, not more. As it happens, this also prevents burnout and gives you time to enjoy life more.
I keep this idea in mind in all my courses, programs, and services.
Things get to be easy. Life gets to be joyful. And work is allowed to be fun. That’s how you create a sustainable business and actually maintain the elusive work-life balance.
And none of it makes you a bad person, entrepreneur, or a failure.
A Different Kind of Community
Mindful Mavens is my answer to these questions:
- Who are my coworkers?
- Who’s passionate about their business?
- Who wants to make a positive impact in the world?
It’s also an all-access pass to everything I’ve created, to personalized coaching, consulting, and mentoring from me, and an actual community of peers who care about similar things (despite having different businesses and lives).
I show up daily. I teach you all I know as needed (e.g., psychology, mindset, abundance, emotional mastery, nervous system regulation, business, money, freedom, sovereignty, leadership, etc.). You get support with all the ups and downs of being a mindful entrepreneur, on your time.
And in return, I get my community. And of course money, which helps my own business be profitable. But I think if you made it this far in this article, you know it’s not just about the money for me.
If this resonates with you, I’d love to have you check out Mindful Mavens. And if you have questions about it, or any of my services, please feel free to reach out ❤️