Resilience + balance. <the truth about becoming an entrepreneur>

Solopreneur. Mompreneur. Entrepreneur. They all point to the same title but what does it mean for you as you contemplate this roller coaster of a journey? I can sum it up in two words: wildly exhausting. Wild and exhausting don’t always have to have a negative connotation. I was a wild 20-something which = I had a heck of a lot of fun! Traveling Europe was exhausting which = fulfilling, enriching, my brain exploded with an appreciation for a different culture.

See? Not all bad. Well, I am here to tell you that if you’re contemplating or just starting out as a entrepreneur, get ready to fasten your seat belt!

Nothing prepares you for the joy in creating a culture or seeing team members succeed. Nothing. Gaining a new client also evokes joy. It’s akin to watching your child walk for the first time. Picture a mother beaming with pride on the sidelines.

…conversely, nothing prepares you for the losses. Losses of clients or key team members. It’s like dating someone for six month only to be hit with a sudden break up. “It’s not you; it’s me,” just doesn’t pass muster. For either scenario, my obvious next thought pattern usually consists of me driving straight home, opening a bottle of wine and crawling into bed.

But alas! That doesn’t solve any problems and sleep is overrated. Save that for when you’re dead! Turn that into an internal dialogue where you tell yourself to pull up your big girl pants and quickly turn the dial to some Jay-Z…followed by blasting that shit alllll the way home.

After all, when we started our company, there was only two of us. My partner, Carolyn and I. If we can survive an ultra lean team and multiple clients, we can find our way out of any predicament and remain level headed. It’s conversations like these that have helped me shift my perspective on just about any bad day…and sometimes you just need a good night’s sleep!

So what do you do when you lose a client or a key employee? And what does this mean for you? Well, after you’ve given yourself a couple hours to mourn, you very quickly realize that you have a problem to solve and you have to take action because your clients, your work family, are of the utmost importance as are their satisfaction levels. You charge forward…on shaky feet.

What is that saying? “Fake it till ya make it?”

I’m here to tell you I’ve experienced both. It’s taught me a lot about my resilience and finding balance. And I am going to demystify one important truth for you right here. Listen up!

There is no such thing as balance when you’re an entrepreneur.

Please get used to it.

Does that have to be bad? The answer is no. Not if you love what you are doing; not if you’re passionate. What does this mean in the short term? It means:

1. You’re going to do the job of two, sometimes three people. And yes, you will be exhausted.

2. You’re going to return to your roots and rediscover what makes you passionate. You may find your creativity again or discover a process that needs to be tweaked.

3. You’re not going to sleep much. This too shall pass.

4. You’re going to meet bright individuals that want to work for your brand and might do things better than you currently are. This is the best discovery of all!

5. You’re going to learn how valuable and supportive your significant other is because it’s times like these when they demonstrate the most quiet strength…that might mean picking the kids up, working from home at a moment’s notice or preparing dinner.

6. You’re going to learn how valuable your current staff is and that you will do everything in your power to retain them. They are just as important as your clients.

7. You’re going to learn that you’re tough and it’s also going to humble you and you know what that means? You’re going to become a better person AND a better leader.

There are so many more micro lessons I could share. Some are trite such as…wow, it was so nice when I could count on someone to handle task x for me OR geez, I miss creating that fun, colorful content for client x. But, like so many posts I’ve shared- everything happens for a reason. And, I believe that reason is growth.

When I stop growing, consider me dead. So for now, I welcome the sleepless nights and those dark circles under my eyes. I am told they lead to greatness. One more ticket, please - I want to stay on this rollercoaster!