Being an Entrepreneur Shouldn’t Mean Doing it Alone

Entrepreneurship can be a bit of a lonely ride. While at first you may delight in no longer having to make the commute to your workplace and being able to work from home, eventually you’ll end up feeling a little isolated. I can be a big introvert and I love being alone. I don’t know if I struggle with feeling lonely, loneliness isn’t something I tend to feel, but ISOLATION quickly became a thing. And here’s the deal. You can’t truly grow in isolation. As human beings, and especially as creative and goal oriented women, we need connection.

Connection is a big focus for me in my coaching and personal work. Connection to yourself. To your soul, your higher self, and what you really want from your life and business. As well as connection to the divine. Connection to the Universe. Connection to flow. Allowing yourself to lean on and trust that you are always guided and supported. But connection to others? It wasn’t something I spent a lot of time focusing on until more recent years. Why? Because it was something I had always lacked in my life. It was something I was honestly a little afraid of.

But here’s the thing. Connection is so incredibly necessary as an entrepreneur. For both the success of your business as well as your own wellbeing and sanity. The more years went by as a solopreneur I began to become really affected by this lack of connection. I love time alone, LOVE it, NEED it, yet it was becoming paralyzing.

Sound familiar? You’re busy busting your butt off building your business but nobody really knows or understands what’s going on behind the scenes. They don’t get how hard you’re working, how invested you are in this business and in this dream you have for your future. You may have people in your life that still think it’s a hobby, or “cute”, or that you’re just sitting home all day watching Netflix and calling it a business.

You don’t have anyone to talk to about what you’re struggling with as an entrepreneur. You don’t have anyone to talk to about your successes as an entrepreneur. Maybe you do have people that you can talk to but they don’t really “get it”. You’re needing someone to bounce ideas off of, vent frustrations to, get insight and encouragement from.

I think back to when I had no support or connection with other women entrepreneurs and I’m truly in shock I held on as long as I did. All the times I questioned myself and what I was doing. All the wins I brushed under the rug because I had no one to share them with that even considered them wins at all. It was lonely and isolating.

And let’s be real. Doing it alone makes it SO MUCH HARDER than it needs to be. And you may be sitting there listening to this thinking “I’m not doing this alone, I have a great support system”. But is it a support system that really gets it? When you share your day to day entrepreneurial “stuff”, do they get it? Do they understand? Are you getting the kind of feedback and support you truly need?

Maybe you already knew you were sick of going it alone, or maybe this has been opening your eyes a little. Let’s talk about what some of your options are.

Options for Creating Connection

Free Online Communities

There are lots of free online communities for entrepreneurs. Facebook has MANY. While some of them end up turning into giant promotion mills, others can really help build a sense of community and understanding. It’s my goal that my group Purpose Led & Prosperous Entrepreneurs continues to grow to be nurturing and inspiring place for fellow women entrepreneurs to connect.

1:1 Coaching

When fears and doubts come up you have someone to help you through them instead of spiraling down the rabbit hole of negative self talk. You have accountability and support ensuring your consistently taking action and ensuring your taking the kind of action that’s truly benefiting you and your business.

By having someone to bounce your ideas and fears off of, you’re shifting your perspectives and expanding your beliefs about what’s possible for you. You’re creating real goals and are excited to be accountable to making progress towards them. You’ll have someone who you can be completely open and real with and feel 100% seen and understood by. Whether things are going great, or you’re in a period of struggle, you have someone who always has your back and believes in your vision.

Mastermind Groups & Group Programs

You build connection with women who understand exactly what you’re going through. You start seeing that you’re not alone. Other women (sometimes women who on the outside you think have all their shit together) go through the same struggles you do. You get to see women deep in the faith gap and make it out the other side. You get to share in their wins and be inspired. Plus you get to enjoy the benefits of masterminding with other brilliant, likeminded women.

Local Community Groups

There are local groups for small business owners and entrepreneurs if you enjoy and thrive on in person networking. Or if you want to push yourself a little out of your comfort zone! Even if you have an international online business there can be incredible benefits in building in person connections with other boss women!

I’m sure there are more options than this but I just want to let you know you aren’t meant to do this alone. You don’t have to do this alone. I want you to seek out the support you need. Whatever feels best to you. I don’t want you to go through this alone. It is so much harder to grow in isolation. I is so much easier to give up and get lost in fear and frustration in isolation. You are not alone. There are so many women out there, like me, who understand and believe in your big dreams and believe in you. I believe in you!