The "Freedom" of Being an Entrepreneur

Because I’ve been self-employed since I was 22, I often have conversations where friends and acquaintances express that they, too, desire the freedom of being an entrepreneur. On one hand, I will always, always root for people to take charge of their careers and be entrepreneurial. I don’t regret it for a minute, and I can’t imagine working any other way. I am so incredibly thankful for the time I have to spend with family and friends when they visit, the ability to travel without “asking off”, and the biggest - the ability to raise my child on my terms, without using full-time childcare, since that’s not what I desire. But, and there’s a big but, freedom is never truly free. 

I’ve always tried to use my blog and this platform to be honest about what entrepreneurship looks like from the inside because it’s something that too many people, myself included, jump into headfirst without understanding the cost/benefit analysis. When you’re self-employed, there is no escaping the reality that, the harder you work, the more money you can make. So, when you choose to delegate, step back, raise your babies, whatever it might be, there is risk of a pay cut associated with that. If you have a stellar team that you trust, you can make up for it, but that isn’t built overnight. And more so, the level of responsibility never fades. I know so many people who want to own their own business, so that they can eventually work less. And while I do put in far fewer hours than I used to, the weight of it all is something that stays with you.

Again, I think it’s totally worth it and has far more pros than cons, but it’s always different than you anticipate. You have to go through so many growing pains, in my opinion, to be a functional and healthy entrepreneur. In our 6.5 years of marriage, that has looked like seasons of depression and seasons of constant anxiety over a lack of sales or fear around paying bills. It’s looked like constant travel, living like ships passing in the night, putting work above all else, and not being able to relax on a vacation. It has taken spiritual maturity, some heartbreak, and if we’re being truthful, failure, to propel us both to live in a reality where work doesn’t steal the show. 

We’re still not perfect at it. Right now, Ross takes Sullivan for an hour or more every morning, so that I can catch up on emails, cook breakfast, and prep for the day. I am full-time mom on the days I don’t have childcare, but I use naptime to work and make calls, and I often go into the studio as soon as Ross is done for the day. We probably have 1 or 2 weeknight evenings where we are all home together as a family, and some of those are even missed if Ross has to go to the warehouse or I have a meeting. We’re so much better at the balancing act than we used to be, but the true concept of “clocking out” is amiss. 

We love it; sometimes, we hate it. It’s worth it, but it’s hard, just like all great things. I couldn’t be more grateful that my career is what it is, but if I could go back in time, I think that understanding some of the realities could have saved me a lot of unmet expectations along the way. So, if you find yourself at a fork in the road or considering taking that leap of faith, I encourage you to do it. I also encourage you to have the conversations with your family about the reality of what that kind of work will look like and change for your family. There is no benefit to thinking entrepreneurship will make your work woes disappear. You owe it to yourself to go in with both eyes open.