How To Beat Entrepreneur Loneliness
I have been a solopreneur for the last eight years. Although I only founded Mae B four years ago, I spent four years previously working as a commercial actor, which is a lot like entrepreneurship.
Entrepreneurship can be a very isolating experience.
While there are perks of being a full-time entrepreneur like being your own boss, bringing your big idea to reality, and devoting all of your time and energy to building your empire —there are a lot of tough moments.
There are a lot of tough parts of girl bossdom that seem to get edited from the stories we tell—like the financial commitment, the 16-hour work days, or the ups and downs that come along with putting everything on the line to build your business. I want to share a few ways I have learned to get out of my entrepreneur bubble.
Be Candid With The People In Your Life
Transparency is a necessity in my life. It's scary, but it helps take the pressure off to be the perfect version of yourself that you curate on your social media platforms. Many people believe in faking it til' you make it, that motto isn't something that works for me. Am I going to post my monthly bank statement on Facebook to show how costly it really is to run a self-funded business? No. But, what I am going to do is pick up the phone and call one of the people in life that won't judge me and tell them that I am having a hard time.
Venting is one of the things that helps keep me grounded. It's impossible to be Positive Polly all of the time no matter what career path you're on. Sometimes things just get tough, so tough you just might consider walking away. Don't. Keep pounding the pavement, but have a few people on speed dial that will listen and lift you up just when you reach your breaking point.
Get Out and About
As I said in the intro, entrepreneurship can be very lonely, especially if you spend most of your time working alone. I've spent so much time alone over the last four years, I have grown accustomed and prefer to do things on my own—so I decided I was going to change that this year. On New Years Day, I started 2017 brunching with girlfriends. On that day, in particular, I wasn't feeling too optimistic about what 2017 was going to bring. I had just found out that I didn't book a television job that would have been a game changer for me (I made it to the last round of auditions and didn't get the job) so I was in a funk. I was also burned out from filling all of the orders from Mae B's holiday season. I would have typically carried all of that on my shoulders and spent the day at home watching Netflix, but I decided to get out with two girls I absolutely adore.
We had mimosas, talked about our hopes for the new year, and went shopping at Perimeter Mall. It was just what I needed to lift my spirits. If you're like me, you're always conscious of discretionary spending because it adds up fast, and when you're a solopreneur every dollar counts. If you're a girl boss on a budget, set a monthly out and about fund that you don't edit. Once it's gone, no more out and about-ing (not a real word, I know). If you're invited to a birthday dinner or celebratory outing and can't afford the tab, don't feel ashamed. I've been there, too. What I have learned to do is talk to my friends before their special occasion.
Having that conversation can be tough because you're letting your guard down and letting your friend(s) into a real piece of your life as an entrepreneur. Your real friends will understand and make accommodations for you, don't forget that.
Pick Up a Part-time Gig or Volunteer
Picking up another job may not seem all that fun, but hear me out. I have worked part-time at a museum in Atlanta for seven years (a long ass time, I know) and it's one of the things I look forward to each week, especially getting to see my co-workers—they're like family. The great thing about having my part-time gig is that it helps me keep a few extra dollars coming in to invest back into Mae B and gets me interacting with new people. If adding another job to your agenda isn't on your immediate list of things to do—volenteering is always a great way to meet new people and invest in your community.
Whether you're a budding entrepreneur or current boss babe, I hope my list has helped! Onward and upward girls, we will succeed no matter what world of entrepreneurship throws at us! We got this!
*Article Originally Posted On Bianca Lambert
Bianca Lambert is a proud Atlanta native and founder of Mae B—a stationery brand for women of color. When she isn't busy being a #girlboss you can find her mapping out her next travel adventure.
Bianca Lambert is a proud Atlanta native soaking up the Los Angeles sun. She is the founder of Mae B: a stationery company for women of color and a digital content creator on a mission to elevate the voices of women of color everywhere.
ItGirl 100 Honors Black Women Who Create Culture & Put On For Their Cities
As they say, create the change you want to see in this world, besties. That’s why xoNecole linked up with Hyundai for the inaugural ItGirl 100 List, a celebration of 100 Genzennial women who aren’t afraid to pull up their own seats to the table. Across regions and industries, these women embody the essence of discovering self-value through purpose, honey! They're fierce, they’re ultra-creative, and we know they make their cities proud.
VIEW THE FULL ITGIRL 100 LIST HERE.
Don’t forget to also check out the ItGirl Directory, featuring 50 Black-woman-owned marketing and branding agencies, photographers and videographers, publicists, and more.
THE ITGIRL MEMO
I. An ItGirl puts on for her city and masters her self-worth through purpose.
II. An ItGirl celebrates all the things that make her unique.
III. An ItGirl empowers others to become the best versions of themselves.
IV. An ItGirl leads by example, inspiring others through her actions and integrity.
V. An ItGirl paves the way for authenticity and diversity in all aspects of life.
VI. An ItGirl uses the power of her voice to advocate for positive change in the world.
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ItGirl In Motion: Paige Shari Addison Shows Us Why She's The Hostess With The Mostess
Paige Shari Addison is the epitome of an ItGirl, which is why she is one of 100 ladies on xoNecole's inaugural ItGirl 100 list in partnership with Hyundai. Hailing from Atlanta, Georgia, Paige started her journey as a host in high school by hosting parties. Since then, she has made a career in hosting, from parties to big-name events, and she launched Strictly RNB, a platform for new artists and R&B lovers. Paige reflects on her creative path in the limited video series "ItGirl in Motion."
“My first curated event at Criminal Records was incredible. It was all for up-and-coming artists,” she says. “I needed a platform for us as a collective to be able to give ourselves the platform instead of asking for it, instead of looking for it. I was like, I want to make sure I let people get this experience that I would give as a performer but enjoy the experience with them. It was a dream come true.”
The Atlanta native also has her own line of acai bowls called Soulfull Bowls. She started it during the pandemic after events and parties shut down. But it was her love for eating acai bowls and the reactions others had to them that made her want to make it her next business move. Being open to creating new ventures in the midst of uncertainty is a bold move and one of the reasons why Paige has the “it” factor.
“Being an ItGirl means you’re just authentic. There’s an air to us. We have confidence that exudes from the way we speak, the way we put our lip gloss on, the way we walk, the way we talk. I show up as myself everytime I walk into a room. I’m hospitable, I make sure everybody’s good,” she says.
Get to know more about the hostess with the mostess in the video above.
See our ItGirl 100 list in full here. Click through the gallery below for some BTS moments of Paige and our partnership with Hyundai.
Director: Mikkoh @mikkoh
Production company: @polly___studio
Producer/AD: Samuel Cho @choboi90
Producer/Tech: Paul Nguyen @paul__winn
DP: Cristian Bernal @cristianbernal
Editor: @30inthemorning
2nd Cam: Paul Nguyen
1st AC: AJ Paug @ajpaug Gaffer: Dennis Albert @dennisalbert_
Audio Mixer: Victor Chavez @vic_the__
PA: Rick Carreno @ispeakrick
PA: Tiffany Do @tivani.doee
BTS Photo: Prime @theartofprime
Car Detail: @sud_studs @slugglobal
Creative Director @hellobosco
Team Lead @kevgumbo3000
Project Manager @zakk_jullot
Creative Producer @iamkingsheyla
Designers @miacolemxn @noelspiva
@xoNecole
Director, Integrated Marketing @_vang
Campaign Manager @kingchachiii
Talent Lead @kaylawalker
Feature image by Prime/ @theartof prime