I blabber, I like to blab about non-sense, and cake, do you like wedding cake, I love chocolate, fluffy puppies, oh look something shiny…..it’s how my brain works…so I hope this makes at least an ounce of sense!
For all of you “first generation” entrepreneurs, I think you might understand a little bit about what I’m going to say. It’s lonely sometimes! Please don’t ever misunderstand the fact that I LOOOOVE working for myself and being my own boss, but it can sure get lonely.
There’s the obvious stuff like not having any co-workers to “shoot the bull” with on a daily basis and then there’s the not-so-obvious stuff….you know, the “behind the scenes” stuff that us small business owners have to do. The stuff that isn’t seen….you know, the book keeping, answering emails, creating systems so that when things start to get crazy, we already have a plan in place. Lately, I’ve been doing a lot of that “behind the scenes” stuff that you can’t SEE on the blog, or on Facebook…..the oil that keeps the engine running-it’s what most of us do during our slower seasons. For me, I’m preparing to leave and head off to be an attendee at CreativeLIVE with the ever so talented Christa Meola for a boudoir workshop in Seattle, then come back for a few days before heading off to Vegas for a photography conference AND then off to Chicago and it’s suburbs to shoot a wedding. So as you can see I will be doing a lot of traveling with in a short amount of time and without those systems that I have set up, my business would run out of oil quickly if I didn’t have my stuff together.
So while I’ve been in my studio, working away on the business these past few days, I got to thinking. MAN, this can get lonely. I mean, here I am working “ON” the business and so excited about everything I have accomplished since my beginning days and I have no one to share my excitement with. I mean sure, there’s Greg and he totally gets it but I mean my friends and family. Because for me, I’m the only one in my family who has really ever owned a business and my friends (non-photographers) don’t have their own business so when the little accomplishments come up, I can’t just pick up the phone to call them and get excited because….they “don’t get it”. Often times when I’m telling my mom and about this and that, I can see her eyes slowly start to gloss over. I hardly ever tell my Dad or other family members when awesome stuff happens because I know they won’t “get” how exciting or understand how big of a deal it is in the business world. It’s not that they don’t care…they do, they just don’t understand our industry or the machines of a small business. I’m assuming those of you (hoping that those of you) who also own your business -whatever the business may be- understand.
Understanding or “getting it” then translates into a support system. It’s hard for someone who doesn’t understand your small business struggles/triumphs to be your cheerleader-your support system and constantly utter words of encouragement. So it boils down to you being your own self motivator, your own cheerleader, your own support system and that can get kind of lonely. So I just want to say to those of you who are struggling to get YOUR stuff together and those that feel alone…….you really aren’t alone because other small business owners like myself…we get it!
The other day, I put a comment on Facebook that was meant to be humorous…imagine that, me not being serious?! I said something along the lines of “I’m always sitting by myself at lunch……even the holiday office parties no one sits with me”….because I work for myself it was supposed to be funny. The next day, Greg came home on his lunch break and surprised me with lunch. He told me, “today you have someone to sit with”. It was incredibly sweet but even more so……he “gets” it..and that means more than anything!
Here’s the proof….via my handy dandy Iphone! The cutest part……he even lit candles and bought some flowers to brighten things up!
by jen mcken
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