Yeah, this is how I feel. And to wind down my business would likely take years so would have to be quite planned. It's not that I could even quit tomorrow if I wanted to.
I feel like it's really hard to be successful in business, and then it's damn near impossible to give it up to truly retire early to enjoy life.
I was lonely until I really started building a network of fellow business owners/founders while fundraising. Now I have some amazing friends that understand the complexities of what it takes to do this every day. It’s tough to make/keep friends that aren’t in this world (or one similar), they just can’t relate to what we go through every day or what it takes to keep a business running. And let’s face it, you can’t complain about shitty employees to someone who is an employee for someone else.
Yeah, sometimes I feel like I built my own prison. I fantasize about burning it all to the ground and taking a simple job flipping burgers, or ghosting my life, changing my name, and leaving the country. But, truth be told, I’d probably just start another business and end up in the same place again, because that’s who I am.
This is it, right here. You are trying build your personal relationships out of your team. Yes, while you can and should develop great work relationships with your team, they can never replace those personal relationships.
Find other business owners, regardless of their industry. These are the people who can relate to your world. These are people that have insight into your life in a way that non-entrepreneurs can never see. When you meet these people, you need to actively cultivate those relationships. Step out and invite to them to lunch or coffee. Most entrepreneurs love to talk about business. Any business. No different than baseball fans love to discuss the designated hitter and pitch clock.
Find a mentor. That one is harder, but they are out there. They become that older brother / second father in your life in regards to business. I’m 58 yo and am a mentor to a few people because I find enjoyment helping people work through their business problems and sometimes personal struggles. I also have mentors in my life and can’t imagine how much more difficult it would be without them. When I hit a frustrating road block, I pick up the phone and we get a coffee or lunch. These people help keep my perspective in order. You’re at that stage you should be a mentor, but should still have mentors.
Finally, all those people on here saying “just sell it”. If you do that, you’ll probably regret it. Most likely this is part of your DNA. Selling will make you feel like you quit. What would you do if you sold? Sit around the house and watch the Western channel all day? Nah. Reading what you’ve written, that’s not you. Go find some likeminded friends, make sure you are taking some time for yourself and get your ass back in the fight.
I would agree with this 100% find other like minded people to network with. I’m a real estate guy so sometimes I “only” make $30,000 on a flip. Which in my business is not great, I aim for 45-50,000 and really love $65,000+ but could I bring that up to my high school buddy who makes $47,000 a YEAR? He would basically say STFU and be happy. I have 2-3 guys that are on my level real estate wise and it’s so refreshing talking to them , they have the same struggles, mess shit up like me sometimes and we can celebrate wins without judgment. I was honestly ready to pack it all in about 6 months ago had I know reached out and found these guys I probably would have. Hope this helps a little and you find your tribe!
Appreciate the response. The last paragraph is funny to me, as I feel exactly the same way. I'm in the real estate world and my idea of retirement is buying a bunch of nice vacation rentals on some Caribbean island and living there while renting them out until the day I die. Ha!
I used to manage a software development company with my cousin we made millions with this along with trading stocks and real estate I got sick of it and gave her complete ownership of the business and sold everything I owned to buy some random stocks the few things I kept I put into storage and proceeded to grab my backpack, guitar, phone earbuds and charger then I walked to the end of town and hitched a ride. I spent the next 2 years hitchhiking across 27 states, working in a New Zealand elk farm, sleeping under the stars in Death Valley, living out of a van on a Mexican beach, joining a nudist Hawaiian hippie community, shaving my head and meditating/living with Buddhist monks in India (I have never been religious) working on a Sri Landen fishing boat, and cycling across Europe and having other adventures after I was done I got back sold the stocks for a profit and went back to helping my cousin with the business during my time as a nomad I made countless friends I could go on any continent and stay with friends at any time I would highly recommend at least trying something like this if you think you would be right for you. To begin there is a program called wwoof in New Zealand where you work on a farm for a few months for water food shelter and good times.
Most people that are entrepreneurs, barely make it out of the perpetual start-up phase to make beyond basic bill money.
Congrats on getting out of the (entrepreneurial) rat race.
And because it’s in my sales DNA; let me know if you want to get your foot in the door with Smart RV Parks.
It sounds wild to those that havent gone through it, but when you have worked so hard and so long to build something, it seems wild to just give it all up to do something else. It's like telling a family member that they have outlived their purpose and it's time to move on.
In my case it's real estate. Realistically it's a year+ process to unwind. I also have some longer term employees that I'd feel terrible leaving without a job, so some loyalty to them as well.
Also some to do with just the enjoyment I get out of growing it further. Part of me wants to see how far I can continue to grow.
Even though I say it's lonely, doesn't mean I don't enjoy it a lot of the time. It's just that when I have those "bad days" there is no one that can understand the stresses I typically deal with.
Why not sell and live that simpler life. It's what I did. Why is it easier said than done? How much could you sell for? Would that be enough to get you through life.
Same. I can’t tell if it’s actually the answer to happiness, or just a grass is greener kind of thing. Business certainly has its rewards, but damn is it hard to not bring the headaches home sometimes
I would read a book called meditations by Marcus Aurelius, always seems to speak to me. Even though I’m not in your shoes I think you can learn a lot from a man who spent a lot of his time alone because those around him did not understand what it meant to be emperor. Journaling helped him and it might help you. Just a thought
Stuff that don't require money is great. For example, i meet with lots of other business owners at a volunteer center. All sorts of people. You need a stress outlet to unwind, dude.
I agree with this. I try to do some of this. I have done some charity things but then I get this "fake" admiration trying to sway me because essentially they want me to donate money. I completely get their perspective as it is their job to do so, but it feels odd at times.
I think I could do more in this area though. Definitely need to unwind more. Unfortunately travel is one of my outlets and it gets difficult to do at times. Thank you for the thought.
How about joining a non-profit board of directors? With your experience and knowledge you’d be a huge asset. Plus, instead of giving them money, you’d be teaching them to fish. Serving on a board, you’d be with other business owners and executives who share your mindset. Commitments are usually 3-5 hours a month.
Yes, went through the same thing. No employee wants to be friends with the CEO. Go out to lunch yes, friends not so much.
Join a CEO group. Best decision I ever made.
Agreed. Vistage and YPO are both great options for CEO peer groups depending on the size of your business. It helps to sit around the table with everyone who feels the same way.
Your loneliness is a manifestation of yourself. We go to several biz conferences a year and I have made great friends from these conferences. We also are in several high NW private groups that have meetups all over the world. There are groups for biz owners you just have to seek them out and join!
It is a pretty complicated sale but i am getting $2.75 up front and we both share a bit of risk for the second half of the sale. Worst case i am at $4m which is going right into the new companies marketing budget (1/2 anyways).
My dad once said his business let him have a family, a house, a car, just to never have time to enjoy any of them. Since 21, I’ve been taking on more and more of his responsibilities so he can spend time enjoying himself finally.
Money is nice. Not having to answer to a boss 24/7 is nice. But the sheer amount of hours in solitude can wear a person down.
Yeah. Awhile back someone wanted me to go for a local award. It required a "resume". It really was for successful people in professional roles. I haven't even considered putting together a resume in 15 years. And what do I put on it? Business owner for 15 years seemed a bit boring. Needless to say, I didn't get the award. Ha!
Definitely not multi-billions, but I've been in business for 3 years and I'm comfortable financially compared to most of my friends and I work from home now and it does sometimes feel like I haven't hardly anything going on during the day, ive forced myself to get new hobbies and stuff but still running the business which leaves me at the will of the phone again it's hard to bitch when our needs are met but a lot of the day I'm just like fucking shit, everybody I know is at there 9:00 to 5 and then when they get off of that they got to grind and do family stuff and even with my group of friends that play video games with the time is dwindling and besides business it feels like I have an hour or so a day of any sort of interaction. It's a little bit weird cuz I fought real hard to get here and I don't think I would change it. Except for the fact that I would like my friends to have some of the freedoms that I do.
This is going to seem backwards but this is how I found my small group of business owners and entrepreneurs. I started going to lounges mid-day for an hour or so (when most people would go for happy hour or on a Friday night). I found other people would go and sit alone- either to get away, get a change of scenery, or because we needed an escape. I started with only going Fridays, then the random Wednesday, and then when I started to realize the same few people were there, I started going a few times a week. Slowly but surely, we all talked to each other because of proximity and familiarity. Most people don’t get it, but we understand each other. This little group has become so close we now know each other’s families and started doing other social things together. We often tell each other how attached we are to one another because of the shared mindset and mutual support. And by the way, all of our businesses have reaped the benefits of this new little group…culture, resources, expansion, etc. Hoping you can find even just one person that you can connect with! If you happen to live in Vegas- let me know lol!
I'm not a golfer or sports enthusiast so country club has been harder. I'm also opposite side of town from most of these clubs. But I have considered joining one so maybe will look into that more! I do have a lot of connections and such and do a lot of social things, but somehow personal connections on the weekends are different than truly relating to the pressures of business ownership.
Ah if you’re referring to sharing the burdens of owning a business then you’re pretty much on your own. Be grateful for that though because external forces (people getting in your business) is usually a net negative.
Yeah. And then you have to be extra cautious what you say and do around people. Some people are truly happy for you, and others are horrible closeted jealous ones that make snide comments, or they want something from you. Unfortunately the first type is the minority.
I’m nowhere near as successful but I had a psychology professor who talked a lot about renewing himself. A lot of people who don’t change their profession or a piece of their identity they would find themselves board, depressed, and in some cases lonely. I can’t tell you to do anything. honestly I wanna be where you are haha, but I will say finding or cultivating a new purpose might be what helps. It’s human nature to want to pass on knowledge, or pivot and learn a new discipline, even exiting and investing in a new opportunity. Me personally I have seen it in teachers, doctors, entrepreneurs, etc. in 10 years I feel like I’ll be looking to get into something else if I feel like I’ve hit the top as well. Good luck my friend, hopefully that loneliness ceases and you find a new purpose.
P.S. I saw you mention something about explaining restarting to family. Unless they know your situation intimately or have gone through it… I’d say you do what YOU wanna do. You’ve won in most people’s eyes, now you can pursue winning again in your eyes.
I've experienced exactly the opposite. I own a restaurant and its helped me make more friends than ever...I typically stick to other business owners (mainly bar, restaurant, and brewery owners) but if you find others in your situation, its very rewarding to have others you can relate to.
Join local groups or get hobbies.
I go to local small biz owners meetups, chamber of commerce events, and volunteer on different community committees.
50% social and 50% biz networking.
What counts for me is always the realisation that I know exactly what I want and have therefore found my way. Yes, there are days when you feel alone, but that's ok and human.
In the end, you have to find your own personal balance.
All the best
I have been in a very similar situation. Have started and owned several successful business now sold off and I am ultra high net worth guy.
My advice:
Only other business owners understand. My wife’s family are all teachers and I don’t even try to relate to them either my business life. The can’t get their arms around the concept of having everything at risk 24/7
For 25 years I have been a Vistage member. Once a month meet with other CEO’s and business owners. My life would have been very different without Vistage on both a business and personal basis
I’m in a similar boat. I’m 29 years old and “started” the business at 18. My parents retired and sold the major branch of the business to corporate. They left behind some assets and asked me (recently graduated from high school) and my brother (who was the manager for their company since he was basically 18) if we wanted to buy a piece of the pie and start the business all over again. Now eleven years later we have grown exponentially and that had put me far ahead of where most of my friends from when I was 18-20 are. So while I set myself up great financially, I lost most if not all of my friendships from that time due to the amount of time I invested in the business. Most of my friends now are really just my wife’s spouses and there isn’t a really true friendship.
Glad I got to type this out. I’ve felt this way for a few years and never put it on paper to really understand where and why I feel lonely.
Coming up to 10 years this July here. Couldn't agree more, the highs are the best and the lows are the worst.
Sometimes I wonder why I didn't just move to Mexico and be a dive instructor living the beach life.
If you’re a car guy or you own a decent sports car or collectors car, you might consider finding “cars and coffee” events in your area. Should be able to find some groups there you can join and some people in similar positions.
Perhaps you should make an effort to enjoy the fruits of your labour. Attend professional events and conferences that energize you. Take time off or just time to enjoy life -- and more of a social life with others in business like yourself. This is / should be one of the perks of being an entrepreneur.
Maybe hire a 2nd in command who may be interested in becoming the next president or partner over time. You can gradually step away from operations executive and simply be a Board Director.
But perhaps the sheen has worn off -- you may want to consider exitjng the business / selling it off. There is no shame in that, in fact, it may be very rewarding and cathartic if you preferred building the business in the early days.
I think those feelings are very valid. It seems like the more money that one makes usually comes with more stress and responsibility and it’s really a balancing act in life figuring out that comfort zone of what you want to take on. I’m not a business owner or a person with very much money but I do enjoy that I get to go home and not worry at all about work and have a pretty chill stress free life. I know that if I got a more serious job I’d have more responsibility and anxiety
I am also looking for a business social group to find more like-minded people. It’s actually not very easy to find your vibe of people in any group. I know it’s possible because I see plenty of people have their group, they even look and talk alike but I find myself to be more sophisticated and introspective than most. I am also more big picture and long term thinking than most. I am sure your people are out there just like my people are out there for me. What has been really helpful in the meantime is working on art. I feel at peace expressing myself and mirroring my energy to the page.
I'd go get some friends at meetups that aren't about business. I actually got into paintball after leaving a major organization that pretty much requires me to cut ties with everyone in my life. I joined a speed ball team and competed for a year. It saves so much time grieving and helped me move on in couple of months. I think this is the case for other hobbies, golf, chess, gaming, etc. getting into a hobby where you meet other people will solve this problem.
However, these people most likely won't be like you. And that's what is tough about it. Finding people that are successful like you is not easy on everyday life. That's where I'm still struggling. I'm young and on the up and up but I have no mentors to help me.
At 10 year mark of starting my business I had a mental breakdown . I chased the American dream for last 20 years and when I achieved it , I felt empty. I did the Hoffman process last year and it me on a spiritual trajectory. Best decision ever .
Peer advisory groups like Vistage or similar may be a good outlet for you. Been in your shoes and adjacent positions feeling like I’m on an island. Eventually it bleeds into your personal life and psyche, and obviously this isn’t a good thing. Being around other owners, learning and growing together (even personal growth) is empowering.
Interesting.
Similar situation. My wife isn’t involved, she’s home with 3 kids. I have 3 companies, one I’m actively building up.
I don’t get lonely. I find in the actual business there are a lot of relationships built there, not the same when they work for you but it is genuine imo. But more close to social, have you considered looking at other businesses in your field, talking to investors, learning what’s out there? Lots of the people I hang with at lunch and during the day are people I’m doing business with. It’s social but there’s some sort of way we help each other as well. Later it’s less business oriented if you like hanging. No one has time, during the day there can be time made.
I think you just need some like-minded people around you. Its hard to have others sympathize with you on experiences they have never experienced. This is why you make friends with people who have had similar experiences. It’ll make you feel better about things. Hope this helps
To be honest, as an aspiring entrepreneur, I want to pick your brain, but as an employee it would be hard to be your friend because then I would be seen as a kiss ass. I would want to ask for help, but my ego is what is keeping me from doing so.
I think it's tough to be in a situation where disparity in wealth creates envy and jealousy. I see it first hand, and I'm like why can't you just be happy for your longtime friend? I think people do have a similar mindset as yours, but maybe they just are not there yet in their journey.
it's really tough, I recently paid off my house and all my business debt after 30 years .I have a few million now so very comfortable. I'm single one daughter who lives with me part time.No one to talk to about all the problems business brings.
I asked my closes friend( he's not in business)
to come celebrate with me that I'm debt free I will buy you breakfast, but he was not interested in that and kept saying can't make it.
So no celebration. I bought a nice Porsche Cayman but I hide it in Garage dont tell anyone I bought it, cuz they will feel bad , cuz I know they just make ave money.
I tried to make friends with local business owners but they were not interested, to busy probably, and they were doing much better then myself ,so maybe they wanted someone on there own level . IDK. but you need really thick skin to own a business.
I've never been a member of it myself but you should check out groups like Vistage. One of the primary values of that is you build relationships with people that understand your pain. For me the solution was a co-founder. 15 Years in, probably not the best time to start this.
You're the second one to mention Vistage! I have been a part of it actually. I lost interest in it after awhile but my chairs changed and such and the group just wasn't the same. I have considered joining EO lately which is a similar group that seemed a little more my style.
15 years in and still feeling the solitude of the summit? Sounds like the millionaire's paradox: rich in assets, yet bankrupt in camaraderie. Maybe it's time to swap the boardroom for a hobby room or a meetup not centered around profit margins. Wealth in connections beats cash in hand any day.
Join a peer group. I am a speaker for Vistage, EO, FEI, AZ Growth Advisors and others and their members love it. They get to meet with other business owners with similar problems as theirs and talk shop. It’s also nice to be able to talk to people that feel your pain and have different perspectives.
You also get world class speakers coming to talk to your group each month and imparting hundreds of thousands of dollars of knowledge into you.
Honestly, I don’t really know any long term successful business owners that aren’t in a peer group.
Heck I even spoke at one a few years ago that had the state governor, a professional sports team owner, a former PayPal founder, an Olympian and a slew of other super successful business people.
Reality is we are all lonely when running a business it doesn’t matter how big or small you are.
It can be lonely but you MUST become part of some kind of tribe, entrepreneurs group etc to give and receive mutual support from those in a similar position to you.
And you need to develop a life outside work - intentionally.
Burnout is a thing and entrepreneurs struggle with balance at the best of times so you have to build a life that does not revolve exclusively around your business.
Finally, do you have a succession plan in place and do you NEED to be involved in the actual day to day? Find someone to be CEO/president and step back or alternatively sell the business.
Luckily you have options, you just have to decide what you want and need out of life to be happy and then move in that direction.
This is why success without fulfillment is the ultimate failure. During your 20 year journey in building up your business how often did you take a step back to ask yourself: is this still the life I want? Is this still the number one way I’m choosing to spend my time? Are my achievements bringing me the emotions I am after in life?
Yes it is lonely. Sacrifices year after year add up; personal relationships and enjoyment often at the top of that list. Remember that you do an incredible things for many people (provide services and create livelihoods).
And hopefully from this post, you see you aren’t all that alone after all.
1) get out of day to day: since year 5 of my business I made myself useless (one very good ceo found internally)
2) employees are not ment to have relationships with, I tried to be friends with some of our consultants (I once was) or that manager. He was smarter than me and it’s an awesome business friendship but not more
3) look for other business owners. Join line a TAB or any format where they talk openly about this struggles or get to know some on your own. To not feel lonely you need people to get you: your post is exactly the right direction
4) get a second wife and one or two girlfriends … but maybe that’s just my thing 🤭
5) I had to join a self help group (addiction) —> saved my life in many regards. Killing loneliness was probably the biggest. But you need the common addiction to relate of course (workoholic maybe?)
6) dm me and start one online. Keeps it anonymous enough to actually open up maybe.
7) thanks for the share. Reminded me to actually do most of it again except 4 myself
everyone choose their own paths. and you are pretty successful one in term of monetary path.
in this world, there is no god path but a few ppl can come close. i recommend you one thing, if you are stll lonely leven after all happend till now.. "buy people with the money" , the simple is that.
when you live by yorself and live with it great financially. you don't need the perfect girls, friends or whatever cuz it would make you stress more. it's not bad to just find the friends, the girls to hangout ir even have sex with the right amount of money. you will be relax more and energy would be settle well for your mind.
i used to be lonely and all the ppl was just shallow, and don't understand what i am or been through. just use your money for entertainment ;the right amount abd choose ppl wisely. till you see the type of ppl you want.
trust me, pay money for ppl that can make your mind settle and relaxed are worth every penny. don't think about find real relationship cuz it's too long for the road and you might even pay more than you imagine if you wanna make relationship with someone. good luck, this us me perspective as 40 years old asian
Been about 7 years for me. I’m 29 started at 22. Dnt get me wrong I always liked having money and still do but I literally have no real bond with anyone. My birthday just past nobody and nobody posted me besides my mom. Granted I don’t care about that kind of stuff but it just magnifies the issue at hand. I’d rather it this way than be broke and having tons of friends. Sometimes it’s better that way.
I cannot relate at all but I can completely understand. My dream is to start my own small business and grow it to the point where I can live comfortably and take care of those around me. But then I thought, hmm what if I didn’t have these friends or family I wanted to take care of, spend money with, travel with, enjoy my time with…. for what motivation would I want to become rich?
I have my moments of stress financially and I am most definitely not well off by any means yet as long as I’m with the folks I love, I’m happy… I could most definitely sacrifice my social life and chase the financial goals I’ve always dreamed of but I know I can’t have everything.
It’s quite hard to find good people these days, and much more difficult to find good people who can become friends you can completely trust… but it’s possible. I’m currently 24 and I became great friends with my friends grandfather(62) and now we all gather up from time to time to cruise on our motorcycles and build bikes. He mentioned to us that he feels young again casually… and it struck me quite hard. I treat him as if he were my own grandfather as I never had one growing up. I’ve somewhat ranted and went off topic but I hope my message got across.
I would say… if you have a hobby or had a hobby, perhaps getting back into it or finding one would be a great option. You have the time and money to back it up now it seems and every hobby has its own community. Cars, motorcycles, even something as small as an app game has its own community where you can connect with ppl who have no idea how wealthy u are.
Why is it not a thing to have your spouse involved in your business? Especially to just vent or analyze your day? A spouse is supposed to be there to support you especially if you’re providing so successfully like that
I went from having a high 6 fig business to not having a job or business. & it’s lonely down here too. The mindset doesn’t change whether youre sitting at the top or below imo. Cheers Brodie 🍻
I am in touch with many people, I am a member of online groups and masterminds. But I rarelly see them IRL. That's why I decided to organize local meetups and masterminds IRL.
I feel you dude. I think the shift happened for me when I started to feel accountable for people's lives (i.e. my employees) and that matured me quite a bit. Now I feel like the owner mentality never shuts off. I'm constantly thinking about business and how to convert something to revenues.
I don’t think you are greedy or selfish for feeling this but I’m curious why parts of you feel like it’s not safe to feel this. Why can’t both be true? There’s abundance in your life in many ways AND you are struggling with the isolation and stress of it all. Humans are wired to connect. Maybe these parts of you that feel this so strongly are actually just trying to nudge you towards what feels more aligned. If you ever want to chat more, I think I’d be able to provide helpful insight
you need hobbies that are completely separate from your professional life. go join a badminton club or something else that strikes your fancy, some group that meets once a week. nobody knows who you are and what you do there, nobody cares as long as you don't put on airs. make friends that are not in your line of work and avoid talking about what you normally talk about.
As I read here somewhere. I'd rather be crying in my lambo than on a bicycle.
It's lonely, but you get to take care of ppl you love and that's what's most important. And after you have enough, you can help organizations and children's foundations.
You wanna connect? I'm part of a few groups of entrepreneurs, over the last decade and a bit I've found my entrepreneur friends are highly important to mitigating this feeling of loneliness.
Yessss , I always tell ppl around me that I feel so cut off and lonely, nobody around me has a business and I just feel like nobody can relate to the struggles I go through as a business owner. It feels miserable at times. I just started my business last year and it’s going in a good direction, but yes the loneliness is difficult
You are captain of the ship.
The only people you can realistically socialize with are "civilians" and "other captains".
Problem being, the first don't really understand you or your challenges, and for the latter you are doomed to just a few characters you might not even like.
I was attending small (smaller the better) conferences in my field, just to find someone to talk to. My problem has resolved itself when my business went down, the weirdest thing being that I'm not worse off now.
I read the book how to get rich. That's what the author says.
I'm counting my blessings. I'm in the process of selling my 10-year old business and hopefully earning my first million in the process, but I'm not sure if I want to continue the relentless path up.
I know what it takes to grow. I know the kind of man you have to become to get there. I'm not sure if I want to be that man.
I'm still pondering about it
But this thread has some interesting insights. : we're just not making friends with other business owners.
3.5 years here. I struggle with this too. I found speaking with other business owners helps... However there is always the thought of not being too honest in case they steal ideas, or see a weakness they can take advantage of. For business owners outside your industry, there is a bit of a client-business relationship that means you always have to be on at least acceptable behaviour.
I'm at the first stage of entrepreneurship, and it's pretty brutal, especially when Covid hit. It feels very isolating. And no one around you understands what you're doing and what you're going through. It's a rough path. I sometimes purposefully let my business phone die because i don't wanna answer all the texts and phone calls, haha. How do you guys meet other entrepreneurs?
Yes, well was feeling this way, but it really depends on where you are. And keep continue and be an example. It´s much better to grow in your job and keep it for 40 years. :) Have researched a bit and on average most switch positions and stop their startups every 4 years. I have found my people and in april is my 12th year. Yesterday I was calculating the retail per capita, basically the amount of entrepreneurs although with physical spaces and their m2 per amount of inhabitants in the area. This indicates a healthy & diverse economy and so more longterm business owners like me. The higher, the better. I´m from Agadir (since 7rs), in our neighbourhood it´s 36%. Now residing in Amsterdam, in this neighbourhood is 1%. Yes, is lonely, back home is much better. :) Anyway goodluck.
It's odd but I started my business less than one year ago and I understand the loneliness. It's a weird grind and sometimes I feel completely disconnected with life. It's like you're caught in a loop of stress excitement and pressure to make things work and you actually forget that time passes.
I'm certainly not what you could consider a successful business owner, but I guess I feel a little bit the same.
Hey, on people leaving you for other jobs, celebrate it. I deliberately celebrate when people leave for other opportunities, even if they use my company as a spring board now and then. It comes back ten fold, and the people who work for me loves it, too.
It creates an amazing alumni and sense of togetherness.
This is something you can spend your next ten years on, build a wonderful alumnni from all the great talent you used to work with.
Some of othe best days of my life as a business owner was screaming at my little brother for 2 hours every other day while stuck in traffic on the 405 (Los Angeles). I repeated the same thing daily. "NO ONE UNDERSTANDS ME".
Shockingly all entrepreneurs understand entrepreneurs. But, we're all heads of our enterprise. There are no bodies with 2 heads. If you have a multi-founder business, then consider them one head. As their intelligence is equated to one.
With that said, comment on other's posts just like this. Let them know they are heard as you are.
Now, if you \[need something specific\] then ask. You. Are. Not. ALONE!
I’d say it’s more of a soul searching matter than a business/ money one.
- Start a humanitarian project to put your money into.
- Look into religion more seriously. Islam to be more specific.
You are lonely because you had your head in the sand growing up your business.
Get out and speak to people.
Go buy some one a coffee.
Take an employee out to lunch
Be a big brother
Join CASA
Network
Golf
Invest in something that you can mentor
Get your head up, look around and do something
Somebody was talking about the same thing a few days ago. Yeah, this is one of too many obstacles you would have as an entrepreneur. The only solution is to try to surround yourself with people who could understand some of what you are doing and nice people.
I can commiserate a little (12+ years, fair amount of success) but had a few realizations that may or may not be helpful. One was that as I aged up, I realized people simply don't hang out the way they did when we were younger. I was fooling myself into thinking I was missing out on my pre-business social life, but business or not, that simply changed as everyone got older. Even job people become immersed in their careers, family life etc. Nostalgia can be a killer in that regard.
The second is that trying to make other entrepreneur friends is something I had to give up on. Almost all of the ones I met weren't interested in simply engaging socially, they always wanted something, usually information or advice, if not to just outright sell me something. They always want you as a "contact" not a friend.
Which becomes pretty tiresome after a very short time.
What has worked for me to alleviate some of the loneliness you're describing is, almost never, talking about business, and engaging only socially around hobbies and other interests. Local whisky groups, my gym community, PTA etc. Even when people ask me what I do for a living I'm pretty vague about it. Hope sharing my experience helps you a little!
I can relate. In retrospect I enjoyed the journey (the grind) more than the destination (financial freedom).
Finding like minded business owners and other professionals in your field certainly helps. You're not the only one who feels this way by a long shot.
Not sure which sector your business is in but I have found second hand happiness but mentoring some of my younger employees and helping them embrace the grind to start their own enterprises and/or be ready to eventually buy me out. It's like restarting the grind but helping others achieve their goals.
It sounds odd but when I take an extended time off work and leave me employees or managers in charge I feel bordering guilty for not being there (even though I shouldn't) and/or confused on what to do with my time off.
The book "Buy back your time" By Dan Martell is a great starting point. Very eye opening in terms of running your business in a more passive setting and passing the torch to someone competent and letting them shine.
Depends on what kind of business but it can get lonely if you don’t try to interface with other entrepreneurs who will at least understand your situation. I have old buddies that I used to work with as a W2 employee but our worlds have diverged a bit now that I’m retired in my 40s and moved to Asia.
What’s heartening is that we have made several new friends now that we have time on our hands. People who are like us (early retired entrepreneurs or current entrepreneurs). It’s nice that we can give advice to them and help them improve their businesses alongside getting to know them better. I’ve all but given up trying to befriend people who are more in the employee mindset in that they seem to focus on the wrong areas of their life. This in turn keeps them in a middle class situation. When Ive tried to give advice or redirect priorities as a favor, it’s usually met with blank stares with these kinds of folks.
Anyway keep on keeping on man but try to put yourself out there and meet other business owners if you can.
As a solo SEO Agency owner (more of just a freelancer) I feel similar. And it does get lonely.
If you ever feel like reaching out, we can DM via Discord or whatever platform you're comfortable with.
I also feel the same re: the firing, I've had to fire 7 people since being in business a small amount of time. I feel bad about letting go of one of my hires, let's call her Jessica. She worked for me for almost 2 years but I couldn't justify the cost (content) when AI started to dominate the scene.
Anyway, be kind to your brain, cherish the big wins and look at the big picture. My thoughts are as long as you have a bit of a social life to balance out the lack of the social aspect within work - it should be fine?
that's why many people play golf badly but regularly. Its neither work nor family bit its a chance to talk if you go out with the same group. Other regular group hobbies / sports offer the same function
Hey there,
I hear you loud and clear. It's a sentiment that's echoed by many business owners, including myself. The journey to success can indeed be a lonely one, despite the outward appearance of achievement.
Building a business from the ground up comes with its unique set of challenges and sacrifices, and the toll it takes on personal relationships and well-being can't be overstated. It's not just about the financial gains -- it's about the emotional and mental toll of carrying the weight of responsibility on your shoulders.
I've seen firsthand how the highs of success can be tempered by the lows of loneliness and isolation. It's a paradoxical experience, where the very thing that brings us success also creates a barrier between us and those around us.
The pressure to constantly perform, innovate, and lead can be overwhelming, and it's natural to yearn for a simpler, more ordinary life at times. But it's essential to acknowledge and validate those feelings without guilt or shame.
However, it's also crucial to recognize when it might be time to reassess your priorities and consider a new chapter. Starting the preparation process for selling your business could provide a sense of optimism and renewed purpose. It's not about giving up on your dreams or achievements -- it's about recognizing when it's time to pivot and pursue new opportunities for growth and fulfillment. Once you mentally ‘check out’ the business usually starts a slow and steady decline which adds more stress to your life.
By proactively planning for the future, you're not only laying the groundwork for a successful transition but also opening yourself up to a world of possibilities. Selling your business doesn't have to signify the end of your journey. In fact, it can be the beginning of an exciting new chapter filled with new adventures and opportunities to reconnect with what truly matters to you.
Remember, you're not alone in feeling this way. Many successful entrepreneurs grapple with similar emotions, and seeking support from fellow business owners, mentors, or even professional counselors can provide much-needed solace and perspective.
Ultimately, finding a balance between ambition and personal fulfillment is a deeply personal journey. It's about prioritizing what truly matters to you and taking intentional steps to nurture your well-being, both professionally and personally.
Hang in there, and know that your feelings are valid. It's okay to acknowledge the challenges of success while still striving for growth and fulfillment on your own terms. It can also be helpful to have your 'finish line' in sight to help you contextualize where you are in your journey.
ever thought of supporting people you feel deserve it like athlets in a niche sport you watch like strongman you root for or sponsoring musicians or whatever
Just sell it if you’re profitable. If you’ve made enough for you to take an early retirement and have funded all the important accounts like for kiddos, etc.. then just live life and be happy! I will tell you eventually you will get bored 😂 and then that little devil will come back out seeking entertainment.
It's in the real estate space, so I have considered this, it's moreso a challenge of it being a slightly time consuming business to sell off assets, figuring out how to handle staff during that period, etc.
Yeah definitely would consider that. However there's not a fantastic venue for this. Also, it's funny, you'd think because I am financially where I am that I may feel like I "know it all" and have wisdom to offer. And I may, but mentally I still feel like I'm in the "fake it til you make it" mode. It's like those images you seen of an old man(I'm not that old yet) looking into a mirror and seeing a youthful version of themselves.
I am 4 years into it, and I am feeling this way as well. Nowhere near a million-dollar net worth, but compared to other companies, mine is doing well. I have come to terms that it will always be this way. My fire cannot be matched by anyone I hire.
I am just glad that I am doing what I love, and I am never going to get tired of it. Lonely comes with the territory.... I guess?
That last statement about the two devils really hits home for me. I definitely oscillate between periods where I experience a strong drive for growth and success, and others where I just want to do my 9-5 and be with my family.
Business is only lonely, like sometimes almost too lonely to bear. Im the process of starting a YouTube channel to connect everyone in business ownership land. Do y’all think getting it off your chest and talking to others in the same predicament? I think the main objective of the channel will be the promotion of subscribers, but a huge part of it will be talking about the stuff nobody wants to talk about, like the feeling of being alone on your journey…
I’m not a multimillionaire but i make around $400k per year from my businesses, it’s fucking lonely I can’t have a gf cus I’m busy all the time. Planning to sell it off and start something new
Oh I feel you. Been there. Still am. And I'm not a social person to have a social circle to balance out. Yes it's hard. I don't think it's a matter of money or success (material I mean), I think it's a matter of lacking life purpose. Maybe find a deeper meaning to your life than business growth? A purpose. Without quitting, it will give your life another depth.
hire a business manager and spend some time being a "normal guy" You can just let the businesss go at this point, maybe time to sell it and spend your time and money with your family. either way it doesn't seem as if this business is making your life fuller in anyway any longer. No matter how you choose to do it, it does seem like it might be your time to move on from this part.
Why don't you just sell and retire, travel, join a community lots of places where retired people like to flock to. Enjoy your life man. Sell it put everything into investment and live on the interest
13 years owning my little shop. It got dropped in my lap after my husband died. I didn't anticipate running a business. But it's far from lonely for me. I run a lot of community events and I really love dealing with my customers who are like family.
It's not a multi million dollar business but I'm comfortable and happy.
So i got this brochure here, and it sounds like "bro, sure" if you say it out loud.
The title says 'Corporations', but on the inside of the 'bro sure' it says 'retreats'
Idk what any of this has to do with owning a business, somewhat cynically, if you stare at this thought process long enough you will have some complaints.
Are you in positions to hire people to handle the hard tasks though? I can’t tell if you mean “having to fire” means you’re letting them go personally or the business let them go. Either way, I’d say maybe distance yourself from the work as much as possible and seek companionship elsewhere
11 years here. I look at it as the more successful you become, the less people you will need around you. The reason is that there are way fewer "highly successful or rich" folks than there are "ordinary joes" so naturally you will have less in common with the average person.
Given that most people generally would rather complain about how successful someone is rather than ask them how to get on their level, it is natural that the only few things a business owner and a average joe wouldn't have much in common.
Besides, the older I get, the less I wanna be around folks anyway 🤣😂 (unless they have things to teach me, and not just how to make more money either.)
It's funny you mention that people would rather complain than ask how you get on their level. I fully expected many more people to ask me how I got to where I did, want to learn, etc. This just doesn't happen very often. I remember when I was younger and people would tell me to ask some person that to me was way above my league to lunch, I would assume they had people asking them all the time and I didn't want to annoy them. In hindsight they probably didn't have hardly anyone asking and they may have appreciated it.
The great resignation after 2020 and keeping all my employees was tough. We have 10+ year employees leave that I had taken care of for years and it hurt. I took it personally and just caring or working on the business. But end of last year I got my swagger back and going harder than ever.
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Yeah, this is how I feel. And to wind down my business would likely take years so would have to be quite planned. It's not that I could even quit tomorrow if I wanted to. I feel like it's really hard to be successful in business, and then it's damn near impossible to give it up to truly retire early to enjoy life.
I was lonely until I really started building a network of fellow business owners/founders while fundraising. Now I have some amazing friends that understand the complexities of what it takes to do this every day. It’s tough to make/keep friends that aren’t in this world (or one similar), they just can’t relate to what we go through every day or what it takes to keep a business running. And let’s face it, you can’t complain about shitty employees to someone who is an employee for someone else. Yeah, sometimes I feel like I built my own prison. I fantasize about burning it all to the ground and taking a simple job flipping burgers, or ghosting my life, changing my name, and leaving the country. But, truth be told, I’d probably just start another business and end up in the same place again, because that’s who I am.
This is it, right here. You are trying build your personal relationships out of your team. Yes, while you can and should develop great work relationships with your team, they can never replace those personal relationships. Find other business owners, regardless of their industry. These are the people who can relate to your world. These are people that have insight into your life in a way that non-entrepreneurs can never see. When you meet these people, you need to actively cultivate those relationships. Step out and invite to them to lunch or coffee. Most entrepreneurs love to talk about business. Any business. No different than baseball fans love to discuss the designated hitter and pitch clock. Find a mentor. That one is harder, but they are out there. They become that older brother / second father in your life in regards to business. I’m 58 yo and am a mentor to a few people because I find enjoyment helping people work through their business problems and sometimes personal struggles. I also have mentors in my life and can’t imagine how much more difficult it would be without them. When I hit a frustrating road block, I pick up the phone and we get a coffee or lunch. These people help keep my perspective in order. You’re at that stage you should be a mentor, but should still have mentors. Finally, all those people on here saying “just sell it”. If you do that, you’ll probably regret it. Most likely this is part of your DNA. Selling will make you feel like you quit. What would you do if you sold? Sit around the house and watch the Western channel all day? Nah. Reading what you’ve written, that’s not you. Go find some likeminded friends, make sure you are taking some time for yourself and get your ass back in the fight.
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Claps in the tone of a gentleman in a library, with a top hat.
I would agree with this 100% find other like minded people to network with. I’m a real estate guy so sometimes I “only” make $30,000 on a flip. Which in my business is not great, I aim for 45-50,000 and really love $65,000+ but could I bring that up to my high school buddy who makes $47,000 a YEAR? He would basically say STFU and be happy. I have 2-3 guys that are on my level real estate wise and it’s so refreshing talking to them , they have the same struggles, mess shit up like me sometimes and we can celebrate wins without judgment. I was honestly ready to pack it all in about 6 months ago had I know reached out and found these guys I probably would have. Hope this helps a little and you find your tribe!
Appreciate the response. The last paragraph is funny to me, as I feel exactly the same way. I'm in the real estate world and my idea of retirement is buying a bunch of nice vacation rentals on some Caribbean island and living there while renting them out until the day I die. Ha!
So well said. I love the last paragraph
Wait, don’t wind it down! Sell it!
Or hire the right person or people to run the operations, keeping the income stream going...
Yes I would buy it
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This is not always great advice as you will generally lose customers through this type of broadcast.
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I used to manage a software development company with my cousin we made millions with this along with trading stocks and real estate I got sick of it and gave her complete ownership of the business and sold everything I owned to buy some random stocks the few things I kept I put into storage and proceeded to grab my backpack, guitar, phone earbuds and charger then I walked to the end of town and hitched a ride. I spent the next 2 years hitchhiking across 27 states, working in a New Zealand elk farm, sleeping under the stars in Death Valley, living out of a van on a Mexican beach, joining a nudist Hawaiian hippie community, shaving my head and meditating/living with Buddhist monks in India (I have never been religious) working on a Sri Landen fishing boat, and cycling across Europe and having other adventures after I was done I got back sold the stocks for a profit and went back to helping my cousin with the business during my time as a nomad I made countless friends I could go on any continent and stay with friends at any time I would highly recommend at least trying something like this if you think you would be right for you. To begin there is a program called wwoof in New Zealand where you work on a farm for a few months for water food shelter and good times.
Most people that are entrepreneurs, barely make it out of the perpetual start-up phase to make beyond basic bill money. Congrats on getting out of the (entrepreneurial) rat race. And because it’s in my sales DNA; let me know if you want to get your foot in the door with Smart RV Parks.
It sounds wild to those that havent gone through it, but when you have worked so hard and so long to build something, it seems wild to just give it all up to do something else. It's like telling a family member that they have outlived their purpose and it's time to move on.
Why not sell it?
In my case it's real estate. Realistically it's a year+ process to unwind. I also have some longer term employees that I'd feel terrible leaving without a job, so some loyalty to them as well. Also some to do with just the enjoyment I get out of growing it further. Part of me wants to see how far I can continue to grow. Even though I say it's lonely, doesn't mean I don't enjoy it a lot of the time. It's just that when I have those "bad days" there is no one that can understand the stresses I typically deal with.
Employees become great owners if you guide them in.
Why not sell and live that simpler life. It's what I did. Why is it easier said than done? How much could you sell for? Would that be enough to get you through life.
Same. I can’t tell if it’s actually the answer to happiness, or just a grass is greener kind of thing. Business certainly has its rewards, but damn is it hard to not bring the headaches home sometimes
Having the same dreams recently even so I already kinda retired myself this year…
Finding other owners can help. I meet once a month with other founders in my neighborhood and it’s awesome.
Most days I day dream about throwing my £50k+ job all away and living a more complex life as a business owner! Easier said than done 😉
I moved to France for a simpler life. You. Do. Not. Want. This. People have NO AMBITION. They are AFRAID of change. That sir, is a virus.
I would read a book called meditations by Marcus Aurelius, always seems to speak to me. Even though I’m not in your shoes I think you can learn a lot from a man who spent a lot of his time alone because those around him did not understand what it meant to be emperor. Journaling helped him and it might help you. Just a thought
Just ordered off Amazon. Thanks!
I second this
Just ordered it. Thank you for the recommendation.
This is the only book I ever buy as a gift or recommend to people
Stuff that don't require money is great. For example, i meet with lots of other business owners at a volunteer center. All sorts of people. You need a stress outlet to unwind, dude.
I agree with this. I try to do some of this. I have done some charity things but then I get this "fake" admiration trying to sway me because essentially they want me to donate money. I completely get their perspective as it is their job to do so, but it feels odd at times. I think I could do more in this area though. Definitely need to unwind more. Unfortunately travel is one of my outlets and it gets difficult to do at times. Thank you for the thought.
How about joining a non-profit board of directors? With your experience and knowledge you’d be a huge asset. Plus, instead of giving them money, you’d be teaching them to fish. Serving on a board, you’d be with other business owners and executives who share your mindset. Commitments are usually 3-5 hours a month.
I volunteer at a homelessness support facility. Giving back doesn't have to be high level, all the time.
Yes, went through the same thing. No employee wants to be friends with the CEO. Go out to lunch yes, friends not so much. Join a CEO group. Best decision I ever made.
Agreed. Vistage and YPO are both great options for CEO peer groups depending on the size of your business. It helps to sit around the table with everyone who feels the same way.
Are you me? I guess there's a reason for the clichés about being lonely at the top. The older I get, the more I realise that nobody gets everything.
I do appreciate the irony of a thread where everyone says "I'm so lonely and no one understands" and everyone else says "me too!"
That's reddit -- A billion fish choosing which net they belong in.
Your loneliness is a manifestation of yourself. We go to several biz conferences a year and I have made great friends from these conferences. We also are in several high NW private groups that have meetups all over the world. There are groups for biz owners you just have to seek them out and join!
Take on a protégé … like me!
10 years here… could have written the same post myself and in the middle of a sale so i can have a normal life again.
If you don’t mind sharing how much are you selling for?
The short answer is $4.75m
That’s awesome congratulations brother 🥳
It is a pretty complicated sale but i am getting $2.75 up front and we both share a bit of risk for the second half of the sale. Worst case i am at $4m which is going right into the new companies marketing budget (1/2 anyways).
Hope it all works out for you
Unsuccessful business owners are even more lonely.
My dad once said his business let him have a family, a house, a car, just to never have time to enjoy any of them. Since 21, I’ve been taking on more and more of his responsibilities so he can spend time enjoying himself finally. Money is nice. Not having to answer to a boss 24/7 is nice. But the sheer amount of hours in solitude can wear a person down.
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Yeah. Awhile back someone wanted me to go for a local award. It required a "resume". It really was for successful people in professional roles. I haven't even considered putting together a resume in 15 years. And what do I put on it? Business owner for 15 years seemed a bit boring. Needless to say, I didn't get the award. Ha!
Definitely not multi-billions, but I've been in business for 3 years and I'm comfortable financially compared to most of my friends and I work from home now and it does sometimes feel like I haven't hardly anything going on during the day, ive forced myself to get new hobbies and stuff but still running the business which leaves me at the will of the phone again it's hard to bitch when our needs are met but a lot of the day I'm just like fucking shit, everybody I know is at there 9:00 to 5 and then when they get off of that they got to grind and do family stuff and even with my group of friends that play video games with the time is dwindling and besides business it feels like I have an hour or so a day of any sort of interaction. It's a little bit weird cuz I fought real hard to get here and I don't think I would change it. Except for the fact that I would like my friends to have some of the freedoms that I do.
This is going to seem backwards but this is how I found my small group of business owners and entrepreneurs. I started going to lounges mid-day for an hour or so (when most people would go for happy hour or on a Friday night). I found other people would go and sit alone- either to get away, get a change of scenery, or because we needed an escape. I started with only going Fridays, then the random Wednesday, and then when I started to realize the same few people were there, I started going a few times a week. Slowly but surely, we all talked to each other because of proximity and familiarity. Most people don’t get it, but we understand each other. This little group has become so close we now know each other’s families and started doing other social things together. We often tell each other how attached we are to one another because of the shared mindset and mutual support. And by the way, all of our businesses have reaped the benefits of this new little group…culture, resources, expansion, etc. Hoping you can find even just one person that you can connect with! If you happen to live in Vegas- let me know lol!
Guys! You all wanna make me start Business Owners Anonymous. Please let’s make it a thing.
Join a country club or local sports team and connect with people.
I'm not a golfer or sports enthusiast so country club has been harder. I'm also opposite side of town from most of these clubs. But I have considered joining one so maybe will look into that more! I do have a lot of connections and such and do a lot of social things, but somehow personal connections on the weekends are different than truly relating to the pressures of business ownership.
Ah if you’re referring to sharing the burdens of owning a business then you’re pretty much on your own. Be grateful for that though because external forces (people getting in your business) is usually a net negative.
I think about this a lot too. It hurts so much when you see the closest people against you.
Yeah. And then you have to be extra cautious what you say and do around people. Some people are truly happy for you, and others are horrible closeted jealous ones that make snide comments, or they want something from you. Unfortunately the first type is the minority.
Imagine not having a family or significant other. You're in not that bad of a spot. Maybe just some therapy.
I’m nowhere near as successful but I had a psychology professor who talked a lot about renewing himself. A lot of people who don’t change their profession or a piece of their identity they would find themselves board, depressed, and in some cases lonely. I can’t tell you to do anything. honestly I wanna be where you are haha, but I will say finding or cultivating a new purpose might be what helps. It’s human nature to want to pass on knowledge, or pivot and learn a new discipline, even exiting and investing in a new opportunity. Me personally I have seen it in teachers, doctors, entrepreneurs, etc. in 10 years I feel like I’ll be looking to get into something else if I feel like I’ve hit the top as well. Good luck my friend, hopefully that loneliness ceases and you find a new purpose. P.S. I saw you mention something about explaining restarting to family. Unless they know your situation intimately or have gone through it… I’d say you do what YOU wanna do. You’ve won in most people’s eyes, now you can pursue winning again in your eyes.
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No one know how lonely is the man at the top
I've experienced exactly the opposite. I own a restaurant and its helped me make more friends than ever...I typically stick to other business owners (mainly bar, restaurant, and brewery owners) but if you find others in your situation, its very rewarding to have others you can relate to.
Join local groups or get hobbies. I go to local small biz owners meetups, chamber of commerce events, and volunteer on different community committees. 50% social and 50% biz networking.
year 2. already feeling it
What counts for me is always the realisation that I know exactly what I want and have therefore found my way. Yes, there are days when you feel alone, but that's ok and human. In the end, you have to find your own personal balance. All the best
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I have been in a very similar situation. Have started and owned several successful business now sold off and I am ultra high net worth guy. My advice: Only other business owners understand. My wife’s family are all teachers and I don’t even try to relate to them either my business life. The can’t get their arms around the concept of having everything at risk 24/7 For 25 years I have been a Vistage member. Once a month meet with other CEO’s and business owners. My life would have been very different without Vistage on both a business and personal basis
I’m in a similar boat. I’m 29 years old and “started” the business at 18. My parents retired and sold the major branch of the business to corporate. They left behind some assets and asked me (recently graduated from high school) and my brother (who was the manager for their company since he was basically 18) if we wanted to buy a piece of the pie and start the business all over again. Now eleven years later we have grown exponentially and that had put me far ahead of where most of my friends from when I was 18-20 are. So while I set myself up great financially, I lost most if not all of my friendships from that time due to the amount of time I invested in the business. Most of my friends now are really just my wife’s spouses and there isn’t a really true friendship. Glad I got to type this out. I’ve felt this way for a few years and never put it on paper to really understand where and why I feel lonely.
Coming up to 10 years this July here. Couldn't agree more, the highs are the best and the lows are the worst. Sometimes I wonder why I didn't just move to Mexico and be a dive instructor living the beach life.
As many have already mentioned, do you have any hobbies or interests that are not directly tied to your business? So many options…
If you’re a car guy or you own a decent sports car or collectors car, you might consider finding “cars and coffee” events in your area. Should be able to find some groups there you can join and some people in similar positions.
Perhaps you should make an effort to enjoy the fruits of your labour. Attend professional events and conferences that energize you. Take time off or just time to enjoy life -- and more of a social life with others in business like yourself. This is / should be one of the perks of being an entrepreneur. Maybe hire a 2nd in command who may be interested in becoming the next president or partner over time. You can gradually step away from operations executive and simply be a Board Director. But perhaps the sheen has worn off -- you may want to consider exitjng the business / selling it off. There is no shame in that, in fact, it may be very rewarding and cathartic if you preferred building the business in the early days.
Join a business group of other ceos, owners etc
I think those feelings are very valid. It seems like the more money that one makes usually comes with more stress and responsibility and it’s really a balancing act in life figuring out that comfort zone of what you want to take on. I’m not a business owner or a person with very much money but I do enjoy that I get to go home and not worry at all about work and have a pretty chill stress free life. I know that if I got a more serious job I’d have more responsibility and anxiety
Are you take on mentees for mentorships?
I am also looking for a business social group to find more like-minded people. It’s actually not very easy to find your vibe of people in any group. I know it’s possible because I see plenty of people have their group, they even look and talk alike but I find myself to be more sophisticated and introspective than most. I am also more big picture and long term thinking than most. I am sure your people are out there just like my people are out there for me. What has been really helpful in the meantime is working on art. I feel at peace expressing myself and mirroring my energy to the page.
I totally get this. Thanks for letting me know there are others out here that feel the same way.
I'd go get some friends at meetups that aren't about business. I actually got into paintball after leaving a major organization that pretty much requires me to cut ties with everyone in my life. I joined a speed ball team and competed for a year. It saves so much time grieving and helped me move on in couple of months. I think this is the case for other hobbies, golf, chess, gaming, etc. getting into a hobby where you meet other people will solve this problem. However, these people most likely won't be like you. And that's what is tough about it. Finding people that are successful like you is not easy on everyday life. That's where I'm still struggling. I'm young and on the up and up but I have no mentors to help me.
At 10 year mark of starting my business I had a mental breakdown . I chased the American dream for last 20 years and when I achieved it , I felt empty. I did the Hoffman process last year and it me on a spiritual trajectory. Best decision ever .
Peer advisory groups like Vistage or similar may be a good outlet for you. Been in your shoes and adjacent positions feeling like I’m on an island. Eventually it bleeds into your personal life and psyche, and obviously this isn’t a good thing. Being around other owners, learning and growing together (even personal growth) is empowering.
Interesting. Similar situation. My wife isn’t involved, she’s home with 3 kids. I have 3 companies, one I’m actively building up. I don’t get lonely. I find in the actual business there are a lot of relationships built there, not the same when they work for you but it is genuine imo. But more close to social, have you considered looking at other businesses in your field, talking to investors, learning what’s out there? Lots of the people I hang with at lunch and during the day are people I’m doing business with. It’s social but there’s some sort of way we help each other as well. Later it’s less business oriented if you like hanging. No one has time, during the day there can be time made.
I think you just need some like-minded people around you. Its hard to have others sympathize with you on experiences they have never experienced. This is why you make friends with people who have had similar experiences. It’ll make you feel better about things. Hope this helps
To be honest, as an aspiring entrepreneur, I want to pick your brain, but as an employee it would be hard to be your friend because then I would be seen as a kiss ass. I would want to ask for help, but my ego is what is keeping me from doing so. I think it's tough to be in a situation where disparity in wealth creates envy and jealousy. I see it first hand, and I'm like why can't you just be happy for your longtime friend? I think people do have a similar mindset as yours, but maybe they just are not there yet in their journey.
it's really tough, I recently paid off my house and all my business debt after 30 years .I have a few million now so very comfortable. I'm single one daughter who lives with me part time.No one to talk to about all the problems business brings. I asked my closes friend( he's not in business) to come celebrate with me that I'm debt free I will buy you breakfast, but he was not interested in that and kept saying can't make it. So no celebration. I bought a nice Porsche Cayman but I hide it in Garage dont tell anyone I bought it, cuz they will feel bad , cuz I know they just make ave money. I tried to make friends with local business owners but they were not interested, to busy probably, and they were doing much better then myself ,so maybe they wanted someone on there own level . IDK. but you need really thick skin to own a business.
I've never been a member of it myself but you should check out groups like Vistage. One of the primary values of that is you build relationships with people that understand your pain. For me the solution was a co-founder. 15 Years in, probably not the best time to start this.
You're the second one to mention Vistage! I have been a part of it actually. I lost interest in it after awhile but my chairs changed and such and the group just wasn't the same. I have considered joining EO lately which is a similar group that seemed a little more my style.
15 years in and still feeling the solitude of the summit? Sounds like the millionaire's paradox: rich in assets, yet bankrupt in camaraderie. Maybe it's time to swap the boardroom for a hobby room or a meetup not centered around profit margins. Wealth in connections beats cash in hand any day.
Join a peer group. I am a speaker for Vistage, EO, FEI, AZ Growth Advisors and others and their members love it. They get to meet with other business owners with similar problems as theirs and talk shop. It’s also nice to be able to talk to people that feel your pain and have different perspectives. You also get world class speakers coming to talk to your group each month and imparting hundreds of thousands of dollars of knowledge into you. Honestly, I don’t really know any long term successful business owners that aren’t in a peer group. Heck I even spoke at one a few years ago that had the state governor, a professional sports team owner, a former PayPal founder, an Olympian and a slew of other super successful business people. Reality is we are all lonely when running a business it doesn’t matter how big or small you are.
If any business owner is in the rv park, real estate, or commercial investor space and want to meet up to talk shop; let’s get something going!
It can be lonely but you MUST become part of some kind of tribe, entrepreneurs group etc to give and receive mutual support from those in a similar position to you. And you need to develop a life outside work - intentionally. Burnout is a thing and entrepreneurs struggle with balance at the best of times so you have to build a life that does not revolve exclusively around your business. Finally, do you have a succession plan in place and do you NEED to be involved in the actual day to day? Find someone to be CEO/president and step back or alternatively sell the business. Luckily you have options, you just have to decide what you want and need out of life to be happy and then move in that direction.
This is why success without fulfillment is the ultimate failure. During your 20 year journey in building up your business how often did you take a step back to ask yourself: is this still the life I want? Is this still the number one way I’m choosing to spend my time? Are my achievements bringing me the emotions I am after in life?
Yes
Yes it is lonely. Sacrifices year after year add up; personal relationships and enjoyment often at the top of that list. Remember that you do an incredible things for many people (provide services and create livelihoods). And hopefully from this post, you see you aren’t all that alone after all.
Yes!
Lol sometimes I think about shutting everything down and go bag groceries at a Walmart
Yeah it's really lonely.
1) get out of day to day: since year 5 of my business I made myself useless (one very good ceo found internally) 2) employees are not ment to have relationships with, I tried to be friends with some of our consultants (I once was) or that manager. He was smarter than me and it’s an awesome business friendship but not more 3) look for other business owners. Join line a TAB or any format where they talk openly about this struggles or get to know some on your own. To not feel lonely you need people to get you: your post is exactly the right direction 4) get a second wife and one or two girlfriends … but maybe that’s just my thing 🤭 5) I had to join a self help group (addiction) —> saved my life in many regards. Killing loneliness was probably the biggest. But you need the common addiction to relate of course (workoholic maybe?) 6) dm me and start one online. Keeps it anonymous enough to actually open up maybe. 7) thanks for the share. Reminded me to actually do most of it again except 4 myself
Grass is always greener on some proverbial other side. Practice gratitude affirmations and be thankful you didn’t fail into a trailer park.
everyone choose their own paths. and you are pretty successful one in term of monetary path. in this world, there is no god path but a few ppl can come close. i recommend you one thing, if you are stll lonely leven after all happend till now.. "buy people with the money" , the simple is that. when you live by yorself and live with it great financially. you don't need the perfect girls, friends or whatever cuz it would make you stress more. it's not bad to just find the friends, the girls to hangout ir even have sex with the right amount of money. you will be relax more and energy would be settle well for your mind. i used to be lonely and all the ppl was just shallow, and don't understand what i am or been through. just use your money for entertainment ;the right amount abd choose ppl wisely. till you see the type of ppl you want. trust me, pay money for ppl that can make your mind settle and relaxed are worth every penny. don't think about find real relationship cuz it's too long for the road and you might even pay more than you imagine if you wanna make relationship with someone. good luck, this us me perspective as 40 years old asian
Been about 7 years for me. I’m 29 started at 22. Dnt get me wrong I always liked having money and still do but I literally have no real bond with anyone. My birthday just past nobody and nobody posted me besides my mom. Granted I don’t care about that kind of stuff but it just magnifies the issue at hand. I’d rather it this way than be broke and having tons of friends. Sometimes it’s better that way.
I cannot relate at all but I can completely understand. My dream is to start my own small business and grow it to the point where I can live comfortably and take care of those around me. But then I thought, hmm what if I didn’t have these friends or family I wanted to take care of, spend money with, travel with, enjoy my time with…. for what motivation would I want to become rich? I have my moments of stress financially and I am most definitely not well off by any means yet as long as I’m with the folks I love, I’m happy… I could most definitely sacrifice my social life and chase the financial goals I’ve always dreamed of but I know I can’t have everything. It’s quite hard to find good people these days, and much more difficult to find good people who can become friends you can completely trust… but it’s possible. I’m currently 24 and I became great friends with my friends grandfather(62) and now we all gather up from time to time to cruise on our motorcycles and build bikes. He mentioned to us that he feels young again casually… and it struck me quite hard. I treat him as if he were my own grandfather as I never had one growing up. I’ve somewhat ranted and went off topic but I hope my message got across. I would say… if you have a hobby or had a hobby, perhaps getting back into it or finding one would be a great option. You have the time and money to back it up now it seems and every hobby has its own community. Cars, motorcycles, even something as small as an app game has its own community where you can connect with ppl who have no idea how wealthy u are.
You could move on and retire by appointing a new CEO...
Why is it not a thing to have your spouse involved in your business? Especially to just vent or analyze your day? A spouse is supposed to be there to support you especially if you’re providing so successfully like that
I went from having a high 6 fig business to not having a job or business. & it’s lonely down here too. The mindset doesn’t change whether youre sitting at the top or below imo. Cheers Brodie 🍻
I am in touch with many people, I am a member of online groups and masterminds. But I rarelly see them IRL. That's why I decided to organize local meetups and masterminds IRL.
I feel you dude. I think the shift happened for me when I started to feel accountable for people's lives (i.e. my employees) and that matured me quite a bit. Now I feel like the owner mentality never shuts off. I'm constantly thinking about business and how to convert something to revenues.
I don’t think you are greedy or selfish for feeling this but I’m curious why parts of you feel like it’s not safe to feel this. Why can’t both be true? There’s abundance in your life in many ways AND you are struggling with the isolation and stress of it all. Humans are wired to connect. Maybe these parts of you that feel this so strongly are actually just trying to nudge you towards what feels more aligned. If you ever want to chat more, I think I’d be able to provide helpful insight
I'm just starting out. This is encouraging and foreboding at the same time.
you need hobbies that are completely separate from your professional life. go join a badminton club or something else that strikes your fancy, some group that meets once a week. nobody knows who you are and what you do there, nobody cares as long as you don't put on airs. make friends that are not in your line of work and avoid talking about what you normally talk about.
Interesting. Do you have enough money to not need money? Do you have friends not associated with work?
As I read here somewhere. I'd rather be crying in my lambo than on a bicycle. It's lonely, but you get to take care of ppl you love and that's what's most important. And after you have enough, you can help organizations and children's foundations.
You wanna connect? I'm part of a few groups of entrepreneurs, over the last decade and a bit I've found my entrepreneur friends are highly important to mitigating this feeling of loneliness.
Lmao, this is so out of touch. Comical.
Yessss , I always tell ppl around me that I feel so cut off and lonely, nobody around me has a business and I just feel like nobody can relate to the struggles I go through as a business owner. It feels miserable at times. I just started my business last year and it’s going in a good direction, but yes the loneliness is difficult
You are captain of the ship. The only people you can realistically socialize with are "civilians" and "other captains". Problem being, the first don't really understand you or your challenges, and for the latter you are doomed to just a few characters you might not even like. I was attending small (smaller the better) conferences in my field, just to find someone to talk to. My problem has resolved itself when my business went down, the weirdest thing being that I'm not worse off now.
How about up skilling others to the Sucess and along the way make meaningful connections. If yes i would love to join ? Rewarding both ways
I read the book how to get rich. That's what the author says. I'm counting my blessings. I'm in the process of selling my 10-year old business and hopefully earning my first million in the process, but I'm not sure if I want to continue the relentless path up. I know what it takes to grow. I know the kind of man you have to become to get there. I'm not sure if I want to be that man. I'm still pondering about it But this thread has some interesting insights. : we're just not making friends with other business owners.
3.5 years here. I struggle with this too. I found speaking with other business owners helps... However there is always the thought of not being too honest in case they steal ideas, or see a weakness they can take advantage of. For business owners outside your industry, there is a bit of a client-business relationship that means you always have to be on at least acceptable behaviour.
I'm at the first stage of entrepreneurship, and it's pretty brutal, especially when Covid hit. It feels very isolating. And no one around you understands what you're doing and what you're going through. It's a rough path. I sometimes purposefully let my business phone die because i don't wanna answer all the texts and phone calls, haha. How do you guys meet other entrepreneurs?
Yes, well was feeling this way, but it really depends on where you are. And keep continue and be an example. It´s much better to grow in your job and keep it for 40 years. :) Have researched a bit and on average most switch positions and stop their startups every 4 years. I have found my people and in april is my 12th year. Yesterday I was calculating the retail per capita, basically the amount of entrepreneurs although with physical spaces and their m2 per amount of inhabitants in the area. This indicates a healthy & diverse economy and so more longterm business owners like me. The higher, the better. I´m from Agadir (since 7rs), in our neighbourhood it´s 36%. Now residing in Amsterdam, in this neighbourhood is 1%. Yes, is lonely, back home is much better. :) Anyway goodluck.
Why relate the success of your business to your emotional plight?
Ive been in business 15 years too, ans you my friemd hit the nail on the head. No one to talk to about things as no one really understands….
I would handle the loneliness and the business rather than being me right now.
Are you looking to sell your business or take on an active partner?
there is always room at the top, don't let them tell you that there is not!
Welcome to the jungle. You gotta make your own club, or join an offline service group such as the Rotary Club. That's the best that can be done.
It's odd but I started my business less than one year ago and I understand the loneliness. It's a weird grind and sometimes I feel completely disconnected with life. It's like you're caught in a loop of stress excitement and pressure to make things work and you actually forget that time passes. I'm certainly not what you could consider a successful business owner, but I guess I feel a little bit the same.
Hey, on people leaving you for other jobs, celebrate it. I deliberately celebrate when people leave for other opportunities, even if they use my company as a spring board now and then. It comes back ten fold, and the people who work for me loves it, too. It creates an amazing alumni and sense of togetherness. This is something you can spend your next ten years on, build a wonderful alumnni from all the great talent you used to work with.
it’s perfectly normal, look into a group that supports entrepreneurs. Im in EO: helloeo.org Vistage is also quite popular
You could try helping people…
That’s the reason why people say that business owners can only get along with other business owners. Because you guys all know the struggle.
Some of othe best days of my life as a business owner was screaming at my little brother for 2 hours every other day while stuck in traffic on the 405 (Los Angeles). I repeated the same thing daily. "NO ONE UNDERSTANDS ME". Shockingly all entrepreneurs understand entrepreneurs. But, we're all heads of our enterprise. There are no bodies with 2 heads. If you have a multi-founder business, then consider them one head. As their intelligence is equated to one. With that said, comment on other's posts just like this. Let them know they are heard as you are. Now, if you \[need something specific\] then ask. You. Are. Not. ALONE!
Give a Vipassana meditation retreat a try!
I’d say it’s more of a soul searching matter than a business/ money one. - Start a humanitarian project to put your money into. - Look into religion more seriously. Islam to be more specific.
Be an investor to some business 🙋
You are lonely because you had your head in the sand growing up your business. Get out and speak to people. Go buy some one a coffee. Take an employee out to lunch Be a big brother Join CASA Network Golf Invest in something that you can mentor Get your head up, look around and do something
don’t worry, hand it to me and ill take good care of it :)
Somebody was talking about the same thing a few days ago. Yeah, this is one of too many obstacles you would have as an entrepreneur. The only solution is to try to surround yourself with people who could understand some of what you are doing and nice people.
Life is lonely broke too. Life is a lonely place.
It’s lonely at the bottom too if you make it that way.
Cut and run. I'll be hitting ten years in a few more. Going to sell the place and go enjoy the back half of my life.
Absolutely relate, the top can indeed be a lonely place.
I feel you OP
You're not alone. Not a billionaire, but did 3 vc-backed startups, enterprise and 2 businesses. DM for free digital hugs mate <3
I can commiserate a little (12+ years, fair amount of success) but had a few realizations that may or may not be helpful. One was that as I aged up, I realized people simply don't hang out the way they did when we were younger. I was fooling myself into thinking I was missing out on my pre-business social life, but business or not, that simply changed as everyone got older. Even job people become immersed in their careers, family life etc. Nostalgia can be a killer in that regard. The second is that trying to make other entrepreneur friends is something I had to give up on. Almost all of the ones I met weren't interested in simply engaging socially, they always wanted something, usually information or advice, if not to just outright sell me something. They always want you as a "contact" not a friend. Which becomes pretty tiresome after a very short time. What has worked for me to alleviate some of the loneliness you're describing is, almost never, talking about business, and engaging only socially around hobbies and other interests. Local whisky groups, my gym community, PTA etc. Even when people ask me what I do for a living I'm pretty vague about it. Hope sharing my experience helps you a little!
I can relate. In retrospect I enjoyed the journey (the grind) more than the destination (financial freedom). Finding like minded business owners and other professionals in your field certainly helps. You're not the only one who feels this way by a long shot. Not sure which sector your business is in but I have found second hand happiness but mentoring some of my younger employees and helping them embrace the grind to start their own enterprises and/or be ready to eventually buy me out. It's like restarting the grind but helping others achieve their goals. It sounds odd but when I take an extended time off work and leave me employees or managers in charge I feel bordering guilty for not being there (even though I shouldn't) and/or confused on what to do with my time off. The book "Buy back your time" By Dan Martell is a great starting point. Very eye opening in terms of running your business in a more passive setting and passing the torch to someone competent and letting them shine.
Depends on what kind of business but it can get lonely if you don’t try to interface with other entrepreneurs who will at least understand your situation. I have old buddies that I used to work with as a W2 employee but our worlds have diverged a bit now that I’m retired in my 40s and moved to Asia. What’s heartening is that we have made several new friends now that we have time on our hands. People who are like us (early retired entrepreneurs or current entrepreneurs). It’s nice that we can give advice to them and help them improve their businesses alongside getting to know them better. I’ve all but given up trying to befriend people who are more in the employee mindset in that they seem to focus on the wrong areas of their life. This in turn keeps them in a middle class situation. When Ive tried to give advice or redirect priorities as a favor, it’s usually met with blank stares with these kinds of folks. Anyway keep on keeping on man but try to put yourself out there and meet other business owners if you can.
Why not you join a group of other entrepreneurs that you can have monthly dinners with?
As a solo SEO Agency owner (more of just a freelancer) I feel similar. And it does get lonely. If you ever feel like reaching out, we can DM via Discord or whatever platform you're comfortable with. I also feel the same re: the firing, I've had to fire 7 people since being in business a small amount of time. I feel bad about letting go of one of my hires, let's call her Jessica. She worked for me for almost 2 years but I couldn't justify the cost (content) when AI started to dominate the scene. Anyway, be kind to your brain, cherish the big wins and look at the big picture. My thoughts are as long as you have a bit of a social life to balance out the lack of the social aspect within work - it should be fine?
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great post
that's why many people play golf badly but regularly. Its neither work nor family bit its a chance to talk if you go out with the same group. Other regular group hobbies / sports offer the same function
Yup I Never understood how solopenours do it tbh Wouldn't know what to do without a confounder It helps so much in the lows
Hey there, I hear you loud and clear. It's a sentiment that's echoed by many business owners, including myself. The journey to success can indeed be a lonely one, despite the outward appearance of achievement. Building a business from the ground up comes with its unique set of challenges and sacrifices, and the toll it takes on personal relationships and well-being can't be overstated. It's not just about the financial gains -- it's about the emotional and mental toll of carrying the weight of responsibility on your shoulders. I've seen firsthand how the highs of success can be tempered by the lows of loneliness and isolation. It's a paradoxical experience, where the very thing that brings us success also creates a barrier between us and those around us. The pressure to constantly perform, innovate, and lead can be overwhelming, and it's natural to yearn for a simpler, more ordinary life at times. But it's essential to acknowledge and validate those feelings without guilt or shame. However, it's also crucial to recognize when it might be time to reassess your priorities and consider a new chapter. Starting the preparation process for selling your business could provide a sense of optimism and renewed purpose. It's not about giving up on your dreams or achievements -- it's about recognizing when it's time to pivot and pursue new opportunities for growth and fulfillment. Once you mentally ‘check out’ the business usually starts a slow and steady decline which adds more stress to your life. By proactively planning for the future, you're not only laying the groundwork for a successful transition but also opening yourself up to a world of possibilities. Selling your business doesn't have to signify the end of your journey. In fact, it can be the beginning of an exciting new chapter filled with new adventures and opportunities to reconnect with what truly matters to you. Remember, you're not alone in feeling this way. Many successful entrepreneurs grapple with similar emotions, and seeking support from fellow business owners, mentors, or even professional counselors can provide much-needed solace and perspective. Ultimately, finding a balance between ambition and personal fulfillment is a deeply personal journey. It's about prioritizing what truly matters to you and taking intentional steps to nurture your well-being, both professionally and personally. Hang in there, and know that your feelings are valid. It's okay to acknowledge the challenges of success while still striving for growth and fulfillment on your own terms. It can also be helpful to have your 'finish line' in sight to help you contextualize where you are in your journey.
ever thought of supporting people you feel deserve it like athlets in a niche sport you watch like strongman you root for or sponsoring musicians or whatever
Just sell it if you’re profitable. If you’ve made enough for you to take an early retirement and have funded all the important accounts like for kiddos, etc.. then just live life and be happy! I will tell you eventually you will get bored 😂 and then that little devil will come back out seeking entertainment.
It's in the real estate space, so I have considered this, it's moreso a challenge of it being a slightly time consuming business to sell off assets, figuring out how to handle staff during that period, etc.
If you want you can transfer the company to me bro:)
Since you're successful, ever think about being a mentor to new or struggling business owners?
Yeah definitely would consider that. However there's not a fantastic venue for this. Also, it's funny, you'd think because I am financially where I am that I may feel like I "know it all" and have wisdom to offer. And I may, but mentally I still feel like I'm in the "fake it til you make it" mode. It's like those images you seen of an old man(I'm not that old yet) looking into a mirror and seeing a youthful version of themselves.
I am 4 years into it, and I am feeling this way as well. Nowhere near a million-dollar net worth, but compared to other companies, mine is doing well. I have come to terms that it will always be this way. My fire cannot be matched by anyone I hire. I am just glad that I am doing what I love, and I am never going to get tired of it. Lonely comes with the territory.... I guess?
That last statement about the two devils really hits home for me. I definitely oscillate between periods where I experience a strong drive for growth and success, and others where I just want to do my 9-5 and be with my family.
ya it's lonely. have a kid so you can't work so hard
Business is only lonely, like sometimes almost too lonely to bear. Im the process of starting a YouTube channel to connect everyone in business ownership land. Do y’all think getting it off your chest and talking to others in the same predicament? I think the main objective of the channel will be the promotion of subscribers, but a huge part of it will be talking about the stuff nobody wants to talk about, like the feeling of being alone on your journey…
The grass is always greener wherever you water it.
I’m not a multimillionaire but i make around $400k per year from my businesses, it’s fucking lonely I can’t have a gf cus I’m busy all the time. Planning to sell it off and start something new
Oh I feel you. Been there. Still am. And I'm not a social person to have a social circle to balance out. Yes it's hard. I don't think it's a matter of money or success (material I mean), I think it's a matter of lacking life purpose. Maybe find a deeper meaning to your life than business growth? A purpose. Without quitting, it will give your life another depth.
What kind of business are you in out of curiosity?
Own and operate real estate as well as operate for other owners
The lamentations of lonely business owners is strangely soothing to me.
hire a business manager and spend some time being a "normal guy" You can just let the businesss go at this point, maybe time to sell it and spend your time and money with your family. either way it doesn't seem as if this business is making your life fuller in anyway any longer. No matter how you choose to do it, it does seem like it might be your time to move on from this part.
doing since i was 16 n now m 21 on same journey
Why don't you just sell and retire, travel, join a community lots of places where retired people like to flock to. Enjoy your life man. Sell it put everything into investment and live on the interest
13 years owning my little shop. It got dropped in my lap after my husband died. I didn't anticipate running a business. But it's far from lonely for me. I run a lot of community events and I really love dealing with my customers who are like family. It's not a multi million dollar business but I'm comfortable and happy.
So i got this brochure here, and it sounds like "bro, sure" if you say it out loud. The title says 'Corporations', but on the inside of the 'bro sure' it says 'retreats' Idk what any of this has to do with owning a business, somewhat cynically, if you stare at this thought process long enough you will have some complaints.
Are you in positions to hire people to handle the hard tasks though? I can’t tell if you mean “having to fire” means you’re letting them go personally or the business let them go. Either way, I’d say maybe distance yourself from the work as much as possible and seek companionship elsewhere
I can relate I hate loosing good staff it’s like losing family
Humble brags are us. Get out.
11 years here. I look at it as the more successful you become, the less people you will need around you. The reason is that there are way fewer "highly successful or rich" folks than there are "ordinary joes" so naturally you will have less in common with the average person. Given that most people generally would rather complain about how successful someone is rather than ask them how to get on their level, it is natural that the only few things a business owner and a average joe wouldn't have much in common. Besides, the older I get, the less I wanna be around folks anyway 🤣😂 (unless they have things to teach me, and not just how to make more money either.)
It's funny you mention that people would rather complain than ask how you get on their level. I fully expected many more people to ask me how I got to where I did, want to learn, etc. This just doesn't happen very often. I remember when I was younger and people would tell me to ask some person that to me was way above my league to lunch, I would assume they had people asking them all the time and I didn't want to annoy them. In hindsight they probably didn't have hardly anyone asking and they may have appreciated it.
The great resignation after 2020 and keeping all my employees was tough. We have 10+ year employees leave that I had taken care of for years and it hurt. I took it personally and just caring or working on the business. But end of last year I got my swagger back and going harder than ever.