The Dark Side of Being a Solopreneur

Last week my boss was an asshole. And I work for myself.

Being an entrepreneur, or solopreneur, and working at home all the time isn't as glamorous as it sounds and is more work than at first I imagined.

Since leaving my job at 9:12 am on January 17, I've worked every single day, except for one, here at my home office. That means every Monday through Friday, plus most Saturdays and several Sundays.

When I had a full-time 8 to 5 corporate job, I would spend my nights and weekends feverishly pursuing my passion of being an entrepreneur, selling e-books, coaching people, and speaking.

There was a certain glamour to pursuing my passion after everyone had gone to sleep and while everyone was enjoying their weekend. I longed for the time when building my business was all I had to do and I could focus on what I wanted instead of micromanaging whims of others.

However, over the last five months, I realized that working at home day in and day out is not all it's cracked up to be. In fact, there's a dark side to being a solopreneur.

If you're brave enough, keep reading and I'll share with you the dark tales and the dark side of working for yourself.

Last week my boss was an asshole.

He stayed up late Thursday night hanging out with his wife and enjoying himself and left me to get up early Friday morning and finish the blog post he was too busy having fun to complete.

I'd be lying to you if I told you that was the first time.

In all seriousness though, there is a dark side to working for yourself, and by yourself, for months on end.

We need human connection. We need to see, talk to, and interact with other people. That's why being put in isolation is one of the most feared things in prison movies.

Without connection your mind will break. Just think about Tom Hanks and Wilson the volleyball.

It took me a while, but I learned I need to get out of the house several times a week so that I can keep my sanity.

If you work from home, what is something that you do to stay connected?

As I mentioned on Johnny Lee Philips' podcasts, when you work from home by yourself your mind tends to wander.

Before I tell you what I mean, let me give you an example from my corporate days.

When I was a rising star in the corporate world, I was able to do my job in my sleep. I was very good at it. I was confident in the product I was selling, my skills, and my ability to reach customers.

The time I spent thinking about my online business was fairly minimal during the day. Just as the saying goes, absence makes the heart grow fonder, that's how it was with my online business.

Because I wasn't thinking about it all of the time I was only remembering the good times, passive paychecks, and the inspirational people I was meeting along the way.

I would often forget all of the hard work I have been putting in, or all the frustrations, because our mind intends to block those things out when we're remembering.

Additionally, I would have a routine while at my corporate office. I would come in sit down my coffee, walk to put my lunch in the refrigerator and talk to a dozen people along the way. I would often eat lunch with other people, and socialize several times without the day.

In my corporate environment there was constant human connection. And that brings me back to my to the dark side of being a solopreneur.

While working from home, as I mentioned before, your mind tends to wander.

Instead of thinking about all of the good things, like how you're going to change the world with your product or idea, self-doubt starts to creep in from the edges and slowly tries to take over.

Have you ever played a video game, and right when you're about to be at the end of your life the edges of the screen start to turn dark and it's hard to see because you get tunnel vision?

Yeah, that's what it's been like for me sometimes.

There have been several times when I focused more on the questions than any sort of solution. I questioned my abilities, I questioned the value my products would bring to the world, and I even began to wonder if my messages was worth hearing.

Of course, I know my products add value to the world, and I know my messages is worth hearing. I have customer testimonials telling me so.

But that's what happens when you voluntarily put yourself into isolation.

No, you might not be in a prison cell, but your home office can provide the same sort of isolation if you're not intentional about getting out into the world and connecting with real people.

I truly believe even the most successful people always have some sort of self-doubt and I don't think you can completely eliminate fear.

Courage is not defeating fear, it's acting in spite of it.

As you begin your journey, don't forget to connect with people who are walking the path with you. Don't let your mind wander into the pit of despair, or fall victim to crippling self-doubt.

I hope that this last bit will give you some encouragement. Here's what I did to combat the dark side of being a solopreneur.

1: Toastmasters

I joined a  local Toastmasters club. We meet on a weekly basis, it gives me an opportunity to practice speaking, and I get to meet great people. Search the Toastmasters site to find a club near you.

2: Masterminds

I joined mastermind groups. We meet on a weekly basis through video chats, we talk about our business, what we are going through, and the struggles we are facing. My mastermind groups are challenging but also very encouraging. If you're going to succeed you need at least one quality mastermind.

3: Meetups

I'm starting a local meet up. Every Thursday at 8 am at the La Madeleine here in Round Rock, I'm going to be meeting for breakfast and coffee. I want to provide the opportunity for other local business owners to connect with people, because I know how valuable that connection can be.

Question: Do you ever feel isolated? What do you do to be intentional about connecting with other people?