There are a lot of things people tell you about becoming an entrepreneur.
You’ll work hard.
You’ll wear a lot of hats.
You’ll have to learn things you never expected to learn.
There will be risk, uncertainty, long days, and probably more than a few moments when you wonder what exactly you got yourself into.
But there’s another part of entrepreneurship that I don’t think we talk about enough:
It can be incredibly isolating.
Not necessarily because you’re physically alone.
You can have employees. Clients. Vendors. A family. Friends. A calendar filled with meetings and appointments.
And still feel like you’re building your business on an island.
When Everyone Needs Something From You
One of the strange things about owning a business is how many people you interact with while still carrying so much by yourself.
Clients come to you for answers.
Employees look to you for direction.
Vendors need decisions.
Problems eventually make their way to your desk.
And at the end of the day, you're the person responsible for figuring out what happens next.
There isn't always a coworker sitting beside you who understands what you're dealing with.
There isn't necessarily someone in the next office you can turn to and say:
“Am I completely overthinking this?”
Or:
“What would you do?”
Sometimes you don't even need advice.
You just want to talk to someone who gets it.
Your Friends and Family Can Love You Without Understanding It
I've learned that there's a difference between having people who support you and having people who understand what it's like to build a business.
The people closest to you can be incredibly encouraging.
But if they've never owned a business, some of the conversations are difficult to explain.
Why are you thinking about something that might not happen for another year?
Why are you changing something that's already working?
Why are you excited about a new idea when you already have plenty to do?
Why can't you just shut your brain off at 5:00?
Entrepreneurs tend to see possibilities everywhere.
We're constantly thinking about what could work better, what could become something, what problem needs solving, and what opportunity might be hiding inside an ordinary conversation.
That's exciting.
But it can also be exhausting when you're carrying all those thoughts by yourself.
Social Media Doesn't Necessarily Help
Entrepreneurship online can look very different from entrepreneurship in real life.
We see the launches.
The new offices.
The revenue milestones.
The beautiful branding.
The announcements.
We don't always see the Tuesday afternoon when someone is sitting at their desk wondering whether they're making the right decision.
We don't see the idea that failed.
The employee problem.
The client they probably should have said no to.
The month that wasn't as profitable as expected.
The business owner questioning whether they should grow, simplify, pivot, hire, sell, or start something completely different.
When you're struggling with something privately while everyone else appears to be succeeding publicly, entrepreneurship can feel even lonelier.
Networking Isn't Always the Same as Connection
There are plenty of networking opportunities for business owners.
And networking absolutely has value.
But I've started thinking more about the difference between networking and connection.
Sometimes I don't want to walk into a room and explain what I do in 30 seconds.
I don't necessarily want to collect business cards.
I don't always want to pitch my business.
Sometimes I'd rather sit down over coffee with another entrepreneur and talk about what we're actually building.
What's working?
What's not?
What are you trying to figure out?
What did you learn the hard way?
What are you thinking about doing next?
Those conversations feel different.
There's no immediate transaction attached to them.
They're simply people learning from people.
And I think entrepreneurs need more of that.
Maybe We Need Community More Than We Need Another Contact
The longer I've been in business, the more I've realized how valuable relationships are.
Not just relationships that generate revenue.
Relationships that generate ideas, perspective, encouragement, introductions, collaboration, and opportunity.
Sometimes one conversation saves you hours of research.
Someone has already used the software you're considering.
Someone has already hired for the position you're trying to create.
Someone has already made the mistake you're about to make.
Someone knows the person you've been trying to find.
And sometimes another entrepreneur simply says:
“Yep. I've been there too.”
That alone can make entrepreneurship feel a little less lonely.
That's Part of Why I'm Building the Cape Cod Entrepreneur Club
The idea for the Cape Cod Entrepreneur Club didn't come from thinking Cape Cod needed another traditional networking organization.
We already have organizations doing valuable work for our business community.
I started thinking about something a little different.
A community where entrepreneurs, business owners, and solopreneurs can develop genuine relationships with other people who understand what it means to build something.
Coffee.
Conversations.
Books and podcasts.
Guest speakers.
Local experiences.
Learning from each other.
Introducing people who should know one another.
Maybe even sitting at a Cape Cod Baseball League game talking about absolutely nothing related to business.
Because every connection doesn't need to begin with:
“So, what do you do?”
Sometimes it can simply begin with:
“How's it going?”
And actually mean it.
Building a Business Doesn't Have to Mean Building It Alone
Independence is one of the reasons many of us become entrepreneurs.
We want freedom.
We want options.
We want to build something of our own.
But independence doesn't have to mean isolation.
You can build your own thing and still have a community around you.
You can make your own decisions and still ask someone else what they think.
You can be ambitious without constantly competing.
And you can build relationships without wondering what you're going to get from them.
I'm increasingly convinced that some of the best opportunities in business don't begin with a sales pitch.
They begin with a conversation.
Less pitching. More connecting.
And maybe a little less building alone.
