Elon Musk Today, Homeless Tomorrow

I had a great time catching up with an old friend yesterday. She had some questions about her new-ish business, and I was honored to spend some time with her. I was highly intrigued to hear about her journey of starting, growing, and evolving her young business. Regardless of what kind of business someone starts, I find that we business owners often experience similar situations.

Being a business owner can be brutal. So much weight is placed on their shoulders, there's very little security, and every time they think they have it figured out, the rules change. There's also something I like to call the "Elon Musk today, homeless tomorrow" phenomenon. Almost to a T, business owners connect with this idea. One day, we'll wake up and think we're going to take over the world like Elon Musk, and the next day, we'll wake up and wonder if we'll be homeless by sunset.

That sounds crazy, but if you're a business owner, you probably know exactly what I'm talking about. That's how volatile it can be (or at least feel). Some months, we feel like we have everything figured out, and the next, we wonder if we'll have enough income to meet our financial needs. It can be the most stressful, frustrating, mind-melting thing in the world.....

.....and it's awesome! There's something beautiful about having to figure it out each day, week, and month. If we perform, we get to feed our family. If we don't, well, we don't. There's a purity in that. A simplicity. As a society, we like to look at business owners and judge them as "lucky," "rich," and "lazy." None of those are true, in most cases. Whenever someone tells me they want to become a business owner so they can "have more flexible hours and be home more," I chuckle. Most people have no idea what business owners go through.

That said, this isn't a request for sympathy. This is what business owners sign up for; it comes with the territory. It's part of the package. Nobody is holding a gun to their head, forcing them to take this path. It's a choice. A challenging, exciting, and terrifying choice. They could always go get a job....that option remains on the table. Therefore, I have no sympathy for fellow business owners. On the flip side, I have a ton of respect and admiration for them.

Elon Musk today, homeless tomorrow. If this phrase resonates with you, please know you aren't alone. Also, I encourage you not to wish away the stress, tension, and uncertainty. Yes, it can be brutal. But it's also what gives your journey richness. Plus, the highs aren't high if there aren't lows to contrast them. Embrace the journey.....all of the journey.

You probably won't be Elon Musk.....but you probably won't be homeless, either. Somewhere in between is a beautiful story just waiting to be written.