Finding Community in Solopreneurship

written by brittany

In America, the pursuits of individuality and ambition are highly praised; and the product of those pursuits: loneliness. The higher you climb up the professional ladder, the harder you pursue your dreams, the further you venture into adulthood, the more you seek financial freedom/ security, the lonelier the journey. Where does the buck stop? When you reach that position, attain financial security, buy the house, get your business to the heights you know it can go? On top of that, everyone around you is doing the exact same thing, community a secondary, tertiary or out-of-reach desire. So then where do you find your community? Where do you find others to collaborate with? To thrive with? To bounce ideas off of? To support and be supported by? These thoughts have crowded my mind for the past few months and even years prior to that. 

When I started my journey as an entrepreneur, I knew that it would get lonely as that’s been the case for many of my life’s pursuits. More recently, I’ve become more aware of the impact of that loneliness throughout my entrepreneurial journey and the difficulty associated with its presence. It's been tough, no lie. To get through I’ve had to be honest with myself about my need for others. This has involved (and still involves) me journaling the need, sharing the need with friends, and praying it aloud. The results: meeting others who are able to support and assist me upon encounter or at random and me learning to trust that I will be given everything I need at specific times. 

My inner circle is everything: constantly filling me up with honest input, strategic planning, idea sifting and encouragement to just… keep going. What they pour into me is so special and divinely timed; without it, seeing the bigger picture (no matter if its only a glimpse) would be added to the list of goals I'd hope to one day achieve. And beyond my inner circle, I’ve been given opportunities at random to experience the magic of purposeful encounters with people to guide me along my journey. 

I visited DC in September and met a coffee shop manager who now owns her own coffee shop in the most beautifully unconventional way. At that coffee shop, I met a photographer/social media manager who briefly listened to my social media woes and planted the seed for me to create a Tik Tok. Weeks later, I met another entrepreneur who recently moved to Houston and shared her Tik Tok experience with me that carried me over the edge to create the Tik Tok. After a walk through the park with a close friend whose honest input was to spend less time on things with low yields, I gave special thought to what I spent the most time on and how to cut back so that I could redirect my energy. Last month, I visited a well-known bookstore with the intent to support and build connection, and I left with so much more: encouragement in what I’m currently doing, collaboration ideas, bookseller knowledge and tips, a genuine welcome to the bookseller community, and what I felt as potential friendships. A friend/ fellow solopreneur shared with me the date for a small business expo in the city. We both signed up with our own goals for the event and got exactly what we needed with the support and encouragement from each other to just show up and be. At the event, I learned about business credit, strategies to increase profit, and social media management, but the most notable takeaway from the event was the energy boost I received from being around thousands of entrepreneurs who are just trying and showing up. I felt empowered and recharged to keep going. And every single time that I attend a vendor market, I meet the best small business owners doing big things who generously shower me with tips and love to fuel me to the next step in my journey. With each of these encounters, I’ve felt reassured to keep moving forward, to trust my journey, to trust my wants, and know that my needs will be met in the best way. 

Something I’ve learned from my inner circle is to move at the beat of my own drum, to own how I move, and trust the flow. That concept has been my saving grace. Without the pressure of pleasing the world, I am free to lean into the joy of entrepreneurship, taking breaks as I need to and going heavy on the work when I feel motivated. My ultimate business needs are not lost upon me and will come in time, but in these sweet moments along the way, I am given exactly what I need and sometimes more... one beautiful encounter at time.

I leave you with a few gems that were given to me: 

You can’t do it for the money, there has to be another purpose in it for you to enjoy

If it doesn’t bring you joy, adjust something until it does

You are your best self when you are being YOURSELF

As the owner of your business, think and move as the CEO not an employee

Take care of yourself and you take care of your business

Define success for yourself and know that it’s yours

You can’t please everyone, so its best to make sure you are pleased the most

Always pay it forward

You are never alone