Being an entrepreneur often feels like you are living on an island. At first you are super excited – it’s beautiful, the weather is great and things are going smoothly. Then you realize you are all alone and the island is a deserted lonely place. Things are still going well, but the social isolation, lack of camaraderie and feeling of disconnection sink in. Welcome to entrepreneur loneliness.
Entrepreneur Loneliness is Real
Entrepreneurship is a journey and it’s one most don’t understand unless they’ve been through it. While other business owners may warn you of the impending loneliness, you likely won’t believe them until you’re in it. Once you’re on The Island of Lonely Entrepreneurs you quickly realize your family and friends don’t get it and you need some support.
For a more in-depth look at the stages of entrepreneur loneliness read “Loneliness and Entrepreneurship: How to Recognize and Combat It” .
Remote Workers Get Lonely Too
Along with entrepreneurs, remote workers go through this experience too. At first working from home is great! There’s the flexibility, ability to get house work done in-between virtual meetings and eating a home cooked meal for lunch. After a while those perks start to feel less like gains. Your world starts to feel smaller, less connected (despite Zoom meetings) and more isolated. Your friends and family that have “regular” jobs don’t get, they’d love to be able to work from home. Now you’re on the Island of Lonely Entrepreneurs & Remote Workers.
While there are differences and similarities between why entrepreneurs and remote workers struggle with loneliness, the solutions are the same.
Getting off the Island
The key to getting off the island is surrounding yourself with like-minded people. I personally made the mistake of staying on the island way too long and it took a toll on me – enter burnout. Thankfully after many years into entrepreneurship, I found a group of entrepreneurs in my industry that I met with regularly and it saved me!
The moral of the story, don’t hesitate to find and connect with people. Whether it’s other entrepreneurs or remote workers, connection is the boat that will get you off the island saving you from burnout, stress, depression and poor decision making.
We’re Here to Help
Luckily, here in the Upper Cumberland we have a thriving, friendly community of business owners and remote workers eager to connect.
At The Biz Foundry we offer communal coworking space. This is the perfect solution for getting off the Island of Lonely Remote Workers (this is also a great solution for entrepreneurs). We also offer tons of events for entrepreneurs as well as coaching to help you connect and grow. From the Powered By Her Lunches to our monthly educational workshops there’s a variety of opportunities for you to get off the lonely island.
Outside of our organization there is your local chamber, SBDC, BNI, Young Professional Groups and more. You can also look for industry specific groups through a google search, Meetup.com, Facebook and more. It might take a little effort, but I can tell you from personal experience it’s well worth it – having support & connection can save your business and your mental health.
