Owning a business in your 20’s is no easy feat.

No one could’ve prepared me for how difficult owning your own business is. No one told me how much effort really goes into owning your own business. I’m not just talking about the clients and keeping up on Instagram.

I’m talking about the day-to-day managements. I’m talking about the irrational fears, the burnout, the sacrifices, the imposter syndrome – all of the stuff that people don’t talk about when you’re a business owner.

Setting up your business is easy. Settling on a business name – a breeze! Securing your Instagram handle is a fun milestone. Gaining your first client – a sigh of relief!

Sacrifices

What they don’t tell you is that you’ll have to sacrifice things sometimes. You’ll sacrifice your time. Your sleep. Your routine. You’ll work yourself so hard because you love it so much. You’ll drift out of conversations because you’re thinking of your next big idea. They don’t tell you about the stress of a potential client ghosting you or making your life difficult. They don’t tell you how confused you’ll be or how important it is to know your finances inside and out. They don’t tell you that you’ll need to work on the train while you’re commuting to your 9-5.

Burnout

Burnout is real and its as common as sliced bread. As a business owner you feel this need to constantly be working. That ‘hustle’ culture is doing more bad than good. This need to hustle in order to be successful is damaging and is counterproductive. Once again, as business owners, we are constantly fed these stories and beliefs and we ‘think’ it’s how we’re meant to act. Which then leads into the…

Comparison Trap

This has been a major hurdle for me as a business owner and creative. Social media plays a major role in the comparison culture and it can be a slippery slope if left unchecked. I am constantly catching myself in that frame of mind. The comparison bubbles up in the form of experience, income, lifestyle, design aesthetic and clients and it can be debilitating to your progress and creativity. I’ve been trying to turn those negative feelings into positive ones and look to see what I can take inspiration from instead.

Life!

In your 20s life is literally happening at the speed of sound and it’s the time in your life when you start making some serious future-altering choices. There’s all these ideas, the want to do new things, travel, live your life, study more, moving out, partners, friends, family and so much more! But I’m letting all that good stuff inspire me and drive me forward.

There’s so many things that make owning your own business in your 20s hard, but they’re also the exact same reasons to be taking charge and that make it all worth it in the end.