As a solo entrepreneur, I work in a different space. It’s unfamiliar to most people who travel along the corporate hallways of business. It moves at a different pace, it has different objectives, and it needs different communities of support. It’s not the space of power points, HR, and team-building exercises. Communities where those tools are used are ineffective here. This is not the corporate world.
New To The Business World
As a new entrepreneur, I was immediately surrounded by these spaces and courted by them. It felt competitive, impersonal, and at times, manipulative. Sales funnels, aggressive ads, and creating false scarcity, demanded treating clients as numbers contributing to the all-important six figure income. I wondered if this was how the business world was supposed to feel?
Adjusting To Being In Business
I questioned why I was uncomfortable. I thought it was just me being unfamiliar with business, as a person who’d lived in the world of education for so long. Maybe over time and with more exposure, I would feel supported and aligned with these methods and spaces? But, the discomfort grew, and I’ve come to realize that these systems don’t serve me or the community that I support. My space is different. I don’t belong there.
Developing My Standards
As I continue to be bombarded by these corporate types on LinkedIn, through emails, and from professional associations, I don’t feel as guilty about turning away from them. I’m listening to my gut. I’ve realized that they’re not for me. But, where are my spaces and my communities?
Finding Small Business People
I’m gradually starting to find my people and methods that work for me. But, unlike the business hallways, they don’t seem to exist in a cohesive spot where all the resources are together, and supported by well-oiled systems.
By staying curious about the work people do, I’ve gathered other ethical entrepreneurs who walk alone. Sometimes, I come across small groups of people trying to do work together at a workshop or event. Slowly, my collection of like-minded folks and supportive systems is growing: I have a piece of marketing strategy here, a mindfulness practitioner there, and a researcher over there.
Supporting Each Other
As I meet more and more folks who are doing thoughtful, impactful and important work writing books, and developing programmes that support people, I’m heartened. It’s inspiring, encouraging, and fills me with gratitude for those who work in these spaces.
I want to cheer you on if you’re working in these spaces too. Don’t be discouraged. Reach out to others over Zoom or coffee. The caring entrepreneur is not an oxymoron.
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