Will it be worth it?

Is that what anyone signs up for?

I found this meme online, and it typifies that toxic, hustle and grind until you are in the ground philosophy. 10x everything or go home.

What a crock.

Business doesn’t have to be this way.

There are seasons that are busy where you may have some early mornings or some late nights, some seasons of overwhelm.

As a business owner, you will certainly be misunderstood.

I hope you are your own cheerleader, because if not, what the heck are you doing?

But this shouldn’t be your new normal. You shouldn’t need to lose your friends over owning and operating a business. I gained far more friends than I ever lost in business.

Then there’s that off-hand line at the end, “It will be worth it.”

What is the “It” that was worth “it”? The first ‘it’ refers to the sacrifice of your sanity, friends, sleep, etc. But what is the “It” you are working for that is worth all that? Defining that goal is different for everyone, in reality. The gentleman who posted this meme also bragged about how many companies he had started and how much money he had made in return for all this sacrifice. But is that what you want? And are you willing to thrash about aimlessly to get it?

The person in the position to say success was worth all the sacrifice is the person who finally made it. What does “making it” typically look like? It might mean money and fame to someone seeking that, but it could also mean a well-run and profitable business. While getting to that point is not a stroll down Easy Street, it isn’t necessary to sacrifice so much time, energy, love, and people to get there. There are centuries of smart business, leadership, management, financial, operations, and marketing principles out there just ripe for picking. You can work smarter, not harder, and sidestep some of the devastation that this meme asks you to blindly accept. You can achieve a better work/life balance, not alienate your friends and family, and still create a business and life that is worth the journey.

But where can you find the accumulated knowledge to strike this balance? You can get an MBA, and that would be helpful, especially if you work in a larger organization. Unfortunately, there aren’t too many programs that really teach you how to own a small business where you start out wearing all the hats. While the information you get in business school is solid and will apply to your business on some level, most MBA programs don’t cover the start-up process and ecosystem of wearing all the hats in a small organization.

You can head to the Small Business Administration for their support, information, and courses. They are a fantastic place to get help, and it is usually free or very low cost. Associated with the SBA is a coaching organization called SCORE, staffed by volunteers who all have business experience, and give free coaching and mentorship to small business owners.

If you can afford it, you can hire a coach or join a mastermind group for help to get to the ‘it’ you are working toward. Along the way, you will have and make friends, add people to your cheerleading squad, sleep better, feel understood, feel sure of your sanity, and chase that overwhelm away.

Whatever you do, don’t resign yourself to paying the “Cost of Success” described in this sad little meme. There’s a better way.