To Be or Not To Be an Entrepreneur...
She talks about the battle of an entrepreneur in one of her recent posts. How people don’t understand the sacrifices that come with the title of being a B-O-S-S. Dealing with taxes, and the government, and other people’s problems. How working 15-hour days have left many of her fellow entrepreneur friends fighting depression, no matter their level of success. It’s a topic that’s brushed over in the black business world, but that’s claiming the lives of many who can’t seem to find light in their endless world of darkness. It’s not something that Zim wishes upon anybody. (XNNecole on Travel Noire's Zim Ugochukwu)
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I've been there and it's not fun. You get cabin fever. No one around you knows how to support. And while you're entirely grateful you don't have to wake up at the crack of dawn, ride a bus to an office building, and answer to "the man", you crave for the structure and consistency of a 9-5. You eat what you catch as an entrepreneur. Yes, it's liberating. Yes, the sky is the limit. This is why I keep a side hustle in my left,front pocket. The autonomy! But I know I made some out-of-my-mind choices when I was in that world. I'd spend one full week with my head buried in a computer screen from sun-up to sun-down. I would experience severe burn-out. Then, I'd binge on all my vices. Cause, who gon check me, boo? A good mix of chaos and rigidity keeps us integrated. I feel great about calibrating my efforts to attain wealth and stability. I also get to complain about both!
I see a lot of people on both ends of the spectrum, clowning people who refuse to take a leap of faith and work for themselves. Or, the 9-5'ers who deem everything they didn't invent a pyramid scheme. Just let people be who they wanna be. My granny would always say, "You run your mouth, I run my business!" Every person is different. Some people love the freedom to do what they want and come and go as they please. Ain't nobody gonna tell them how much money they can make! Others are just fine, budgeting that 30-60K and moving in their circular motion. It kinda feels like a hypnotic trance.
And, since I am not interested in being permanently stuck in the Sunken Place of the Krusty the Krab meme, I choose to sprinkle a little black girl magic on myself from time to time. I use my talents and my time off to bring in clients and extra paper. It feels good to work via referrals and marvel at the work you created! But, nonetheless, people and their lack of business acumen can drive you crazy. Literally. It can be exhausting dealing with late paying customers, people who want more for less, people who cancel or don't follow up. People who dodge you. I'm a cancer. I am sensitive. Don't do me like that.
In closing, I feel you, Zim. I hope and pray you find a good consistent balance and steer clear of the pitfalls of depression and/or anxiety that we tend to charge to the game. Self-care is the sacrifice we make to make sure we take a moment to take care of us. With that, I will book a massage!
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