The two kinds of people you need
I was on an entrepreneurship panel last week, and I offered the below as a parting piece of wisdom.
Make sure you have two kinds of people in your life:
1. People who understand what it takes to build a business.
2. People who love you regardless of what you’re building at the moment.
In my experience, not having both kinds of people in your life leads to resentment, disappointment, and isolation.
I’d be a rich woman if I had a dollar for every well-meaning but ill-advised suggestion I’ve received. I’m lucky to have people in my life who care about my success and the success of my endeavors. They’re quick to tell me about an offering I should create or an opportunity I should pursue. However, much of the input I receive isn’t actionable because the person hasn’t run a business, hasn’t run a business like mine, or doesn’t share my values.
I can’t tell you how many catch up conversations turned into unsolicited advice sessions or all the moments where I wanted to celebrate a milestone, knowing that the other person wouldn’t fully understand the work it took to get there.
For example, Inner Workout’s Self-Care Sunday newsletter now averages a 50% open rate. If you’re unfamiliar with email marketing, 50% could sound like a failing percentage. I mean, that’s an F in school, right? But it’s actually more than double the average open rate!
In Q1 of last year, my goal was to sustain an average 20% open rate. A 50% average is incredible growth, and it’s refreshing to have people in my life who don’t require context-setting before they celebrate (or commiserate) with me.
The more I’ve cultivated relationships with like-minded business owners, the richer my other relationships have gotten. In the past, I’ve wished that my loved ones understood what I did for a living. That’s no longer their role. My loved ones hold space for me to explore all my other identities and interests. While they’re excited about anything I accomplish career-wise, what they care about most is my company.
If you’re an entrepreneur or a creative of some sort, I encourage you to check in on your relationships. Do you have both kinds of people in your life? How can you cultivate the relationships you need?
I’ll end with a shameless plug. My friend Amelia and I started the Lifestyle Business League because we wanted a community of like-minded business owners at a similar stage as us. It’s a cheat code for business community. 🤗