Most of the lifestyle entrepreneurs that I know started their business because they wanted to make good money, but ultimately work less. Now? Most of them are working far more than they ever did before.
The pivotal problem with being an entrepreneur is the same as with employed corporate work: boundaries. In both cases there are none, unless you set and protect them yourself.
But while it’s obvious when the boss is making unreasonable demands, it’s less obvious when you’re making unreasonable demands of yourself. Instead, you only realize you’ve been doing it when the symptoms become apparent: agitation, impatience, indigestion, altered sleep.
The trick is to spot the snowball and stop it before it gains momentum and becomes an avalanche
I've been in that same boat, Mike! One of the major shifts for me was when I began to hear different people refer to the changing landscape of "social media" to "interest media". Bottom line, I think that's why little pockets of communities like this exist -- to allow truly like minds to come together and share aligned values and ideals. Point being, I hope you don't give up, Good Sir. I'd simply suggest being extremely selective in where and how you operate. Have a blessed day!
It's funny, be best year in business was the calmest, most fun, and lowest overhead. My worst had highest overhead, more drama, least fun. But times have changed, tech has evolved, industry is shifting, so I must also. My chase isn't hustling but relevancy and meaning when it feels my 30 years of experience and expertise can be tapped via AI..
Yessss! I saw an instagram post that said I traded my 9-5 for a 24/7- these people exactly. Yesterday I took my 87 year old mom to a doctor's appointment mid day and was happy to do it - because I can!! This is the freedom I dreamed about. Good post Justin.
This is heartening to me, because I purposefully DON’T do platforms other than LinkedIn. That one platform has created more than enough demand, and I don’t want to work any harder. But the omnipresence of the gung-ho business folks always make me feel inadequate. Maybe they are miserable, I will tell myself now. 🙂 Cheers—
Once you unglue your eyeballs from the feeds and screens, you realize no one cares how hard you are going. They're all going harder themselves. You're the only one judging you, so pick the life you want and focus on doing that. The rest of the online universe won't notice if you are there or not.
I've recently discovered that it's not about being everywhere, but being in the right place, saying and doing the right things. I feel like having a niche when building a personal brand is key, and you can perhaps diversify after. But when you've understood what works, on which platform, for which audience, then you only really need a couple of hours a day to accomplish your goals.
Thank you for this point of view Justin. This post re-iterates for me the question of what do I really want? How do I want my business to be structured? I know that I'm not interested in a large exit or in supervising a large team. The next step for me is figuring out how to scale within the parameters of the lifestyle that I aspire to. No, I do not have it all sorted yet but everyday is another opportunity. Great post. Great insight.
This hits like a cold glass of water in a room full of caffeine.
The uncomfortable truth is most lifestyle entrepreneurs traded one type of hustle for another but now the boss is an algorithm, not a manager. And burnout dressed in “freedom” branding is still burnout.
The line that lands hardest? “You need to decide what you’re actually building.” Because without that clarity, it’s easy to end up running a business that demands more than the job you left.
How do you personally draw the line between enough growth and enough life?
Totally agree. The algorithm doesn't care. It just wants to be fed.
For some, they're okay with the additional time requirement because they want the additional revenue. But sadly, even if they hit some magic revenue goal, they tend to not be content with that and choose to continue the rat race. (Good for them if that's what they truly want.)
For others -- like me -- I think we're okay with finding the balance between time and revenue because we define contentment from a whole different perspective (e.g., we have enough money to do what we want, with who we want, when we want, and without external distractions or commitments.)
I love the idea of thinking about the life you want and then figuring out how to sustain it.
I mapped out my hours so I could be a present mom and that got me really clear. Only 2 years left with them home, and I want to finish my PhD. So it got me real clear on where my time needs to go.
The pivotal problem with being an entrepreneur is the same as with employed corporate work: boundaries. In both cases there are none, unless you set and protect them yourself.
But while it’s obvious when the boss is making unreasonable demands, it’s less obvious when you’re making unreasonable demands of yourself. Instead, you only realize you’ve been doing it when the symptoms become apparent: agitation, impatience, indigestion, altered sleep.
The trick is to spot the snowball and stop it before it gains momentum and becomes an avalanche
Damn, this is a great comment, Glenn. It’s like your inside my head. Well done.
Truth is truth. It all dovetails somewhere :)
Great post, Justin. Enjoying your insights.
Spot on, Glenn
Justin, I feel this DEEPLY.
So deeply that a few months agoI just gave up.
I'd see ads or posts in my social feed and just loathe the message and the person for promoting the hustle and grind.
It's why I joined Unsubscribe...to see if I could reconnect with you and the others and maybe map out a different way.
I hope you can, Mike. I also hope you un-give-up :)
I definitely will un-give-up Justin.
I’m gonna need some help!
I've been in that same boat, Mike! One of the major shifts for me was when I began to hear different people refer to the changing landscape of "social media" to "interest media". Bottom line, I think that's why little pockets of communities like this exist -- to allow truly like minds to come together and share aligned values and ideals. Point being, I hope you don't give up, Good Sir. I'd simply suggest being extremely selective in where and how you operate. Have a blessed day!
That’s a great point of view Justin (Mosley). I woke up this morning admitting to myself that I needed to get off social media as a consumer.
I also looked at last years books compared to this years and I’ve made 36% as much money this year.
Not viewing that as all negative…it just means I have undeniable proof of my earning potential, I just need a better vehicle.
Justin Welsh’s hope for me to “un-give-up” is a good one.
It’s also becoming so difficult for consumers to separate the authentic from the inauthentic with so many just trying to game the systems
It’s nearly impossible.
Amen - Live to work or work to live....
That’s the truth, dude.
I get the same sneaky suspicious too : )
Yep. We all do…
It's funny, be best year in business was the calmest, most fun, and lowest overhead. My worst had highest overhead, more drama, least fun. But times have changed, tech has evolved, industry is shifting, so I must also. My chase isn't hustling but relevancy and meaning when it feels my 30 years of experience and expertise can be tapped via AI..
Funny how it’s so reversed like that. I feel the same way, Melissa.
Yessss! I saw an instagram post that said I traded my 9-5 for a 24/7- these people exactly. Yesterday I took my 87 year old mom to a doctor's appointment mid day and was happy to do it - because I can!! This is the freedom I dreamed about. Good post Justin.
Thanks, Rose. Good on ya for being available to take her!
100% true! Thanks for posting this - I feel this ALL the time, and then maybe second guess myself that I'm just being lazy. But this hits spot on.
I’m so glad it hits.
Yeah being an entrepreneur doesn't exactly scream more family time.
Sometimes it can, but often it doesn’t.
This is heartening to me, because I purposefully DON’T do platforms other than LinkedIn. That one platform has created more than enough demand, and I don’t want to work any harder. But the omnipresence of the gung-ho business folks always make me feel inadequate. Maybe they are miserable, I will tell myself now. 🙂 Cheers—
💌 Amanda
I think it’s the best platform out there at the moment, tbh.
Once you unglue your eyeballs from the feeds and screens, you realize no one cares how hard you are going. They're all going harder themselves. You're the only one judging you, so pick the life you want and focus on doing that. The rest of the online universe won't notice if you are there or not.
Haha. So true, Greg. I’d be forgotten in a day! It’s refreshing knowing that.
I've recently discovered that it's not about being everywhere, but being in the right place, saying and doing the right things. I feel like having a niche when building a personal brand is key, and you can perhaps diversify after. But when you've understood what works, on which platform, for which audience, then you only really need a couple of hours a day to accomplish your goals.
Thank you for this point of view Justin. This post re-iterates for me the question of what do I really want? How do I want my business to be structured? I know that I'm not interested in a large exit or in supervising a large team. The next step for me is figuring out how to scale within the parameters of the lifestyle that I aspire to. No, I do not have it all sorted yet but everyday is another opportunity. Great post. Great insight.
This hits like a cold glass of water in a room full of caffeine.
The uncomfortable truth is most lifestyle entrepreneurs traded one type of hustle for another but now the boss is an algorithm, not a manager. And burnout dressed in “freedom” branding is still burnout.
The line that lands hardest? “You need to decide what you’re actually building.” Because without that clarity, it’s easy to end up running a business that demands more than the job you left.
How do you personally draw the line between enough growth and enough life?
Totally agree. The algorithm doesn't care. It just wants to be fed.
For some, they're okay with the additional time requirement because they want the additional revenue. But sadly, even if they hit some magic revenue goal, they tend to not be content with that and choose to continue the rat race. (Good for them if that's what they truly want.)
For others -- like me -- I think we're okay with finding the balance between time and revenue because we define contentment from a whole different perspective (e.g., we have enough money to do what we want, with who we want, when we want, and without external distractions or commitments.)
I love the idea of thinking about the life you want and then figuring out how to sustain it.
I mapped out my hours so I could be a present mom and that got me really clear. Only 2 years left with them home, and I want to finish my PhD. So it got me real clear on where my time needs to go.