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Understanding and Confronting Loneliness in Entrepreneurship

Updated: Apr 8


 

Article Summary

Does entrepreneurship feel lonely to you? If so, you're not alone in this feeling and we're talking about it this week on the podcast. Charelle Griffith shares her journey into entrepreneurship and the challenges of loneliness in the business world. From hesitating to start her business all the way to being featured on BBC, Charelle shares the details about how she's navigated loneliness as well as visibility as an entrepreneur as well. We get into all the feelings and ups and downs along the way. Charelle also shares the many approaches she tried to combat the loneliness and how you can try different things to see what works for you. It's not a one-size-fits-all solution but this conversation will give you actionable tips to support you.


Takeaways

  • Navigating Loneliness as an Entrepreneur

  • Strategies to Combat Loneliness

  • Overcoming the Fear of Failure

  • The Impact of Personal Development on Business Success


**This was also a podcast episode (episode #236). If you'd like to listen to this conversation, use the link below.



Ep. 236: [Charelle Griffith] Entrepreneurial Loneliness: Navigating & Strategies To Overcome This Challenge


 

Navigating Loneliness as an Entrepreneur


"The loneliness is the hardest part for me." - Charelle Griffith


"I didn't combat it (loneliness) in the beginning..." - Charelle Griffith


"You're also working out, do I need to change things in the business or do I need to change things outside the business?" - Charelle Griffith



Ideas To Combat Loneliness In Entrepreneurship


  • Group programs with live calls and community

  • Find business-besties

  • Look locally for connections

  • Walk your dog on a daily basis

  • Join a mastermind

  • Tap into your hobbies and find groups related to them


"You'll have to try different things. It's different for everyone. How much interaction do you need and how deep do you want the connection to be." - Charelle Griffith


"Most people don't realize that you can talk to people all day but you might not actually see people all day." - Charelle Griffith


"Just because something doesn't work doesn't mean it's a failure. There's a difference between something failing and you being a failure." - Charelle Griffith



Visibility In Entrepreneurship

"Speaking out is difficult but doing it on TV was very different." - Charelle Griffith


"Lots of people reached out (in support) but I'll be honest, I had lots of weirdos too." - Charelle Griffith


"Some people don't want to be honest about being lonely because people can be weird online...this can stop people from wanting to be visible online." - Charelle Griffith


The one place I really struggled with being visible was LinkedIn because it included everyone I had worked with before. I was so nervous before the first time...it was absolutely sickening." - Charelle Griffith


"At some point you'll have to push through it if you want to advance your business." - Charelle Griffith


"I went through a phase where I said "I need to make myself sick once a week"...I needed a way to measure how I was pushing myself forward." - Charelle Griffith


"Accountability is taking total ownership of your actions no matter what the outcome is." - Amanda McKinney


Computer sitting on a desk


Personal Development Helps Loneliness In Entrepreneurship

"It's been 9 years since I started the book club but at first there was only 1 person in it. My one friend." - Charelle Griffith


"Your business only grows as much as you do." - Charelle Griffith


"The book club is for people who want to grow personally so it allows everyone to connect with like-minded people." - Charelle Griffith


"It's really interesting to me that on the whole there are certain book titles that women don't read. One was the 48 Laws of Power. I remember when we read it and people struggled with it. But I told everyone (all women) 'I don't care if you're struggling, but I'm telling you that the boss that you hate, read that book so you need to, too." - Charelle Griffith


"If you don't read the book, someone is using it against you. I'm not saying you have to use the tactics but you want to know them." - Charelle Griffith


"We're reading completely different books but we're trying to play the same game. It doesn't work." - Charelle Griffith



Take Away Message / Action


Whatever you're avoiding because it feels uncomfortable, if you know it's the thing that will move your business forward, it's time to take action. Whether it's fear of loneliness and you don't want to start your business, or it's being worried about visibility and showing up online, or it's pushing through the mental barriers of learning about money because it's scary to dig into the numbers, or something completely different, it's time. Identify one action that you can take on a weekly basis and make it a priority.


If you need support, find a coach. If that's not in your budget, find a partner who will hold you accountable. And if neither of those are accessible, set a metric to track and commit to tracking it weekly. Your success is worth pushing yourself out of your comfort zone.


Until next time, give yourself permission to be uncomfortable and grace along the way. I'll talk to you soon.



About Charelle:

Charelle Griffith is a Chartered Marketer, award-winning content marketer and blogger, and online business mentor. Through her business, CharelleGriffith.com, Charelle provides marketing and business growth consulting, mentoring and training to help service-based business owners to improve their marketing, accelerate their business growth and build a business they love (and that pays them properly). Outside of her business, Charelle loves to read non-fiction books. She is the founder of PropelHer's Book Club (a non-fiction online book club for ambitious women), has a book blog and co-host the book club segment of the Making Good Podcast.


Charelle's Links:



Other Resources:



Ep. 236 - [Charelle Griffith] Entrepreneurial Loneliness: Navigating & Strategies To Overcome This Challenge

"Just because something doesn't work doesn't mean it's a failure. There's a difference between something failing and you being a failure."


- Charelle Griffith











 

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