Being a business owner isn’t easy. There are amazing highs, but the lows are often quite intense as well. Somedays it feels like the problems never stop – regardless of how much success you achieve. The problems just grow, evolve, morph. So we asked business owners if they sometimes wonder what it would be like to just have a regular job and have shared some of the highlights below.

Linda Manias

Owning a business has been an opportunity to expand on my passion, be myself, and to turn ideas into reality. Watching a customer bite into a delicious recipe that we developed is extremely gratifying. Being a small business allows me to be closer to the community, which has been a beautiful experience. Read more >>>

Kelly Shepard

I am very honored to be a business owner. There is something so rewarding about building something from the ground up and watching it blossom and flourish. Having said that, having your own business requires risk, a lot of time, and so much mental energy. Sometimes, I do ‘daydream’ about having a normal job where I can clock out for the day and be done. Read more >>>

Tawfiq Abdulaziz

I am happier owning a business. Having experienced both sides, having a job does create a semblance of stability and security. Owning your business comes with more stress and anxiety. Business challenges my spirit more than anything. Am I capable? How well can I compete in the market? These questions can lead to remembering what my work-life was like as a nurse. Read more >>>

Andrea Feinberg

I last had a job, a regular paycheck, and paid benefits, in 1988. I was blessed that it was a great, rewarding job with a superb company, Standard & Poor’s Corporation. Read more >>>

Allison Maletz

I’ve known since I was a child that I would be an artist. It was one of the few things I succeeded at – in all facets. There were so many other subjects in school that were challenges, but excelling at art was easy for me. Read more >>>

Makena Delaney

I really am happy as a business owner. I love the autonomy and freedom that come with it. Of course there are times when it feels like you’re glued to the computer or like the work never shuts off, but honestly, at similar pay levels in corporate jobs, I think people face the same problem of not being able to fully disconnect. Read more >>>

Anca Platon Trifan

I actually tested that question for myself last year. I took what you’d call a “regular job” to see if maybe I was craving stability over the constant hustle of business ownership. Within a few months, the answer became crystal clear: I’m not built to be employable. Read more >>>