What even is a “regular” job? Semantics aside, the heart of our question is about those moments when the stress of entrepreneurship is mounting – do you ever sit back and wonder what if you had just been working for someone else, what life would have been like without all the stress?

Melanie Ammerman

I am very happy being a business owner. I have had brief (very brief) instances where I’ve questioned that – is the load and uncertainty worth the freedom and fulfillment it provides? Those instances were so brief because my automatic intuitive reaction is always a resounding “yes.” The questioning comes in mostly when there is a move we need to make, but I’m not sure what the right move is that will help the business continue to thrive and support all the people within it. That thought also has come in when there is a difficult situation that needs to be addressed that is also surrounded by uncertainty as you are affecting people’s lives a lot of time. Both scenarios weigh heavily because while we do have to put the business first a lot of times to protect it and all that’s within it, we, as business owners, do still have hearts for how our business decisions affect other people. It’s really great to have a business partner that’s a counterpart for making the tough calls, and at our company, we always say “everything is figureoutable.” So, we have the attitude that we will solve the problem in the best way that we can that makes the most sense across the board. We have found that even if a decision that was made wasn’t the best one, we are able to pivot and correct at that point. We don’t have the mindset of giving up and we will always make the changes that’ll set us on the better path forward. Read more>>

Cypress Willett

I am SO much happier as a business owner! But that doesn’t mean that I don’t still sometimes miss the regularity of a bimonthly paycheck! I love being my own boss and I love believing in what I do. I am not, at any time, forced to do something that I don’t believe can help my clients which is something I did have to do regularly while I still worked for a corporate hospital system. The downside of that freedom is that I don’t have anything to fall back on when business is slow. I don’t have a corporate budget for advertising. This can be scary at times and it sometimes makes me think about going back into working for someone else. But every time I think that, something happens to help me through my little crisis and I feel better. It feels like I am supported by the Universe…or whatever supports us through this life. Like I’m on the right track and I need to just keep going. Read more>>

Martini Duran

Being a business owner is nothing short of rewarding, however I would be lying to you if I said it was all sunshine and rainbows! The death of my business partner/ father of my child really set me back a ways. Despo0ndent and depressed, I really felt like there was no where to turn to with the only option being to give up and get a regular job. I craved normality, I craved peace in which I had not found in any corners or any avenues I was searching for. Time and time again I thought about giving up, but we built and grew this business from the ground up so giving up was never an option. I picked myself up, dusted myself off, and decided that in order to keep things running, I had to KEEP GOING. I was not about to let my partners blood sweat and tears go to waste, and with the help of my best friend Amber, we rebranded, rebuilt, and used the very foundation of my partners life work to create something beautiful, something intimate, something inspiring: that is Houses of the Holy Tattoos, where every client that comes in here is treated like family. Read more>>

Vanessa Montiel

I’m definitely happier as a business owner , I have always juggled two jobs to maintain the life I want my children to have and I have shown myself that with my business I can take off and work around my children as needed. Working for someone has also shown me how sometimes working for someone else can be very stressful when it comes to being a mom. Children get sick unexpectedly and when you work for yourself it’s so easy to say , hey I’m sorry I have to reschedule and my clients totally understand me because that is definitely not common for me, when it comes to working for someone they ask so many questions to where you almost feel guilty for leaving. That’s where I gave myself a life lesson that the only way my life was going to be on my terms was going full throttle into what I have created which was VanessAesthetics! I have my freedom and I’m able to make my clientele happy and meet my personal life half way In the most respectful and peaceful way. Theirs nothing like owning your own business , making your own hours and enjoying your life on your own terms. Read more>>

Lizbeth Zuniga

I wouldn’t have it any other way. Being a business owner has brought me an incredible sense of happiness and fulfillment that I wouldn’t trade for anything else. One of the most rewarding aspects of being an entrepreneur is the freedom to choose my clients and form a team that shares my values and beliefs. Working with clients whose vision aligns with mine allows me to build long-term partnerships and strong relationships, which is far more important to me than just focusing on billable hours. Surrounding oneself with greatness is a principle I strongly believe in, and relationships are the foundation of our company. Being able to stay true to my principles and identity is a privilege that being an entrepreneur provides. Read more>>

Anulika Agu

Owning a business has definitely impacted my life for the better! However, don’t be fooled! Owning a business is no walk in the park at all. I always joke that I had no idea what I was getting myself into when I started a business. The product and passion was there, but you start to realize that you are always on the clock as a business owner. I recently was fortunate to move my home-based business into a shop in May 2023. Around this time, we were also getting an influx of orders due to viral TikTok videos. Between getting the shop together, keeping up with shipping, making/posting content, and now having overhead expenses, it was lot! I remember having a moment and thinking how much stress-free things would be if I could just clock-in and-out and not have to worry about managing a business as a whole. It does get overwhelming at times, but this is why I emphasis the importance of self care and off days to avoid burnout and breakdowns. I still wouldn’t change being a business owner because the positives greatly outweigh the negatives. My business has truly been a blessing in my life. I love the woman I have become due to The Flower Plugg and I get to do something that I’m passionate about daily! Read more>>

Tarikh Brown

I still work a full time job and work for myself. I’m in the process of working for myself full time as going to work then driving two hours to perform in Denver has drained me a lot. I dream big daily so I either start my day making a beat or drawing a comic page. After I got comfortable creating more and more. I started to get more opportunities to work in the arts. My goal in life has been to live a comfortable life off my art. It’s been a journey for sure. After I leave my next job I don’t plan to work another regular job every again. Read more>>

Sharon Phantha

I have been running my small business since 2011, which was around the time of my start into motherhood. Owning my own business has allowed me to operate from home while simultaneously raising each of my four children, which has been the greatest blessing of my life. It’s been over a decade full of milestone moments, growth, some success, and some hardships. Despite the struggles, I am definitely most happiest being a business owner because it has allowed me the flexibility in life that a regular job could never allow. You will never get that time back with your children, and my proudest moments in life have been with my family and not so much in business. Read more>>

Acacia Rayford

I love being a business owner. It has allowed me to learn and grow in ways I never would have imagined. Before owning my own businesses, I worked in retail for about 12 years. It definitely taught me a lot about running my own business but I also felt very lost and unhappy. I wanted to be able to be there for my kids more and overall enjoy life. So I haven’t thought about what it would be like to have a regular job in a long time and I hope to never have to because I love getting to pursue my dreams. Read more>>

Flora Tromelin

I love my life as a business owner! Don’t take me wrong: it is not easy. Many people think that you are living a great life when you own your business, that you can do whatever you want whenever you want it. That is partly true. But the reality is that I work hard, many hours. All the successful entrepreneurs that I know work far more hours than full-time employees, and earn far less. It is also very difficult to take any real time off when you are a consultant and you have to deliver regularly. Read more>>

Jade Baker-Perez

I think that my happiness as a business owner really depends on the week, and sometimes even the day! If I am having a busy week and connecting really well with my clients, then I feel excited and that keeps me motivated. When things are going good, it’s easy for me to be happy and feel confident in my choice to start my own business. On the other end, it can be really challenging to balance everything and please everyone all the time. I think that in order to be “happy” in business, you almost have to enjoy feeling uncomfortable and embrace all the feelings of uncertainty that come with it. My life was definitely easier when I clocked in and out, but I have learned so much about myself by starting my own business. Part of the fun for me is not knowing exactly what the future holds, but that can also feel overwhelming. Read more>>

Brooke Santos

I was fortunate to work for Target for years and it taught me how to be really operationally efficient. I then was recruited to Tiffany & Co as a Sales Executive where I learned how to cater to niche markets. Next I went to Ann Taylor and Loft to run Stores and enjoyed all of the day-to-day routines and crazy-fun-filled holidays for years. And then I finished my career with Macy’s as a Regional Director where I learned how to manage tons of priorities in tons of markets across the USA. Those 25 years in National Retailing gave me amazing learning experiences and training that has set me up for success for my entire life. Back in 2017 when I started I Speak Boutique, my goal was to help women owned boutiques grow and thrive. Since then, I have worked with over 600 small businesses and I have been able to share my knowledge, expertise and examples from my 30 years of working in this industry. Read more>>

Joelle Prisco

I was an elementary school teacher for 13 years. I thought this was my career path for life. However, after the unpredictable year 2020 brought this world, I started to realize that life is too short. I placed more importance on my mental health and truly what made me happy, and if that meant leaving a secure job, then that was what I had to do! Read more>>

Aaron Friedland

Am I happier as a business owner? Should I compare my current station in life to the young and naive boy I was at 23 – broke, aimless, but adventurous? Or to the alternative reality I might otherwise now be having as a 32 year old tucked snuggly into the corporate structure of benefits, security, and promotion? In either case, I can say that in ways I certainly am happier than I was then, or would be. The idealistic youngster that couldn’t hold down a big boy job even after 4 years of ‘business school’ had his reckless and unhinged fun at the expense of stability, but the lack thereof made for years of uncertainty and dread about what the future as a real adult would hold. I think it was hard to be truly ‘happy’ given this inner turmoil. I can’t dismiss that younger version of myself, though, as simply a dreamer. He was chasing something that couldn’t be attained within the structure of a 9 – 5 office job with the attendant requisites of business travel and limited paid time off. That chase led to extended time spent exploring Asia and Latin America, music and foreign language. Passions such as these are what bring real meaning to me, and having the time to explore them inspired me to craft a lifestyle which included work that aligned with, and supported their place in my life. Read more>>

Mary Nauta

We are incredibly happy being business owners. We love to travel and explore the world and being business owners has enabled us to have the freedom to go and do. Together we have had the privilege of going to two continents and many different countries. My brother in law has more of a “regular job.” The other day he made a comment about using his paid time off. It made me realize that PTO, benefits, and sick leave are a few things we have given up by owning our own business. That being said, owning and operating our Salon Woof is a privilege we would never want to give up. Read more>>

 Kaylie Roth

Am I happy as a business owner? I would say absolutely. Yes, there are stresses that come with it some days but, I honestly wouldn’t change it for the world. I sometimes think about what it would be like to have a regular job for sure. The last time a thought about that was last year though. It was during the time when things were pretty stagnant with my business in the growing period and I was questioning if my dream was even worth it. I was sitting at home in the backyard thinking about how my kiddos were growing up and they were going to start school in the next few years; I really needed to question whether or not it all was worth it or if I should go to a normal day to day job again. In the end? I kept pushing and working hard and it was a hundred precent worth the hard. Read more>>

Morgan Chavis

WOW! This is an amazing question. If there is a business owner out there saying they never thought about having a “regular job” during the inception of their business, the infancy phases or even in a period of scaling I can confidently say I’d call it a stretch from the truth. I get on indeed maybe once a month with the mindset that it would be easier to work for someone else. Before I can even complete an application I begin thinking of all the things that will be wrong with the job I found. There is nothing more rewarding than working for myself. My business has the values I value. It has the culture with which I identify. It has the team I selected and the products I want to sell. Everything about my business is how I want it to be and that feeling is one that makes all the difficult days worth the struggle. I am definitely happier as a business owner than when I was climbing the corporate ladder. In my book, Leap Off The Ladder, I discuss how lost I was feeling before taking the leap of faith to pursue my passion. I do not regret my decision to be an entrepreneur. Read more>>

Alexis Phillips

I have been in management roles for the last ten years, most of which are well known corporations. The last corporate job I had, I ended up quitting because I was tired of myself and my coworkers not being treated fairly. They did try to get me to come back and work for them by giving me a promotion and a pay raise. I decided more money wouldn’t fix these issues. I stuck to my decision to leave my job. My husband (boyfriend at the time) was completely supportive. So no, I no longer wonder what it would be like to have a regular job. This is the first time in my life I have fully enjoyed what I do. Read more>>

Emily Duffelmeyer

I don’t really think about achieving happiness in my work. Happiness does not seem like the right unit of measurement. The questions I ask myself instead are, “Is this work meaningful to me?” and “Can I *really* make a living doing this?” I don’t always have answers to these questions but the practice of asking them helps guide my decisions and forces honesty. Read more>>

 Jill Ferrari

Renovare Development was launched in 2019 to develop transformational projects that serve a deep community need. Our strategy was to find potential commercial real estate development opportunities such as workforce housing and mixed-use projects that could take advantage of federal stimulus dollars that would soon be coming down from the federal government. However, the COVID pandemic changed our business trajectory. Our access to investment dollars was impacted significantly, and we faced issues in our attempts to raise organizational equity. I remember looking at job postings during that time, wondering what the stress level would be for a person in each of those positions. I was longing for stability, certainty and peace of mind. But a wise friend once told me that almost everything is temporary. In late 2021 we closed with our current investors, and our path forward has been strong since then. Looking back, I am very glad that I stayed the course and did not make the decision to take a full time job. Read more>>

Indigo Moore

In a sense, yes. And I’d call myself an entrepreneur. Im not a business owner… yet. I was just talking with my partner about this. And for myself, I occasionally think about going back to a “regular” job. I think it’d be easier/less stressful at first. As you apply for thé job and hrs you want, they tell you what to do and then you start showing up day in and day out, your days start to become repetitive. Not much critical thought or valuable conversation goes into it. At least in my experiences of a “regular” job. I’d rather struggle on my own time than struggle to be punctual for someone else. The questions we should ask ourselves, “what struggles are you willing to struggle with?” Showing up for someone to do a job day in and day out, is even more mentally and physically draining in the long run, than having to show up for myself and better myself. Read more>>

Dominique Gonzales

I participated in the Milestone Circles program sponsored by the Nasdaq Entrepreneurial Center. During our first onboarding session, we were led through a visualization. The facilitator asked us to visualize our perfect work day as a business owner. I thought I would struggle with this visualization because there wasn’t much prompting. I was pleasantly surprised to see a very clear picture of my perfect work day and all of the details in the day. Read more>>

 Joanna Kim

I am sure every smaller business owner like myself starts a business with passion, confidence, and hope. But when we face unexpected challenges like unprepared reality, for example, have to be at a business open till closed if not physically, my mind nonstops running to picturing what would happen, staff showing up on time, enough supplies for the night, A/C running okay, Sink /toilet clog again, etc etc.. I don’t have to think about this stuff if I am an employee at a regular job. right? Business doesn’t run by itself if someone in charge isn’t there. In smaller businesses like mine, we can’t afford to have different divisions/departments to divide work and responsibility. Everyone has to work as a team including owners. I bartend and serve customers too. I could have more staff If the owner working a busy night as a bartender doesn’t look good but who cares? I’d rather help my staff so they can have at least a dollar more for tips than divide tips with more staff. I had a regular 9-6 job in NYC when I was in my twenties to thirties. It was a fashion design company. when designers design clothes and the styles passed to company committees, it comes to my desk to measure design to meet the company’s brand fit. basically, my job was to make drawing for wearable clothing and send them to the sample department to make actual clothing so our fit model can wear it for fitting. I was just working on what was on my desk and when I am done, I am going home. I miss that job!! Lol. but I have no regret for opening a business and I love my business. Read more>>

Caroline Lindskov

I am extremely happy as a business owner. It is tough being in charge of everything within the business. Maintaining a good and close relationship with customers whilst building and expanding a brand. I didn’t want to work 5 days a week for someone else, so now I work 24/7 haha. With that being said, it has always been my dream to work on my own terms and to have been so lucky to make that dream come true, I am grateful for the struggle. Read more>>

David England

Discovering the world of photography and owning my own business has been a rewarding journey. Through my work, I get to tell captivating stories without using words, and it has taken me to incredible places around the globe. Read more>>

Janice Steffen

I aboustly love what I do . I was always told as a child if you love what you do for a living you will never work a day in your life.
I don’t call it work it’s fun and we create lots of new drinks and we keep the client in mind when we do.Read more>>

Jacob Myers

I think all the time about what it would be like going back to work as an employee. Each and every day as a business owner really test my patience and perseverance. It’s literally living out the phrase of feast or famine some days. It’s absolutely phenomenal and great/amazing. Some days it can be an absolute pain in the butt! I guess what really gets the stress going Is that the amount of assets that you’ve got to keep in motion and keep working is just mind-boggling compared to just being employee where you just show up and use what you’ve been given and go work. In landscape maintenance and in the trucking, there’s so much machinery tools parts, and equipment that goes into just for filling one job that to keep that all in working order up to government regulation, etc. is such a pain. Read more>>

Cici Zhao

As a business owner, I feel extremely happy and fulfilled. Being an independent business owner has many advantages, but the most significant one is having plenty of time to plan your schedule. Unlike having a regular job, being a business owner allows you to wake up late and work late, as you may find more business inspiration at midnight. You don’t need to worry about time wasted in traffic or getting to the office late. That, in my opinion, is one of the happiest reasons for owning your business. Read more>>