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.

Hayden Tedder

Especially while I was pregnant, I thought about how nice it would be to be able to take a paid maternity leave. I had to set a lot of money aside and then I didn’t get to take off as much time as I’d have liked to be with my baby. But every situation has its pros and cons. My schedule is extremely flexible, so I’m able to put my baby first when needed. Read more>>

Makeda Brown

There are some days I feel so blessed to be a business owner, and there are some days when I’m wondering wtf I’m doing and if it’s time for me to go back to a regular job. 95% of the time, these thoughts come up because of finances. (And before I share on this, I want to preface this by saying I’m someone who suffers from high-functioning anxiety.) But for me, sometimes, the loss of one client can feel like the end of the world. Even though it never is. Read more>>

Maria Paula Ahumada

ABSOLUTELY. I am very happy as a business owner, but let’s not romanticize the CEO lifestyle too much. As a business owner, we are still functioning under capitalism so the exhaustion and pressure that I have experienced as a first-generation business owner is very real. Just like anything in life there are many positives to being a business owner, just as much as there are negatives. It really comes down to the perspective that you provide each situation. Read more>>

Lana Hickey

I am incredibly happy as a business owner. I love the personal connections that I make daily. I live seeing my regulars and getting to check on them and stay up to date with their lives. Serving is what I love and with my job I get to serve my community everyday. Not only doni serve my community but communities all around. Read more>>

Kailee

I would say that I am definitely happier working as a business owner than I was working at a regular job. I enjoy being a business owner because it is such a rewarding experience. I am very passionate about the health and well being of animals. Having my own store allows me to channel that energy in an impactful way by positively affecting my community. It was disheartening to work a regular job in the pet industry because a lot of business owners do not care about the health and well being of the animals, Read more>>

Karly Alberts

Being self employed has its own unique set of stressors. Sometimes I have a lot of work to do, but life gets in the way, so I find myself pumping out drawings at 4 am. Sometimes I have to start work after the baby goes to bed and get home with a handful of hours to sleep before she wakes up. With that said, I now feel much more fulfilled when I finally lay my head on my pillow at night. Read more>>

Nadine Bian

Since day one of becoming an artist, I have balanced a full-time job while pursuing my art business. The inherent challenges of maintaining both vocations have not eluded me, as each demands a significant investment of my time and resources. Consequently, the constant apprehension regarding the financial viability of my small business has been a constant source of concern. Read more>>

Mary Pacheco

There are times as a business owner when I struggle. Some months in the past barely made enough money to pay my bills. When I was working for a corporation I always had more than enough money to pay my bills and I didn’t have to worry about my business bills and taxes on top of it. Unlike in my portrait studio business, money always came in regular intervals in my old corporate job and I always knew when my next paycheck would be. But even in those hard months I realize how much I love what I do now. Read more>>

Irete Hamdani

After spending 25 years in a comfortable corporate job with a great salary, work-life balance, and supportive colleagues, I decided to take the leap and start my own business. As the founder of askBelynda, I have discovered a new sense of purpose and fulfillment. Read more>>

CHRISTINA GRESSIANU

Most of the time, I love being a business owner. I’m living the dream – time freedom, being my own boss, and making my own rules. Sometimes it’s hard though. I’m sitting alone in front of my computer trying to be cheerful and creative, and it’s just not super fun. Sometimes a client is not happy or someone cancels last minute. Read more>>

Olga Miliuta

I always worked for different music companies in Europe and here in America as a singer and piano and voice teacher and actually i always was thinking it would be great to have my own company. My opinion about teaching process always was different than my companies owners. Read more>>

Jave Christie

Am I happier as a business owner? I most definitely am. I have not been employed in office for almost a decade now and I am only a few years under 30. Do I sometimes think about what it would have been like if I had a regular job? Haha honestly, Yes I talk to myself most days wondering what it would have been like if I still operated under someone else’s wing. Read more>>

Leslie Ameduri

Starting my handcrafted brand and online boutique is one of the best things I could have done for my mental health! To be truthful, it has been financially tricky at times, which can be stressful. The best decision I made early on was to keep my job with a reliable paycheck. I went part-time for the first four years while I launched and built up my brand. It relieved much of the financial stress to be expected in the first few years of starting your own business. Read more>>