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.

Shelby Horton

Being a business owner comes with its highs and lows, from making impactful decisions to managing various aspects of the company. Occasionally, the thought of a regular job crosses my mind, with its stability and structured routine, but the allure of entrepreneurship’s challenges and rewards remains strong. At the end of the day building something myself outweighs all the pros of a “normal” job. Read more>>

Bre Shaneke

Yes, I am happy as a business owner. I have had a few regular jobs before I took the leap of faith and went full time as a hairstylist. I must admit it’s a lot of things you don’t have to worry about as an employee but as a business owner you have to wear so many hats until you hire someone to fill those spaces. I have thought about getting a job, but I would only do something pertaining to the hair industry, anything outside of that would be a waste of time. Read more>>

Nadine Duncan

I love being an entrepreneur! I would never want to have a regular job again. As an independent contractor and business owner, I have a particular freedom of time that is priceless. Read more>>

Marissa Reich

I have owned my own business for over a decade. And it has allowed me to be very present with my children. Because I make my own work hours, I can show up for everything with them. The downside, is the financial impact. If I take a vacation, I don’t get paid. If I don’t work, I don’t get paid. Read more>>

Olga Savchenko

I am very happy to be the owner of my small local flower business! I quite often recall my past and realize that I had to go the way to my own business that I did. Before becoming a floral designer and opening my own flower business, I worked as the CEO of a retail company in my native Ukraine. It was very cool, interesting, prestigious, and very difficult physically and emotionally. I was a hired manager and managed a large team and a chain of stores. Read more>>

Abigail Henningsen Haley

Having worked alongside two remarkable gallery owners over the span of seven years, I had the privilege of witnessing their relentless dedication and unwavering commitment. Their ceaseless efforts to promote artists and nurture their business were truly awe-inspiring. Initially, I never imagined I would be on a similar path, but life has a way of surprising us. Read more>>

Nicole Martins

The entrepreneur route is not linear. There are so many ups and downs and feelings of “this is my life calling and I love what I do” to “should I take a job somewhere”. And sometimes those thoughts happen in the same day. Read more>>

Angelique Jones

Hey everyone! I wanted to share a little bit about my journey as a mom and how it led me to start not just one, but two amazing businesses. Read more>>

Thea Cheah

Though doubtful at first if being a full time potter can financially support me, I am extremely happy with my choice of being a business owner right now. Read more>>

Kristen Johnson

I am the happiest I’ve ever been! I have had ALOT of jobs. That was part of figuring myself out & what I wanted to do. No matter what job I had, I always would be left with the feeling of something missing. I knew what it felt like to have a job & I never truly enjoyed working for someone else.  Read more>>

Julie Armstrong

Although I am incredibly happy as a business owner, I have thought about what it would be like to have a regular 9-5 job. As a food truck owner, you work a lot of holidays, weekends, and long hours. Sometimes it feels like I never have a day off. On days I don’t have an event and don’t have to to prep, I still have to answer emails, go to the bank, go to the Restaurant Store, fill my propane tanks, fill my generators with gas etc. The list goes on and on. Read more>>

Kelly Cutchin

I’ve never been happier with the work I do, the folks I work with, or the ways I’ve created for me to express myself out loud and on purpose since becoming a business owner. It’s allowed me to really unpack my relationship with my own self-worth and productivity, as well as bolster my relationship with my own creativity. Read more>>

Jaime Castillo

Overall, I love being a business owner. I’d be lying though if I said I never get nostalgic about the days when I had a “regular job.” For me, the pressure of owning a business can become intense. Having to make decisions that impact the lives of all my staff can feel like too much at times. It is also a difficult balancing act to prioritize my employees needs and also the needs of the business. Read more>>

Kat Mulvaney

Since I can remember, I’ve wanted to work for a living building a successful career while gaining happiness in the process. Happiness is a key factor for me. I am doing what I love, loving where I am at. Everyday I’m surrounded with like minded individuals who share the same passion and creativity for this industry. Read more>>

Christopher Molina

Being a business owner is great! The main objective is to go from a self employed business owner to a business owner that can step away and still have your business make money. I think that is the ultimate dream and goal for people who go into business for themselves. We ultimately are driven by the freedoms that come with owning your business. These freedoms give you the ability to come and go as you please and make money everyday. Read more>>

Jessi Arnold

I think most business owners can relate and have had moments where we question our work, our value, and reflect on our long term plan. You start adding up all the hours you invest each week, the constant to-do list, and sometimes wonder if having a full-time job that you can punch in and out of each day would be easier. Read more>>

Dylan Green