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.

Yarelis Rojas

I am happy to say I am extremely happy to be a business owner. I use to work different regular jobs, one being on retail for 15 years. When I went into full-time as a business owner, my biggest fear was not being able yo provide for my family and often wondered if it was the right choice. And it definitely was! I wouldn’t change being a business owner for anything else. Read more>>

Jonathan Claasen

For me, starting a business was a bit like being on a trapeez — there was quite a bit of hanging on for dear life! Read more>>

Karen Landis

2020 was the first time I ever questioned if owning my own business was the right decision for me. It was a time when, for a moment, I wished I wasn’t the person at the top, the “manager” that everyone wanted to talk to and negotiate with. In a sea of unknowns, I was expected to provide certainties and guarantees that didn’t exist. That time felt like trying to grasp for bubbles in a dense fog. Impossible and constantly evolving. I daydreamed about what it would be like to have a corporate job or work for someone else. Read more>>

Stephanie Sands

Yes!! There have been so many factors that have contributed to my happiness in my entrepreneurial journey. First and foremost, pursing my passion has been the KEY to it all. When you genuinely love what you do, it brings a sense of fulfillment and joy that transcends the challenges that come with running a business. So much personal growth and learning is definitely part of the equation of being a business owner and if you are open to that, it just gets better and better. Read more>>

Carolyn Cantu

I think I am a very happy business owner. I have flexibility with my schedule far more than I would as an employee, I get to work with an amazing team every day, I am able to be proactive with issues that arise and take actual steps to fix problems. I love being able to work everyday at something I truly love. Read more>>

Alexandra Arama

Being a business owner has brought me an incredible sense of happiness and fulfillment that I would not trade for anything. I love having the freedom to make my own decisions without having to first go through a system of checks and balances. Read more>>

Aqila Augusta

A lot of people start business intentionally, looking for something lucrative that could bring them success. Most people want to build generational wealth or provide a better life for their family. I started a business accidentally. I was a nurse. I worked 2 full time jobs, so obviously I wanted some financial stability, or maybe I had the stability but I just wanted more finances. When I started Edge Entity, I didn’t have an idea, a name, a business, or anything. Read more>>

Elaina Mitchell

All business owners wonder if they made the right decision to build a business, instead of working a dependable 9-5 job. The thought to look for steady pay was a constant one in my early days of becoming an entrepreneur. The pressure was even higher for me, because I was a single mom to a baby boy…he was depending on me. But, he was also my reason for building a business. Read more>>

Codi & Renee Chen

We are definitely happier as business owners than when we had full-time employment with someone else. Although owning a business can have significant ups and downs, our freedom and autonomy are priceless. Read more>>

Leah Beckett

Both of my parents were entrepreneurs – my mom was a massage therapist and my dad is a veterinarian and farmer – so I was aware that running a business would present challenges and opportunities. I feel lucky that Herd Supply continually inspires me and that I have great customers who have shared values. Herd Supply continues to grow, but it is not my only job and I do not rely on it to earn a living. I have a “normal” job as a city planner, continue to help with my family’s farm, and do some freelance graphic design. Read more>>

Erin Joyner

For the most part, I thoroughly enjoy being a business owner. I have raised four children and still have one at home, and they have always been my priority as well as my marriage and being able to serve at our church. I enjoy what I do and most of our clients are wonderful and appreciate all that we do for them. I was able to build my business slowly and used to do everything myself. Read more>>

Andrew LeClair

I don’t know that I can say that I am “happier” as a business owner. Happiness kind of ebbs and flows as a general rule, and owning a business is a rollercoaster of emotions–even on a daily basis. Read more>>

Elisa Malangone

I am an International Spiritual Medium and Transformational Specialist. When your business is more like a calling, your process becomes an energetic blueprint one surrenders to more so than a strategy one implements. Don’t get me wrong, with a background in religious studies, I came into this kicking a little. Let’s be real. Little girls generally don’t dream of being a psychic medium when they grow up, especially when they are being raised in a fundamentally religious environment. Read more>>

Carrie Newman

I have to be honest and share that I absolutely love being a business owner. There were many days that I dreamed about what I might do and what business I would start. It has always been in my heart and it is so fulfilling to achieve a long desired goal. I don’t wonder about what it might be like to have a regular job because I still work full time. Read more>>

Jaysalee Salcedo

Sometimes, I ponder what it would be like to pursue a conventional job. Society often portrays it as the safe and right choice, but it doesn’t resonate with me. I find more fulfillment in being my own boss and earning a living through my passions. This path, for me, signifies a distinct kind of success and happiness, unlike the rush to retire from a typical job. Read more>>

Charles “Eclipse” Barnes, Jr

Business ownership is something that I have always dream of. Though confident in my skills as a music arts therapist and lyricist, going into business for myself proved quite intimidating. Read more>>