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.

Lindsey Villani

As someone who has been both a business owner and have held a “regular” job (quite often even overlapping!), having my own business and being my own boss has given me the greatest sense of accomplishment more so than in any other job. As a very creative person, I have the creative freedom to do whatever I want, whenever I want in my own business. However, owning your own business is not necessarily easier than holding down a “regular” job. Owning your own business is not a 9-5 job, it’s just about 24/7 and it is very demanding and sometimes overwhelming. Read more>>

Kelly O’Connell

As the CEO of my own creative agency, The Kind & Funny Brand Shop, I am so happy that I think I am probably ruined for having a “regular job” for the rest of my life. Being able to follow my passion, to work within my zone of genius, and to partner with clients who inspire me on a regular basis. While I loved working at the Museum of Contemporary Art Denver, I was surrounded by so much creativity and art that I began to wonder what I could create for myself. The first incarnation of Kind & Funny was selling compliment ribbons to bring some light to the world during the pandemic, and from there I was off and running to creating full brand identities for women-owned businesses seeking to stand out. Read more>>

Kayla Daily

I actually did have that job. I was a public elementary school teacher for 10 years. I started my business and was DJing with teaching. I would get out of school around 3:30 and be at a DJing job around 5:30 until 9-10PM and then do it all over again the next day. After Covid, I was exhausted from teaching. I wasn’t happy and wasn’t healthy. I finally took the leap and jump out into the sole businesses owner life and I’ve never been happier. It’s a lot of work. Whatever you put into it, you directly reap the benefits from; the good and bad. But I absolutely love it and could never go back to a 9-5 job. Read more>>

Mina Muraschkin

In my late 20s and early 30s, I seriously considered leaving the creative path. I even applied for regular jobs—one interview stands out where I told them I gave up on being a designer because I didn’t think I was good enough. I ended up getting a great position as a stylist, with wonderful colleagues and even my best friend on the team. But after my first day, I was waiting for the bus and saw a plane flying overhead (the job was near the airport), and I suddenly burst into tears. It felt like I had walked away from my dreams. A couple of months in, I asked to switch to part-time because I couldn’t stop creating on the side. Read more>>

Kya Liann

Honestly, I’m much happier as a business owner, but I’m truly my happiest as a creative first. That’s the piece that grounds me when the to-do list feels endless or burnout creeps in. When I shift my focus back to creating, back to the magic of documenting connection and emotion, it’s like everything else slowly starts to realign. The admin work, the scheduling, the overwhelm… it softens a little when I remember why I’m here in the first place. Read more>>