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.

Darrin Eakins

I am 100% happy as a business owner. There are many elements to juggle and tasks that need to be completed each day. It can be very stressful at times but I never lose sight of the overarching goal of the company. Emotional intelligence is key for me in business. I am able to identify certain traits and let go of the stressors that are out of my personal control. I also do not compare my business to others, as my business model is different and cannot truly be measured equally. While, yes, it is important to keep an eye on the competition, outside businesses are out of reach, so in this respect, making comparisons is never a benefit regarding my happiness. Read more>>

Emely Williams

While I often rave about owning my own business, the thought does cross my mind on what life might be like these days with a typical 9 to 5 job. I don’t necessarily wish for a completely different life, however, there are aspects of a “regular” job that are tempting when you work for yourself. The last time this thought ran through my brain was during my driest season. Read more>>

Kortnee VanCleave

Just like anything else, running your own business has its perks and fallbacks. Some of the perks are that I have control over most everything from the services I offer, the products I decide to retail, the music that plays and who gets to sit in my chair and who doesn’t. My absolute favorite perk is that I make my own schedule mirror my son’s schedule so I can be there for him more often than not and I am extremely blessed to have that option. The drawbacks are kind of doozies like having to organize your own health insurance, retirement and all of the expenses that come with owning everything on top of paying taxes every year, which is all just a part of life and having to make responsible decisions but I would have to say the biggest drawback is not getting any sick days or PTO. Read more>>

Alyssah Jillett

Starting Cookies & Crumbles Bake Shop is one of the best decisions I have made. It started with watching some videos of people decorating sugar cookies and I thought to myself, I bet I could do that! So for my birthday in 2019, I purchased some basic supplies and began practicing! The original plan was to stick with decorated sugar cookies only, but as requests for cakes began to trickle in, I decided to give that a go as well. Read more>>

Aubrey Walker

A business owner has been the most amazing thing that I have took on in life. I wouldn’t trade my business for anything. I have built this name and I love what I do. I’m hairstylist who works with natural hair, weaves and more. I also sell hair products, hair growth oil, and eyelashes as well. I’ve been a full time business owner going on two years now and I haven’t looked back at a job since. I have encountered slow days but I’ve found ways to promote, work on social media branding on my slow days. I also make money in my sleep because clients book sun up to sun down. It’s an amazing feeling and I’m very grateful. Read more>>

Rachel Greiman

I just assume that any business owner, happy or not, applies for a full-time job at least once every few years. It is so unbelievably hard to run your own business. Everything lives in your brain and your brain alone. Unless you’ve scaled a significant amount, you are the only one who cares about growing the business in new an interesting ways. All the ideation and execution lands on your shoulders. I adore my job and it’s still exhausting. Sometimes I crave being able to go to an office, brainstorm with other creatives, and share the load of responsibility. Read more>>

Renee Davis

Let me just start by saying I love being a business owner. Being my own boss is amazing. Do I wonder what it would be like to have a regular 9-5 job? Yes but mostly just to have the steady paycheck. Especially in times like now how prices are rising being worried about paying bills and such crosses my mind a lot. I do this full time so when there are people who cancel last minute really make me worried because I was obviously was depending on that session for income. Read more>>

Angela Krauss-Coryell

To be honest I really never thought I would become a business owner. I always thought I would work for a company doing photography or even having a “regular 9-5” and doing photography on the side. I think the moment hit me that I wanted to start my own photography business was back in early 2019. I was working for a company that provided photography sessions to guests at high end hotels. I’d photograph families, couples, etc. around the hotel property, edit their pictures the same day; Read more>>

Trish O’Neill

I have found that happiness as a business owner is directly proportional to its success. When things are going great I feel like starting my own business was the smartest, most wonderful decision I’ve ever made. When the business is struggling, I feel like it was a terrible decision! What I wasn’t prepared for is the intensity of the emotional ups and downs of business ownership. Read more>>

Victor Giraldo

Being a business owner has been a unique experience for me. It comes with its fair share of ups and downs but it is, without a doubt, extremely fulfilling. On the one hand I have a freedom I’ve never experienced when previously working for employers. I always think back to how it felt when having to ask permission to leave work for an emergency. Asking permission for anything really did not make me feel good because it was always an inconvenience to someone, but now it feels great to be able to pick my schedule and live on my own terms. Read more>>

Ashley Prince

I truly love being a business owner. I am proud of what I have built and I have no desire to ever get a regular job. Bonus, I get to be home with my kids. They don’t know what it is like to not have mom at home and I work very hard to make sure they never do. It is not easy by any means and it can be easy to get discouraged but it is worth it knowing this business is mine. Read more>>

NeOsha Chin

I thoroughly enjoy being a business owner. However, I am not only a business owner, but an employee as well. I am a registered nurse at one of the most prestigious cancer centers in the world. Being a business owner and an employee has given me great insight regarding who my customers are, their needs, as well as employee/ management relationships. I interact with health care professionals of all backgrounds on a daily basis. Read more>>

Tyler Stargell

Being a business owner isn’t easy at all. At times as a stylist(braider) , we have slow seasons. In that time money isn’t flowing like it does in the summer etc. As a business owner there are times where I contemplate getting a job just for money purposes ! Once you sit back and think about the pros and cons, for me the cons always help me understand why I became a entrepreneur! I don’t have to ask for permission I just do it ! Read more>>

Sheena Lewis

I am extremely happy as a business owner! This is literally THE BEST decision I could’ve made for myself, my family, my career, mental health and happiness overall. I’ve spent my entire life working for someone else so when I made the decision to step out on faith and quit my job in the corporate world it was very scary. Being an entrepreneur is a full time job because there is literally always work to be done and right now I’m just a one person business. Read more>>

Natali Medlen

Prior to becoming a personal trainer I was a medical assistant for nine years. In 2011 I did my first competition and fell in love with fitness. It didn’t dawn on me to became a trainer until my coach encouraged me to get my certification. Honestly, I should have known because I had played twelve different sports growing up. There was and still is so much I want to try because exercise comes in many forms. Read more>>

Tameika Isaac Devine

I am happier as a business owner. It is sometimes challenging but it is so worth it. Being a business owner means you set your own schedule, you can impact how much money you make and you can make decisions about investing in the community. All of that make it worth it to me, especially as a working parent. Flexibility is very important to me. I want to be able to take off and spend time with my kids when I want, I want to be able to bring them to work with me when I need to and I am able to show them what it is like to be an entrepreneur. Read more>>

Alexandria Hollowell

I am very happy as a business owner, even though it brings many challenges. I often think about what it would be like to have a regular job but then I think about my employee track record and I realize that I faced many challenges. Primarily due to having such high leadership characteristics within myself. That this would cause tension as a result. There was already a system in place and I was always the one to point out growth areas within the structure. This was not received well by management 95% of the time. Read more>>