What even is a “regular” job? Semantics aside, the heart of our question is about those moments when the stress of entrepreneurship is mounting – do you ever sit back and wonder what if you had just been working for someone else, what life would have been like without all the stress?

Jessica Kidd

Being a business owner can be challenging. Some days I am extremely happy, and some days I am anxious, overwhelmed and feel like I may have made the wrong decision. Managing a large salon team, large clientele and the business itself, can be a heavy workload. Not only was my mental health impacted, but my physical health suffered also. I got to a breaking point where I wanted to quit and get a full-time job somewhere. Read more>>

Jen Shank Gunn

Whether it’s posting IG stories on my actual wedding day (got to ‘beat’ that algorithm!) or missing family hang night in order to finish a rush order (already a full day late!)– my life is not my own. Sometimes I daydream what it would be like to watch a show on the couch with my beautiful husband, on any given night. Heck, if I had a ‘regular job’ I would have a start and a stop to my day, not to mention tasty delicious benefits (Oh to have a dental plan!), and PAID (?!) leave. Read more>>

Kalyn Bell

I am happier as a business owner for sure. I love being able to connect with anyone, building my own schedule, and educating others on what I have been through. I also work a full-time job during the week, the typical 9 to 5. It is very difficult to balance it all. I am so lucky that my current clients understand my schedule and are willing to work with me outside of my full-time job. Since I work in a corporate setting and run my own business, I know that I want to stick with being my own boss. It will take hard work to make my business full-time. Read more>>

Shannon K Dougherty

Let me be perfectly honest, if you would of asked me when I was younger if I’d ever have and run my own business…I’d think you were talking about someone else. I grew up incredibly shy and it was hard to break out of my shell or speak up in crowds. Feeling that way made it hard to know what I wanted to do career wise. I thought it was easiest to just work in an office but I was bored. During my last semester of college, I started to bartend at a super busy bar. Long story short with that job, Read more>>

K.T. Braxton

I think about what it would be like receiving a steady paycheck and benefits more times than I can count throughout the week. Happiness is transient, while true joy is constant. I find joy in living in my purpose. Some days running businesses has me ready to run for the hills -I MEAN BOOK IT, but when I worked retail there were times I wanted to take off as well. It is really important to me to emphasize that owning a business and being employed by a business are simply different paths not one being better than the other. Entrepreneurship is truly a calling. Read more>>

John Wilkinson

I absolutely love what I do and I love all the different pieces that go into creating a great event. I started my career as a graphic designer, and then moved into marketing a few years later. Although I love doing these things, doing it day in and day out on someone else’s schedule without taking the time to check in with myself & my happiness quickly became draining. I was always fine putting in the work at my job, but I never liked the routine of a 9-5 job. Having my own company means that not one day looks the same. Read more>>

Dishane Daniels

Yes I am happier being a business owner. I know what it feels like to have a regular job. Having a regular job never made me feel good . A regular job for me was what I had to do to provide for my family. A job also keep me a float while I begin to work on starting and growing my business. Once I got my business off the ground a bit I transition into my business full time and haven’t looked back sense. Read more>>

Emily Carpenter

There are pros to having a regular job as well as pros to being a business owner. I believe having a regular job would force me to be fully present once I arrive at home, to where I wouldn’t be tempted to edit images, be on phone calls, or be sending emails with my kids awake. Another pro to me would have to be that I would then be entitled to paid leave, along with a fixed schedule. Read more>>

Erin Berger

I am SO happy being a business owner! There is so much freedom. I get to work the way I want to work in terms of when I work and how I work. It has been extremely beneficial to both my mental and physical health as well as my overall happiness. But…. there are times when I almost romanticize working a regular 9-5. I think about how nice it was to walk out the door and leave those work responsibilities behind me. Read more>>

Elaine Burgalin.

Becoming a business owner has been the absolute best thing I could ever do. All it truly takes is for you to believe in yourself. Working between the hours of 9am until 6pm everyday was exhausting. It seemed like it was taking me away from what I am most passionate about. Didn’t seem like I had enough time that I needed to dedicate to all the inventory I’ve invested in. As well as all my residential and commercial clients. Read more>>

Lacey Keigley

I am happier as a business owner than I was working for someone else. Setting my own schedule – as in, deciding how I spend the actual hours of my day – is more valuable to me than the bottom line. I like deciding what gets my attention and how MUCH of my attention that particular something gets. Of course, nearly every week I think about what it might be like to NOT own my own business. To have a “guaranteed” income and having someone to fall back on if that income doesn’t come through – something that feels more “steady”. Read more>>

Anneke Marie

Happier is an understatement. When I was working my corporate job, I would day dream about everything else I could be doing. Honestly, I was miserable, I was depressed. I longed for the freedom to focus on my personal business goals. Working for myself has made me happier but I don’t want anyone to think it is easier. I have to show up as my self self for my client all the time. I can’t do the bare minimum and still get paid. It’s hard work and longer hours but I wouldn’t trade working for myself, for anything else. Well, maybe a few million dollars. lol Read more>>

Vanessa White.

I think i have always been the type of person who didnt want a boss. It was really important to me to make my own schedule as a wife and mom. I know I needed to be able to cater to the many titles i have in my life . I don’t believe i would be or could be happy working for someone else. Helping their dreams become reality while i sleep on mine. although being a business woman is never easy i believe its worth it . Read more>>

Reim Alshamahi

As a dessert business owner, I have learned so many things and I couldn’t been more happier. By January 2023, it would be my second year as a business owner. Although my business is really small business, owned and is run by me, I wouldn’t like to have another job. I’m my own boss, have control over my schedule, and can take breaks whenever I like, which is very useful. My business helps my balance my schedule between university and work life. I do sometimes think about my teaching job in the future and if I will put my business on the side and focus on my education job or vice versa. Read more>>

Jamie Donaldson Ashley Hess

Owning our own business has been unbelievably rewarding. I don’t think we could ever go back to a regular job after running our own storefront. Having the freedom to work side by side with a friend while positively impacting our community has been one of the best outcomes of opening shop. We have learned a lot about ourselves along the way and have grown tons over the past year and a half. If there is one lesson we could pass on to others it would be to just jump in and get started. Whether you are ready or not the hardest step is the first one. Read more>>

Bobby Burns

I think this is a recurring thought for any small business owner. It’s even more prevalent in creative fields and for me personally, with multiple business, it often on my mind. As with many things though, it’s important to put these thoughts into perspective. It’s easy to slip into a “grass is always greener” mentality. My main endeavor is in the wedding industry, with 16 years under my belt creating top tier, highly creative wedding films that stand out from the masses. It’s easy for me to look at friends and family who get weekends off every single week. Read more>>

Osman Medina Omana

Yes, sure! I’m definitely happy being a business owner. Being a business owner allows you to have “Freedom” but that’s not always true, your body may sometimes rest, but your mind is most of the time just thinking about how to improve the business and take it to the next level. Sometimes it could be stressful and you may want to quit, but you have to keep going and that’s the only way that you can succeed. Read more>>

Michelle Goth

I love telling people about the happiness that I’ve found as a business owner. I came from the typical corporate environment, working my way up the corporate ladder and eventually running a small business that I did not have equity in. I’m grateful for my prior work because it gave me the experience I needed to successfully run my own business. Read more>>

Khiya Braxton

Yes I am happier as a business owner. Being a entrepreneur does has its ups and downs but I am much happier than when I worked as a chef for 18 years with all those long hours I was never home I barely spend time with my family. I was overweight super stress unhappy .With owning a business have a better quality of life I don’t work long hours I see my kids more stress less overall and more healthier than when I was working a regular job. Read more>>

Chantall Proffitt

So why did I get back into the restaurant industry? Because I love food, I love developing relationships with customers, and I love food education, whether that’s trying something new or which farm and ingredient came from. I would be crazy to say I don’t miss the regular paycheck. Even as a server or bartender, your wages varied, but you knew your base pay. If you were smart, you would put your money together at the beginning of the month to cover your bills, food, etc. so that by the end of the month there were no surprises. Read more>>

Jorge Cano Rangel

Yes, im happy as a business owner. The last time I had this thought in mind was about 5 months ago when I realized my job is different. I was planning a video shoot in NY for an upcoming brand and I took i minute to realize that I was actually planning and putting together a crew to film a very special event in NY which got me thinking about how far I’ve come in very little time when a year ago I was planning a video shoot in LA and Austin. Read more>>

Aaron Jackson

I do find myself happier because now I have full control over my work schedule & my work load, as well as being able to work from remotely anywhere. The only downside to being a business owner as opposed to having a “regular job” is that with a regular 9-5 job, I know when I am clocking in, that my work load and tasks at hand are pretty repetitive, what amount of money I am making an hour, as well as when I am clocking out. Being a business owner, I can “clock in” whenever I want, but there is no telling exactly when I will clock out. Read more>>

Tasha Brooks

During the covid pandemic, I’m sure I was having the same thought as other yoga studio owners and workout establishments across the nation. Is there a need for in person yoga studios anymore? If so what will I do? This thought lasted for maybe 60 seconds in my mind. I quickly knew right then, even though things weren’t looking so great. I couldn’t imagine myself doing anything else. This studio is my baby, I couldn’t abandon it. Read more>>

Candace Berry

Finding happiness as a business owner can seem like an easy task. You are working for yourself, making others happy with a product you have created on your own, and you are in control of where you go next with the business. These are also all things that can make it challenging to be happy as a business owner. I have found that in some aspects it has been the most rewarding and, at moments, times of extreme joy. Read more>>

Michelle Fontaine-Jones

Being a “happy” business owner is often a fleeting feeling. We are living in a time that inspired the “Great Resignation” for so many people. I think it’s amazing to see that everyone is thinking beyond the 9 to 5 job and trying to utilize their talents or ideas to change how they make money. However, I think that there is a key point missing here, it is not easy. I can’t lie and say that there isn’t at least one day, weekly that I do. not think about having a regular job. Sometimes I just want to clock in, clock out and go about my day. No added stress, no extra hours, just living life. Read more>>

Dan Becker

I am not just happy as a business owner, I feel purpose. I can only speak for myself on this one. Everyone is a little bit different, there is no guarantee that starting a business will give YOU purpose, running a business gives my life more meaning and I am grateful for that. I could never look back once I left the regular job workforce. Once I took on entrepreneurship, I knew that I would never go back, there was no question about it. Read more>>

Carmen King

I am extremely happy has a business owner, but I would be lying if I didn’t say I wonder about the corporate life. I often have this thought when I need to communicate with vendors or team members that are on different time zones. To paint the picture, I typically have to stay up and communicate between the hours of 11:00 PM – 4:00AM my time. At this time I’m typically exhausted but still need to make important decisions with a clear head. Read more>>

Danielle Daugherty

Am I happy as a business owner? Now that is a question!! I guess it depends on the day . When I was young my mom could tell you stories upon stories of how much in enjoyed leadership, and by leadership I mean bossing EVERYONE around. Now that I actually am the boss I have learned joy actually comes from leading, watching people grow, allowing others to have the light, the success, and somehow that’s where I find the most success and happiness. I have been a stylist since I was 17 years old. Read more>>

Kedrin Meehan

I feel incredibly blessed to be able to wake up and get paid to do what I love. I have such a passion for not only the artistic aspect of lashes and brows, but the special conversations that are shared between myself and clients. As a young girl, I would dress up and pretend that I owned my own company. It’s really exciting to see that dream beginning to form, as I open up The Artistry, An Aesthetics House this spring. Read more>>

Savannah Jones

To be honest, I am incredibly happy to be a business owner and I love the fulfillment it gives me. I always told myself if I can give 40+ hours to a job then why not the same type of energy for my business. I have always worked, and currently still work a full-time job while running my business. Doing that has taught me the importance of time management, flexibility, and adaptability. When I first started my business, I only looked at it like a side hustle and focused mostly on my job duties. Read more>>

Azizi Cowins

I have been a full time entrepenur since 2016. I became a business owner of my own brick and mortars since 2020. I would be lying if I would say that it’s a great ride to be in. It comes with so many humps and bumps. There are so many times I thought to give up and go back to the corporate world. I would cry, kick and vent and then would sit and pray! Next thing that happens is confirmation from something of substance that shows me I cant give up and I am on the path I was mean to be on. They say ” What is for you will be for you”! I believe this wholeheartedly. Read more>>

Jenna Libman

I wonder this all the time! Sometimes I am a little jealous of my friends who have health insurance, benefits, and similar additives. They also have a form of structure that I occasionally miss. They can completely “turn off” at 5:00 everyday, and on vacations. I do not have that luxury, especially in a job like social media. Read more>>

Brittany Garcia

I absolutely love being a business owner. I love being in control of what I create and give to the world. I love managing my time to accommodate what I love to do and feel appreciated doing. I love changing peoples lives through photo. However, it is also a lot of responsibility to own a business. Your business is a representation of you so it’s important to me to put the best energy into what I’m doing and giving. I am a business owner of several businesses, on top of having a “regular job” so my time and energy is always being distributed amongst many things. Read more>>