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?

Mycah Bain.

Yes I LOVE being a business owner! Yes, it is a lot of work and you need to stay motivated but that’s a lot of what I love about it. Sure the hours can be long, and vacation or sick time is unpaid, but I love the freedom and flexibility and ability to be creative! Read more>>

Kimberly Watson.

Absolutely! I started my own business over a year ago. Honestly, my thoughts at the time were just surviving. 2021 was a hard year for small businesses, and I had a brand new one. It was very nerve – racking. But my clients were loyal and most, if not all, came with me when I moved so that helped. 2022 has been full of surprises though! We found out we were expecting our first baby, a little girl. We are very excited but also talk about a flood of emotions. Of course, I was questioning whether I would be better off going back to a corporate salon. Read more>>

Bre Daniels

Becoming a business owner is the best decision I have made in my lifetime so far! Prior to owning a business, however, I did work several jobs that were hourly and/or commission based. Therefore, I have experienced both worlds. Since I wear many hats at my job (owner, employer, massage therapist, receptionist, marketing and social media, and the list goes on and on), it can be a bit overwhelming and there are almost no days off. Read more>>

Hailee Rask

The last time I longed for a “regular job” was when my baby was sick for almost three weeks. I had to rely on my husband and family to help take care of her. She was miserable and I wanted more than anything to call in sick and stay home with her. But unfortunately, my patients and employees count on me to show up every day. Read more>>

Christina Carney.

As a small business owner, I’m constantly trying to stay on top of everything from scheduling, inventory, the experience for the clients, work/life balance, & the actual profit / benefits can be extremely overwhelming. At times, hearing friends & clients speak of their 9-5’s can be very intriguing. You hear so many people congratulating others for being self employed or in ownership, but it isn’t just rainbows & butterflies. Something I’ve come to realize is how lucky people who are employed is the benefits. Read more>>

Megahn White

I am the happiest I have been as a business owner! This career is my second. I did have a regular job and I was miserable. I felt like I wasn’t serving my purpose at all. I would work 40 hours a week at my regular, full time job, and then another 20-30 hours on my side business as The Dog Mom Collective. Read more>>

Hannah Bailey.

It’s funny you ask this, I was just thinking about this the other day. Now that I’ve been a business owner for 5+ years, full time for 2 years, I cannot imagine going back. You always hear the saying, “I didn’t want to work a 9-5 so I became a business owner and now I work 24/7,” and that couldn’t be more true. Although it is easy to become burnt out and overwhelmed, you have to take a step back and focus on the big picture. I am able to do what I want, when I want, with passion and creativity, and most importantly I am able to be home with my son. Read more>>

Lib Aubuchon.

A good barometer of how I’m feeling about being a creative entrepreneur is how often I think about becoming an Uber driver. If it’s more than once every three months, I need to make adjustments and remind myself why I’m doing this! I never imagined I would own a business but now that I’m a few years in, I can’t believe I made a living any other way. I love the flexibility, the independence, the control I have over my own time. To put it another way, I hate being told what to do and working for myself basically eliminates that! Read more>>

Sharmaine Kirkland

Am I happy as a business owner, Absolutely! One of the best thing I ever did was believe in myself and go forth with my business plan. However it wasn’t easy, and there were plenty of times where I wanted to throw in the towel. Like those weeks where you’re doing great making $1,000 plus and the very next week barely making $200. It was times like that, that had me thinking of a 9-5. Or in my situation it made me way to keep the 9-5 I had. Read more>>

Antinese Stinson.

Yes I’m happier as a business owner. The freedom of being a business owner gives me the ability to live the life of my dreams. Being a business owner has its ups and downs however, I can’t see myself doing anything else. Read more>>

Megan Ashley

I am much happier as a business owner, although there was an adjustment period, for sure. I love the freedom and flexibility I have owning my own business, but you have to get into a routine where you work at the times that are best for you, otherwise you’ll be scrambling around playing catch up more often than you’d like. It took me a few years to find my best routine, and allowing myself to work when I feel the most inspired really helps. Read more>>

Hannah Demma.

I think a lot of artists feel pressure to commit to a “regular job.” I spent my late teens and all of my 20s working several jobs at a time. When I was 22 I had 7 jobs and I loved the excitement of a crazy schedule and being busy all the time. I worked in retail, food service, catering, and bartending –often all at once. There was a point when I asked myself how long this could be sustainable. I figured I needed to grow up, but after taking a few courses at community college at age 24, I thought there was no way I could get a graphic design or business degree and not hate my life and wish for more creative flexibility and control. Read more>>

Alexis Nicole.

I’m very happy to be a business owner. Growing up I always knew that I probably wouldn’t do well working for someone, I just didn’t know what I wanted to do. Sometimes I do wonder what it would be like to work a normal 9-5 job and be able to clock out and go home. My job is 24/7. There’s no sick days, or vacations. There’s always something to be done, even when on vacation I can’t stop thinking about work. So it can be exhausting, yes, but at the end of the day it is very rewarding to see all the blood, sweat, and tears pay off and see your vision becoming reality. Read more>>

Jordyn Wright

Although I’m not old enough to work at a company yet, I can already tell that I enjoy being a business owner more. I’ve always been one to do my own thing. My mom loves to tell me all of the time that if a bunch of people went to the left I would go to the right. The ability I have to not follow the crowd is probably my favorite thing about myself. Along with not following the crowd, I don’t enjoy having my schedule dictated by anyone else. Read more>>

Stephanie Vincent & Helene Delince

We are most definitely happier as business owners. Becoming an entrepreneur has always been a shared dream and despite the rollercoaster of small business ownership, it is completely worth it. Recently after celebrating six years as business owners the thought of having “regular jobs” crossed our mind. Read more>>

Jesse Zmuda.

I LOVE owning my own business, I have worked for myself for the past 17 years and I truly cannot imagine it another way. Do I think about working for someone else and getting a regular paycheck? YES, ALL OF THE TIME. Being a small business owner, especially the floral design trade and retail can be very daunting since there is so much unknown. One week could be amazing and the next I am asking myself WTH am I doing?! BUT making my own schedule, creating my own designs, making all of the decisions is worth it for the day to day struggles. Read more>>

Brooklynn Meinke

When I was a little girl, I never was able to sit and imagine what job I would be willing to wake up and do every single day for 8 hours straight. I though, that sounds boring! How will I keep myself going every day? There’s always been a piece of me that knew I was made for a different type of career – I just never thought that would be cotton candy! Read more>>

Kacie Faulling

Everyone wants to be a business owner, right? I mean why wouldn’t you want to have full control over your schedule? Vacations whenever you want. Half days whenever you want. Endless money. No one to tell you that you can’t have two weekends off in a row. Company credit card. It’s lavish and everyone’s dream. What everyone doesn’t see is that lavish dream also comes with a big weight, endless challenges, and lengthy line of problem solving. At the end of the day, the problems that arise within my business, whether big or small, are my problems. Read more>>

Heidi Radko .

I absolutely love being a business owner. It’s a completely different experience when you are working towards your own goals and dreams than working for someone else’s dreams and goals. I spent most of my life working at a ‘regular job’ and to be honest I hated it. I don’t do well with authority or being told what to do so being my own boss is an incredible feeling. There is also an opportunity for creativity when you own your own business. Running a business is more time consuming than a simple 9-5 but for me it’s much more rewarding. Read more>>

Maureen Tillery.

Oddly enough I have both a full time “regular job” as an attorney, in addition to being a full time entrepreneur. I think both have their days. There are days where I wonder if maintaining my full time job impedes my ability to scale my business, and there are days where I resent being a business owner. My business started at the tail end of 2019, and then 2020 came…. As as we all the know the pandemic shut everything down in March of that year. At that time, I just was promoted at my full time job, and was trying to acclimate to that position, and a sudden influx of bookings in the summer time– (If no one tells you, summer time is a killer for event decor companies) Read more>>

Maria Alcoke

I love this question because it’s something I have pondered on and off for the past 7 years of running my design agency full-time. There are many benefits to running your own business. You have the ability to create a flexible schedule for yourself, you can choose your hours and work as little or as much as you want – but all of those decisions come with consequences. It’s easy to disregard boundaries around work when you run the show. You have to hold yourself accountable to your commitments and be disciplined in a way that differs from the kind of discipline that comes with working a “W2 job”. Read more>>

Dayshun Jones

I believe as a business owner the thought of what could be and what IS never leaves our mind yet depending on how things are executed it can determine if your business ideas become a fail or a success. I often think about the times where I had no business and nothing to go so hard for besides my family and even though I have up days the days that cause my investments to make no sense are the days that stood out more for me but what I’ve learned is that if you look at where you started and where you’ve come from the rode will seem less difficult and you have every opportunity to change the routes if need be. I’ve changed my routes often but what remains is my determination and FAITH and that’s all the fuel I need. Read more>>

Mary Holstein.

I’m incredibly happy being a business owner and I wouldn’t trade it for anything in the world. I’ve also considered myself a leader and a problem solver. In the past I have thought what it would be like to work a regular job again. I’ve worked in cubicle jobs before and was bored out of my mind! To be honest it was a fear of failure and trying to play it safe. This was something I had to overcome and tell myself to never give up. Don’t get me wrong there was lots of challenges, obstacles, learning situations in my business. Read more>>

Neslene J Sahagun

Being a business owner truly makes me happy. Not only am I able to make my own schedule and work anytime I want but I’m doing something I love and that’s what matters the most to me. I look back at times and think about what it would be like if I still worked my retail job and it doesn’t excite me. Although I did love the company and people I worked with, after years of being in the retail industry, in the end it wasn’t for me. I was unhappy going to work, I wasn’t motivated and I wanted change but I was scared to leave my comfort zone. Read more>>