We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Carrie Cochran a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Carrie, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Being a business owner can be really hard sometimes. It’s rewarding, but most business owners we’ve spoken sometimes think about what it would have been like to have had a regular job instead. Have you ever wondered that yourself? Maybe you can talk to us about a time when you felt this way?

2 of my first jobs were working directly for small business owners. One was at a UPS franchise where I ran around all day for just above minimum wage, and the next was at a retirement planning company where I worked as a secretary for a self-made millionaire.

I remember being frustrated sometimes because of how much was expected from us, particularly at UPS. At the UPS store, if we had no customers or boxes to pack, we were expected to clean. The boss was constantly checking the cameras to make sure we weren’t standing still, and it drove me crazy. And at my secretarial job, there were often very busy days when I came into a task list over 60 items long, and the boss always had something new in the works.

But looking back, I also know realize hard my bosses were working. My UPS boss was dealing with things all hours of the day from home. And my other boss (the millionaire) got up at 5 am every morning and often stayed in the office until 9 pm. They expected a lot from themselves, not just us.

And that is the dark side of being a business owner. While I don’t currently have any employees (beyond my social media manager), I often find myself pushing myself too hard or expecting more than I’m currently capable of because my success is up to me.

When you run the business, it’s hard to ever mentally clock out because work is only an email app away. And of course, your business’ reputation is all on your shoulders as well. What happens if you take “too long” to answer an email or turn in a project? It is so easy to fall into that pressure and work late, accept too many projects, and stress constantly.

Although I came out of college knowing that I wanted to be my own boss and start my own business (and I still firmly believe that), there are definitely days when I doubt.

Yesterday was one of them.

I have a client who is very kind and pays well (both hard to find), but she is very particular about her projects.

Last weekend (after taking Monday off for the holiday despite my fears of falling behind), I found myself scrambling to finish her latest project before the weekend.

I turned it in, proud of what I’d done, and went on a long overdue date with my husband.

Two hours later, I opened my phone to a lengthy message from her project manager, explaining that they’d changed their mind about the project parameters.

I ignored the message (something new I’m trying called boundaries), then responded after the date that I would be happy to discuss the changes on Monday.

Monday rolled around, and I told them that the changes would take until Tuesday (yesterday).

I could tell that they weren’t happy, but I already knew that my sanity was on the line with 3 other urgent projects already on my to-do list.

I spent several hours between Monday and Tuesday making all the changes and turned round two in at 2 pm with a huge sigh of relief.

The client loved it!…until she realized that her project manager had given me incorrect information and instructions that literally canceled out half of the work I’d spent two days doing.

I worked 3 hours late yesterday, pushing myself to just get it done so I could get back to some sense of normalcy.

But all the while, I was wondering why I bothered to put myself through that.

My husband came home at 4:30, and I was so jealous of his ability to clock out at 3, go to the gym, and have an evening ahead.

After all, that’s part of the reason I started my own business. Because I wanted to run my schedule and lay down the rules. Yet here I was, giving in to the unreasonable demands of a client (once again) and ruining all that.

I wondered whether this pressure, the stress and spiraling, were worth it. Because this was not living the dream I’d pictured for myself all those years ago.

But I’m back at it today with a huge pressure off of my shoulders and a lesson learned.

If I’m going to be a business owner (and keep my sanity), I have to learn to set strong boundaries and use the word “no.”

I learned back in my customer service days that the customer is not always right (despite what my bosses would say), so why should I allow myself to be mistreated when the power to change that is in my hands?

As a business owner, I do have the ability to make this experience wonderful–and that starts by working with the right people.

The people who appreciate what I do and make a point to tell me so. Clients who come back time and again and send referrals my way because they’re excited about what I did for them.

That’s what keeps me going and keeps me coming back to my computer each day, and those are the people who I want on my schedule.

So, starting today, I’m setting more (and firmer) boundaries. I’m making my schedule manageable and prioritizing quality work over quantity.

And I’m saying “no” to unreasonable demands. Because this is my business. And I want it to be a great place to work.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers

I’m a copywriter and editor specializing in the travel and Christian industries. Long description, I know.

Basically, I create all types of texts that businesses use for marketing, like emails, websites, newsletters, blogs, and digital downloads.

While many people despise writing, I’ve always loved it. I know as a six-year-old that I wanted to be a writer someday–although at that time I imagined I’d be a famous mystery novelist. And maybe I will be someday.

After several years of working odd jobs after college, I went back and earned my degree in Professional Writing. As I was exposed to all types of writing, I realized that I had a particular affinity for copywriting and editing, and decided that I’d start my own business based on those two services.

I continued my education by earning my copywriting certification from AWAI, and decided to narrow down my expertise to two things I cared about: traveling and my faith.

Both of these have been integral parts of my life, so I had the necessary experience and passion to make them my specialty.

While I do write for a few clients in other niches, these are the projects that really get me excited. Travel projects inspire my wanderlust, and faith-based projects make a difference in the world.

And lucky for me, those clients keep coming back for more, which means I get to enjoy my favorite kinds of projects over and over again.

Any resources you can share with us that might be helpful to other creatives?

Yes! The biggest one for me was AWAI. I spent almost a year fumbling about, trying to build a website and promote myself before I caved and signed up for their membership.

It was the best decision I ever made.

AWAI has tons of resources for new copywriters that lay out exactly how to get clients and how to be a good copywriter. They literally changed the trajectory of my career, and I value everything I learned from their courses, newsletters, and webinars.

What do you think is the goal or mission that drives your creative journey?

I come from a background where women tend to get married, have kids, and….that’s it. But I’ve known since childhood that I wanted to be something more than that. I’m not downplaying motherhood at all because it’s very important. But I specifically wanted to build something that centered around my passion and not go with the flow. Thankfully, our society is making it easier than ever for women to do that.

I’m finally getting to a place where I feel like that dream is becoming a reality. But building my business is just phase one. I would like to continue specializing in travel writing so that I can travel more for clients and see the world in the process. And someday, I’m going to circle back to that little girl’s dream and write a book because I know that I can. I don’t even care if it flops, but that’s where my inspiration started, and I’m going to do it before I die.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.cochranwriting.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/the_mandala_traveler/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Cochranwriting
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/carrieecochran/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/MandalaTraveler