On February 4th 2020 the CEO of Quality Control Music Pee tweeted “Don’t let social media fool you. Entrepreneurship isn’t as glamorous as it seems, u will be broke, depressed & ready to quit at times… but don’t. Keep hustling”.
I read that tweet and said “Wow behold a tweet”. It resonated with me. It resonated with a lot of entrepreneurs because I saw it reposted for the next few days.
Let’s unpack what Pee was saying.
Social Media: Social media isn’t 100 percent real. Social media is a highlight reel of what people want you to see about their lives. Let’s be honest no one is posting their past due bills, eviction notices, and failures daily for all to see. People post the exciting things. The click bait things. The hot topics. The things that will resonate with people. Some people post the real, but this is not the masses. We are all guilty of it. There are days I am having a shitty day, but the gram would never know it. Maybe twitter. But never for the gram. As business owners sometimes we base our success on our following. Likes do not equate to dollars. You may have a successful business with few followers and an unsuccessful business with tons of followers. Remember, social media isn’t always keeping it 100.
The Glamour: Being a business owner isn’t always as glamorous as it looks. I would be a liar and say it didn’t have a few moments. I enjoy being able to introduce myself as a CEO. I enjoy invoicing people. I enjoy referencing my clients. I enjoy being able to attend certain events based on the strength that I own my own business. However, I am not always on a yacht. I don’t have a private plane. I can’t even afford to fly first class right now. Every single night isn’t filled with expensive champagne and events with fabulous people. Business owners are working early and late. They are trying to figure things out. Don’t let the flashy photos fool you.
Broke and Depressed: The bank account will not always have a bunch of zeroes. Hell, sometimes it may not even have a zero. When J. Cole said “I got a dollar and a dream” he meant that. He wasn’t kidding. Between personal expenses, taking care of a family, and trying run a business you may find yourself broke. Sometimes you will be working so much and not see the fruits of your labor. But don’t you dare quit. And depression that is incredibly real. The agony of working so much and being broke. Struggling to keep the lights on and still running a business. Or not having the support from your family and friends. The depression can be real. I was recently reminded by my godmother the importance of paying attention to the stories of other entrepreneurs. That is where we find our strength from. That is how we know it is possible because so many other people did it.
Ready to Quit: This is self-explanatory. You aren’t a business owner if you haven’t had your days where it is filled with tons of cuss words and you just want to give up. Or you decide this isn’t for you. That is very natural. The money isn’t adding up, the clients are worrisome, you are sick, tired, hungry, lonely, and life will sometimes happen. But don’t you dare quit.
The Hustle: In the words of Ace Hood “Same Old iish just a different day. Out here trying to get it each and every way”. Don’t stop. Read that again. Keep going. Read that again. As an entrepreneur you will become innovative. You will make the money. You will have the success. But you have to hustle. You will have ideas that work. And you will have ideas that fail. You will lose money. But you will gain it right back. Never lose the hustle. Always remember that God didn’t give you the vision if he didn’t think you could achieve it. Respect the process and learn to love the journey no matter how hard it gets.
