When the Entrepreneurial Blues Come Knocking

Entrepreneurs learn early on to get comfortable with being uncomfortable. They can’t depend on predictable paychecks or their efforts panning out every time. From the outside, they usually appear outgoing and confident. But what happens when they lie in bed at night? Usually, that’s when the entrepreneurial blues come knocking.

Singing the Entrepreneurial Blues

As a South Carolinian living away from home, I was leading a start-up tech firm in Boston. We had tons of press, a game-changing business model, and a few big brand-name clients.

Although on the verge of breaking out, we coasted on fumes with less than four weeks of cash on hand. My family hadn’t seen me in months. At the time, I had three kids in college and we’d mortgaged our home to the hilt.

Welcome to entrepreneurship, right?

I fully experienced the emotional roller coaster of growing a private business. It seemed like self-doubt, discouragement, and setbacks just came as part of the journey. Some days, just getting out of bed felt like a challenge. I came to call these times the “entrepreneurial blues” and I had them bad.

Fear of Failure Fuels the Blues

In my story, we managed to raise additional capital from outside investors long enough to fight another day. But many other close calls and sleepless nights followed that moment.

In Entrepreneurial Leap, EOS® founder Gino Wickman says: “Fighting like hell for 10 years should be expected.” Every entrepreneur going through their journey faces it at some point. In The Dip, entrepreneur and author Seth Godin says: “The middle of anything feels like failure.”

As an EOS Implementer®, I work with entrepreneurs who have massive self-confidence and energy. They’re also human beings with their own doubts and fear. They inspire me with their determination, but all of them (and their families!) suffer while building their businesses.

If we could listen to their thoughts, the self-talk would sound something like this: “As the boss, I need to radiate confidence and have all the answers to everything. But what if I’m wrong? Do I have the right model, the right team, enough money, enough time, and enough know-how? What if I fail?”

Ways to Avoid the Entrepreneurial Blues

For entrepreneurs to navigate these questions, they need a holistic system to give them peace of mind. With the right structure, a proven process, and a community to lean on for support, entrepreneurs can avoid the entrepreneurial blues.

The Entrepreneurial Operating System® (EOS®) can provide a bulwark against self-doubt with tools and support for entrepreneurs when their motivation and energy depletes. When entrepreneurs run their companies on EOS, they have the power to restore their confidence and shake off the entrepreneurial blues.

The EOS community offers experienced coaches and a community of leaders of other companies that run on EOS. The Traction® Library provides resources with the best practices for running a business.

For the entrepreneurs I work with, EOS offers more than a business operating system. They find a community of people who’ve all been through entrepreneurial hell and can help them get through it too.

Want to learn more about EOS? Download a free chapter of Traction. This bestseller has helped thousands of entrepreneurs just like you.