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Entrepreneurship Really Is Lonely And That’s Okay | Entrepreneurship Mental Health | Blog | BoostBC
- BoostBC
- 6 days ago
- 5 min read
Entrepreneurship Really Is Lonely – And That’s Okay | Entrepreneurship Mental Health | Blog | BoostBC
For a long time, I didn’t agree when people said, “Entrepreneurship is lonely.”
I thought, how can it be lonely when you are always talking to clients, partners, and your team? You’re in meetings, on calls, answering messages, and solving problems all day. It doesn’t feel lonely in the moment.
But over time, I’ve learned something important: Entrepreneurship is lonely - just in a different way than most people think.
In this post, I want to share why that’s true, and why it’s actually okay. If you’re building a business in BC or anywhere else, I hope this helps you feel seen, understood, and a little more encouraged.
Why Entrepreneurship Feels Lonely
1. You carry the final responsibility
As an entrepreneur, you can get advice from mentors, feedback from your team, and input from friends and family. But at the end of the day, the final decision is yours.
You decide:
Where to invest money
Who to hire (or let go)
Which clients to say yes or no to
When to pivot or change direction
Even when you have support, that last step can feel heavy. You’re the one who lies awake at night wondering, “Did I do the right thing?” That weight can feel very lonely, even if you’re surrounded by people.
2. Not everyone understands your vision
Most people in your life have jobs with clear hours, steady pay, and set roles. When you choose entrepreneurship, your days look very different.
You might:
Work late nights and early mornings
Miss social events because you’re on a deadline
Talk about ideas and risks that don’t make sense to others
Your friends and family care about you, but they may not fully understand why you’re willing to take so many risks or work so hard for something that doesn’t look “stable” yet.
That gap in understanding can make you feel like you’re walking a path on your own, even when people love you and want the best for you.
3. You often have to be “the strong one”
As a founder or business owner, you are often the person others look to for confidence.
Your team wants to know things will be okay.
Your clients want to feel safe choosing you.
Your family wants to believe this will work out.
Because of that, you may feel pressure to always look calm and confident, even when you feel scared or unsure inside. You might hide how stressed or tired you are so others don’t worry.
When you’re always “the strong one,” you can start to feel like there’s no space for you to be honest about how hard things really are. That can feel lonely.
4. Your problems are often unique
Entrepreneurship comes with problems that don’t always have simple answers:
Cash flow issues
Hiring and firing
Pricing your services or products
Dealing with difficult clients
Balancing growth with quality
You can’t always talk about these things with staff, family, or friends. Some topics are sensitive. Some are confidential. Some feel too complex to explain.
So you keep a lot in your head. You think through everything alone. Over time, this can make you feel like you’re carrying a secret life that no one else can fully see.
5. Growth requires you to outgrow some old rooms
As you grow as an entrepreneur, your mindset, goals, and habits change.
You might:
Stop going out as much so you can focus
Spend more time learning, planning, and working
Want to talk about ideas and growth more than drama and gossip
Sometimes, this means you drift away from people who used to feel close. Not because you don’t care about them, but because you’re growing in a different direction.
That change can be painful. It can feel like you’re leaving old versions of yourself and old connections behind. That kind of growth can be lonely too.
Why It’s Okay That Entrepreneurship Is Lonely
It’s easy to see loneliness as a bad thing. But in entrepreneurship, a certain kind of loneliness is actually a sign that you’re doing something meaningful.
Here’s why it’s okay:
1. Loneliness creates space for clarity
When you’re not always surrounded by noise, you have more room to think.
You can ask yourself:
What kind of business do I really want to build?
Who do I truly want to serve?
What kind of life do I want this business to support?
Quiet seasons can feel uncomfortable, but they often lead to your biggest breakthroughs. Clarity rarely shows up in chaos. It usually arrives in the quiet.
2. It teaches you to trust yourself
When you have to make tough decisions alone, you start building a new kind of strength.
You learn to:
Listen to your instincts
Trust your experience
Take responsibility without blaming others
This doesn’t mean you stop asking for help. It just means you stop waiting for someone else to “save” you or tell you exactly what to do. That confidence will serve you for the rest of your life, in business and beyond.
3. It pushes you to find the right people
Feeling lonely can actually be a sign that you’re ready to build a better circle.
Instead of trying to explain your dreams to people who don’t get it, you can:
Join entrepreneur groups and communities
Find mentors or coaches who have been where you are
Connect with other small business owners in BC who understand the highs and lows
You don’t need a huge crowd. You need a small group of people who get it. Entrepreneurship may be lonely at first, but it doesn’t have to stay that way.
4. It reminds you why you started
When things feel heavy and quiet, you’re forced to come back to your “why.”
Why did you start this business?
What problem are you really trying to solve?
Who are you doing this for?
That deeper reason becomes your anchor. It keeps you going when motivation fades and no one else is watching. In that way, the lonely moments actually protect your long-term vision.
5. It shapes you into a leader
Leaders are often formed in the quiet, not on the stage.
Carrying responsibility, making hard choices, and growing through lonely seasons shapes you into someone who can:
Lead a team
Support clients
Build trust with partners
Create real impact in your community
The very things that feel lonely now are often the same things that make you a strong, wise, and grounded leader later.
You’re Not Alone in Feeling Alone
If you’re reading this and thinking, “This is me,” I want you to know:
You’re not strange. You’re not failing. You’re not the only entrepreneur who feels this way.
Feeling lonely in entrepreneurship doesn’t mean you’re doing it wrong. It often means you’re pushing into new territory that not everyone around you understands yet.
At BoostBC, we work with entrepreneurs and small business owners across BC who are building websites, apps, and brands while dealing with these same quiet battles behind the scenes. You are not alone in this experience, even if it sometimes feels that way.
Your vision matters. Your work matters. And yes - even your lonely seasons matter. They are shaping you into the kind of person who can handle the success you’re building toward.
