It’s not easy being the boss

It's not easy being the boss, I get it! As a boss you go between emotions of everything is going great and you are doing well, to the self-esteem dips of having something happen that brings you and your ego crashing back down to earth.

It might be dealing with a client that is unhappy with some work, an unexpected bill or a staff member who is not performing. It can be hard to deal with these situations and carry on with our self-esteem intact. Self-esteem as a business owner is so critical as it impacts everything we do. Having good self-esteem allows us to run a good business, to inspire our staff and to keep on turning up and opening the doors every morning. 

But the thing is no one tells you how to manage yourself when running a business. You have no boss telling you if your work is correct, no feedback, and it can be a lonely exercise running a business.


I feel these things almost daily even with a successful growing business, an MBA, and years of on the job experience. There is nothing that prepares you for the curve balls that business throws and the unrelenting enthusiasm and self-awareness you need to keep going and keep showing up each day. Ultimately the buck stops with you, unlike an employee of a business. If the work doesn't get done on time, you can't deliver to your clients, and that reflects on you and your business.

If you run a customer-service focused business, it is all the more critical to ensure you are in the right mindset when you open the doors to get things done and lead a happy, positive and motivated team. You need to look at running your business with a long game mentality. You can’t go hard every day and expect the same intensity of results, so you need to look after yourself first and then your business.

Neglecting your exercise routine, family or friends can be your undoing in business. Having the self-awareness to build yourself a schedule that works for you, and allows you to give your best to your business is crucial to success.

For me, these checks are a regular exercise routine, which sees me getting up at 6 am most mornings when I would instead be sleeping... But I feel the difference in my mental capacity on the days that I drag myself out of bed and do it. Regular pots of tea, burning a candle if I’m stressed, and trying to make time for friends and family, even when I know that I could be doing more work. Sometimes even fitting in mental gaps of watching something, listening to something inspiring, or just taking a rest can do wonders also.

There is always more work to be done right? So you need to schedule ‘Me’ checks in like you would any other meeting. Recently I have started trying to only schedule meetings on two days of the work week so I can focus on client work, pitches and general business stuff on the other days. This is a tip I picked up from a pro, and it's working well for my business currently. Looking for ways to improve your routine and work schedule should be an ongoing process.
I also write a lot about where I'm at with my business, how I'm feeling about client work and all the weird and beautiful highs and some lows of running a business. I find this keeps me sane, on track, and ready to fight again the next day.

It is not easy being the boss, but having the self-awareness to deal with yourself and how to motivate yourself on the good, and bad days is what ultimately will set you up for business longevity and success.

You are no good to your business if you get burnt out, overly stressed, or just want to quit from the pressure, so be easy on yourself and put things in place to enjoy a better working life.
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Would love to hear your thoughts. KB