​Business ownership is often romanticized as a thrilling combo ride of passion, innovation, and drive where one can wear a hoodie and hang out playing video games all day while money magically flows into your bank account. But anyone in business knows the idea of the effortless hustle or business is about as untrue as being discovered on a street corner in Hollywood and becoming a blockbuster star the very next day.
Does it happen?
Occasionally.
But there are more stories of struggle and strife than instant riches. The reality for many business owners is a less glamorous one that can take a significant toll on mental health. A study by the University of California, Berkeley, found that a staggering 72% of entrepreneurs report experiencing mental health concerns, with 30% reporting lifetime depression. The weight of this statistic underscores the importance of addressing the mental health challenges faced by those at the helm of our businesses. And that begins by looking in the mirror.

​No, this isn’t another article about how you can turn your hobby into a side hustle. But having a hobby can be great for your existing business. It may not feel like you have enough time for a hobby, but here’s why you should prioritize hobby time (or time spent cultivating one).

If you’re a business owner or feel responsible for a business (regardless of your actual job title), it’s not unusual to feel stuck. No, I’m not talking about the golden handcuff-kind-of-stuck where because of the cost of living, you can’t get off the work treadmill. I’m talking about feeling stuck from a mental perspective—completely uninspired. 

Like the business version of writer’s block, when you’re stuck, you’re not feeling creative, and your business is paying the price for it. Yes, the simple answer to when you feel this way is to take some time off—a vacation or, if you’re able, a sabbatical. 
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But that’s simply not feasible for many of us. So, what do you do to bring back that loving feeling? To feel the excitement you used to feel about your business? To see things from a new perspective again?

You must first recognize that there is a problem and then you need to shake things up.

​On September 1, 2023, we lost a big name in music–Jimmy Buffet. As always happens when a celebrity passes, suddenly everyone is talking about him and his myriad contributions to entertainment. But Buffet’s popularity wasn’t because of his complex songs or his professionally-trained voice (he had neither). Buffet had something else. He became known as the king of vacation, his laid-back attitude was something a lot of people aspired to. For that reason, and eleven others, entrepreneurs can learn from this “son of a son of a sailor.” After all, he “sold” a way of life and a community that most of us find enviable.

​If you’re like me—and almost everyone else in this country—the end of the year is a time to look back and assess. I enjoy the nostalgia and reminiscing that occurs at this time of year, but it can also be a time of dread. It’s a time to realize you either hit the mark or you didn’t. And if you did, you may be apprehensive about being able to do it again in the new year.
 
So, we make resolutions.

We tell ourselves we’re going to do X differently this year. And most of us fall short of X because we forget about it, or we fall back into old routines because they are easy and we know how they work.
 
But this year, if you’re going to take on a resolution, we have some tips for you. The goal is to make resolutions more intuitive and doable. Here are a couple of ways to do that.

​Do you have dreams about owning your own business or becoming part of the gig economy? Making your own hours? Working from wherever you want?
 
Then you’re not alone. 

There are an estimated 582 million entrepreneurs (about 775,000 of them in the US) already working for themselves. And that number is growing. According to Guidant Financial, 27% of people polled in 2020 wanted to start their own entrepreneurial enterprises because they were disenchanted/dissatisfied with corporate America. And a lot of people are rethinking their current jobs because of COVID.
 
Whatever your reasoning, you may be hesitating because going out on your own means leaving your comfort zone and the things you’ve become accustomed to. If you’re looking to become your own boss, here are some things you need to know.