Raw & Real: Lessons They Never Taught in Business School
This has been sitting in the drafts since Halloween, because of.. the topic at hand, vulnerability. Top 10 scariest words.
Owning a small business is not just about entrepreneurship and freedom—it’s about stepping into a level of vulnerability few other experiences require. There is a constant feeling of having all your worst traits on display for the world to observe, absorb, and judge. Your decisions, values, and creativity all become a mirror for the world to reflect on you.
To some, that idea is overwhelming and brings a desire to retreat. For me, it is overwhelming, yet I am curious and dedicated to this path, therefore the only way forward is through. Past the 3 key vulnerability challenges I am still learning to accept.
Flaws meet Center Stage.
Before I ventured into the small business space, all my flaws resided in my journals or rent-free in an ex’s mind. Now, there’s a distinct feeling that every flaw I have—my impatience, self-doubt, perfectionism, or fear of failure—is on full display to myself, to my team, and to clients.
Do people notice? A question that spins on the hamster wheel in my mind. How much can clients tell when I’ve had a rough day? Can prospective customers notice when I’m off my promotion and sales game? (Side question, what game do I have). Do competitors absorb the ways I navigate challenges? I like to imagine the world is filled with more grace than judgment, yet there’s the saying, “It’s just business.” The line between professional feedback and personal criticism can feel razor-thin, leaving only questions about self-worth to ponder.
A Life Jacket of Hope.
Going back to this hamster wheel analogy… Running a small business is an endless chase for the balance between effort and overexertion. Ask most small business owners, we pour our hearts into every detail, from marketing to customer service to bookkeeping, but the results don’t always align with the effort. What keeps me up at night?… Resulting in a random H-A breath while driving… or moments of complete outward stillness as my mind races? Questions such as:
Are you not trying hard enough?
Or are you spinning your wheels trying too hard in the wrong places?
A life jacket filled with hope and the understanding that success is in the effort keeps me afloat through seas of uncertainty.
Fast, Raw, Priceless Education. No amount of preparation truly equips you for the realities of business ownership. Business school? I went to the healthcare equivalent. Walked out with a Master’s degree in structure, roles, and strategy of operating a business—great tools for thriving within someone else’s system. But when you’re flying solo? The rules shift, and the lessons come fast and raw. I have learned by doing, by failing, and by adapting. Flying solo as a small business owner is a priceless, yet ruthless teacher in resilience.
I promise this is not a sad story. It is a beautiful tale that is unfinished! Have you ever fallen in love and accepted the risk that it may end? Yet day after day you show up, with hope as your life jacket, that things will work out in the end. To fall in love, to create something from nothing requires a deep level of vulnerability and uncertainty. It begs you to put it all on the line and see what happens.
I recently came across an old journal entry from over a year ago, before the studio opened where I asked myself, “How deep are you willing to dig? How much are you willing to do?” There isn’t much more context to what was going on in my world at that time, but I can assume I knew then, I was only going to get out of this how much I put in.
I know this vulnerability will become a strength. A lesson I am learning is to lay it all on the line. This will allow me to form deeper relationships, trust myself, and succeed through effort alone.
At its core, small business ownership isn’t about perfection; it’s about courage. My heart races every day. There is a surge of adrenaline most weeks about something I hope lands well. My takeaway is not a complaint but a call to action to show up every day despite the uncertainty, put yourself out there, and trust that your effort and passion will create something meaningful.
