Being a Full-Time Entrepreneur as the Family Breadwinner
At a business event recently someone casually said how nice it must be to be working on my own business full time and how lucky I must be to have a spouse supporting me financially. I had to correct them. I am doing this full time with personal funds and my husband is a stay at home dad.
He left his job almost six years ago in March 2020 when COVID hit, our first child was born, and we relocated. Now we have a two year old who is still home full time. Until he goes to kindergarten it still makes sense for my husband to be home, but it also means the pressure is fully on me.
I would be lying if I said I never lose sleep over that. There are days when the weight of being the primary breadwinner while trying to build something from scratch feels like a lot. There are days when imposter syndrome is loud.
Yesterday was one of those days, so I did something small to ground myself. I asked ChatGPT to quiz me on financial acumen and my ability to interpret a P&L. I scored a 99 percent, missing only one question because I used the wrong phrasing for net income versus SDE. It seems small, but it gave me a real confidence boost.
I do not have a business degree or an MBA. My degrees are in psychology and clinical social work. I am self taught in business through leadership roles, franchise ownership, mentors, books, online resources, and the school of hard knocks. And every day in this process I have to bet on myself and believe that the future I want is worth the risk.
There are safer paths. There are easier paths. But a traditional job would trap me in a way that would put out my fire and leave me with major regrets on my deathbed that I did not go for it when I had a vision and a sense of purpose I wanted to build for myself, my family, and my future.
If you are on this journey too, I see you. It is not comfortable, but it is worth it.
This piece was originally shared on LinkedIn and sparked thoughtful discussion among medical aesthetics practice owners. I’m sharing it here for those who prefer to read privately.
View the original LinkedIn discussion →
If this resonates, or if you’re thinking about the future of your practice, I’m always open to a confidential, owner-led conversation.