No One Said It’d Be Easy (But Damn, It’s Worth It)
On June 25th, I celebrated five years since founding my business, Lauren Perna Communications. When I look back at that time, it’s not one of those eras that feels like it took forever. To me, the last five years have truly gone by in a flash.
I guess that’s what happens when you become the truest version of yourself.
Don’t get me wrong; there were long days and hard times. However, I never once woke up and thought, “Maybe I should go back to the corporate world.” Never once did I look back upon my days as an employee, wishing I had never left.
Not a-once.
That’s how I know this is my life’s work; my destiny, if you will. As a person who lived the majority of her life with self-doubt, that’s an incredible accomplishment.
Before I officially took the leap into entrepreneurship, I was incredibly worried about being lonely. As much as commuting to work was a bitch, I am an extrovert (most of the time) and I valued having a job that was filled with people I could interact with.
The truth is: my fears were confirmed—entrepreneurship can be very lonely. But early on, I learned that it doesn’t have to be.
Today, I can safely say that one of the best parts of entrepreneurship is building relationships with other entrepreneurs. My family and friends are my biggest fans, but I also needed people who could genuinely understand me and say, “I get it.” Thankfully, I learned the importance of finding other people who understand the rollercoaster of entrepreneurship.
I also quickly realized I needed more than just a circle—I also needed a “board of advisors.” People who could help expedite my learning curve. Someone to say, “Here’s what I did.” Why reinvent the wheel and spend my days Googling solutions (AI wasn't around in those days) when I could consult someone who's been in my shoes before?
Finding my circle and my board of advisors didn’t happen overnight—it certainly took a little trial and error. But, once I found my people, my confidence and business began to soar.
And then, I started feeling empowered to support other new entrepreneurs the way I was being supported. This is not to say that I figured it all out after a mere five years in business for myself. Not at all.
What I did figure out was that sometimes all people need is a push, a cheerleader, and a support system. And that I can do.
The best way I can lift up my fellow entrepreneurs is to be open with them. That’s why I share the real truths about betting on yourself every day; when you live with mental health disorders, have bills to pay, and people counting on you. My vulnerability has propelled me forward as a business owner, as a mental health advocate, and as a champion for fellow entrepreneurs.
Anyone in my circle has probably heard me remind them (and also myself) that:
You know more than you think you do (this was my phone screen for the first two years in business)
If you want it bad enough, you'll find a way to make it happen. It might just not be what you thought.
The mistakes that feel awful in the moment will serve as critical lessons for the future.
Not every new client, service, or collaborator will make the cut... and that’s okay.
When accomplishments do happen, it’s so important to celebrate yourself because no one is going to care about your business as much as you do.
The world will go on if you miss a day of posting on social media, your email goes out a few days late, or you skip an event because you don’t have the bandwidth. (Really, I promise).
Every year since starting this journey has proven to be more impactful than the one before. The key is remembering that each moment has led you to where you are today.
So if year one feels messy and like you’re constantly flailing, you’re on the right track.
Because year two will be a year of leveling up, discovering who you want to work with and how you want to present yourself.
In year three, you’ll learn the power of asking for help and outsourcing because you never know when you’ll need people to lean on.
In year four, you’ll learn that even when things in your personal life feel like they’re falling apart, the business must go on. But you’ll make it through because you have your trusty team of partners.
Then, in year five, you’ll feel empowered that you made it through year four, so you’ll start to get out of your comfort zone. You’ll test new offerings, form new partnerships, and put yourself out there in ways you never thought possible.
Now, as I enter my sixth year in business, I hope that next year I will be able to tell you that this past year was all about maintaining momentum while focusing on the things that drive my business and personal happiness.
This is, of course, not everyone’s path, but I can’t worry about anyone else—a lesson that I’m constantly relearning on this sometimes (but not always) lonely journey called entrepreneurship.
It’s not easy, but damn, is it worth it!
