The Loneliness of Wearing Every Hat in Business
Running a business on your own can sometimes feel like being a lone parent to the world’s most demanding child. It needs feeding, nurturing, boundaries, and constant attention. And there you are – trying to be everything all at once: accountant, designer, marketer, influencer, strategist, director, and sometimes even therapist to yourself.
It’s exhausting.
The list of responsibilities never seems to end. Packaging and fulfilment, reaching out to wholesalers, selling into businesses, convincing the world why your products are worth noticing – all while secretly wanting to crawl into bed and cry. And then there’s social media. If you’re not posting, sharing, creating content, and telling your story on Instagram, LinkedIn, TikTok, or wherever your audience lives, it can feel like you’re invisible. You see other founders shouting about investment rounds or partnerships on LinkedIn, brands with perfect photos and huge followings on Instagram. Meanwhile, you’re trying to do ten jobs at once and keep the wheels turning.
Scrolling through social media can make it even tougher. Big companies look like they’re doing everything perfectly – glossy campaigns, endless budgets, and teams behind every move. But appearances can be deceiving, and what you see is just a highlight reel. Meanwhile, here you are, doing it all alone, juggling every role. It’s exhausting. Really exhausting.
Then there’s the financial pressure. What will next month look like? Will I see a return on that investment I borrowed from family? Can I pay back investors? Can I even pay my suppliers next month, with invoices coming in for £20k? Maybe I need to find the next bit of funding just to get the business to the next stage – or even just to stay afloat. These thoughts are heavy, but you keep moving forward anyway.
On top of everything else, there’s the pressure of handling delicate and sometimes risky commercial contracts. Opportunities that could be game-changers, but that also carry real risks if things go wrong. Big companies have entire teams for this, but you’re making the decisions yourself. Every risk feels bigger because it’s all on your shoulders.
And then there are the knock-backs. The polite “not right now” or opportunities that don’t quite land. Every single one can take the wind out of your sails, because when you pour so much of yourself into your business, every outcome feels personal. Even knowing it’s part of the journey, it still takes resilience to dust yourself off and keep going.
Some days, confidence doesn’t come easily. I wake up feeling unsure of myself or my business. On those days, I do things that bring me back to myself. I visit my parents, sit in the garden, have dinner, and soak up the safety of the family home. I talk things through with them – they’re my biggest champions. I prioritise my fitness, hitting the gym every morning, and I work with a trainer who supports my mind, body, and nutrition. Eating well makes a huge difference; sticking to foods I love keeps me nourished and happy, not deprived. I’ve also taken a break from alcohol, which has given me a clearer head and more energy to focus. And sometimes, a sauna – alone or with friends – is all I need to reset.
These little things remind me that I’m more than my business. I’m human, and I need looking after too.
The truth is, you don’t have to be “on” every day. You’re not superhuman. But you are showing up, building something from scratch, taking risks, carrying huge responsibilities, and learning to take care of yourself along the way. That’s what keeps you – and your business – alive.
So if you’re running a one-person business, trying to juggle all the roles, facing knock-backs, navigating risk, and keeping everything afloat – know this: it’s hard, yes, but you are doing something incredible. And sometimes, taking care of yourself is just as important as taking care of your business.
You’re not superhuman – but you are truly, undeniably amazing.
