The Struggles of Entrepreneurship: Not What Social Media Sees

I started createdbykierst, (and in many ways still to this day), being fearful of showing the world, "everything isn't perfect."

Social media especially shows us, 

• How easy it was for Suzie to join a few Instagram giveaways and "quickly" grow to 100K followers.
• How Tom and his crew "magically" sell out every single launch.
• How easy it ss to scale and become a six-figure earner.
• Anyone can do it, you just need a smart phone and hard work. 

You know what social media doesn't show us?

• How Suzie is drowning while trying to keep up and a good chunk of those followers are bots or burner accounts, in the end weighing down her following and place in the algorithm. 
• How many items Tom actually has in inventory and his friends and family supporting him. 
• The hours away from sleep, personal commitments, and loved ones.
• The tens of thousands of dollars in debt that smart phone and hard work led to. 

It's really f**king hard to own and run a legal business and everything it entails. Then, you have to throw in life which could mean - a full time job, children, pets, sick loved ones, bills, education, and so much more. I run two businesses and work a full-time job. I feel like a failing joke at least 75% of the time. This stuff is hard enough as it is. Comparing yourself to everyone else showing you their highlight reel on social media is only making it harder. 

I'm never going to tell you to quit. Every time I think about quitting, I can't bring myself to do it. Remember why you started. Take a beat when you need to. Lean on your circle and your people. And for the love of all that is holy, let Suzie and Tom and Chuck and probably Larry too, live in their highlight reel. 

Just know on this side, I hear you, I feel you, and it's not all rainbows and sunshine at createdbykierst or designing business. But, remember why you're doing this. Remember why you started. And when this stops being something you believe in or you lose your passion, have an open and honest conversation with yourself and stakeholders. It's ok to let things go. Everything will run it's course. 

Now, go live your best life. May you be booked, blessed, sold out, and whatever else you're looking for in this life. 

all the love + espresso, 
kierst