She rolled her eyes started to laugh as she described all the times she wanted to close her doors. I asked how often, and she said emphatically, “Ohhh too often to count!” She had come a long way from swimming in self-doubt to recognizing that it was just part of running a business. Not everyone will admit that beneath the surface of entrepreneurship is an overlooked factor – mental health. 

As the pandemic eased, entrepreneurs of all sizes were finding their way in a new world. Most could barely talk about how they played the part of the confident leader while struggling with sleepless nights and mental health challenges that they could not share with anyone. Men will often greet each other with, “What do you do?”; their personal identity closely linked to their profession or business. Women talk about the hustle and the relentless drive to success. When we really start talking, both admitted to being under great mental strain and pressure to keep their business running. The decision to go out on your own is a tough one and along with it, comes the uncertainty and financial instability that plays like background noise in your head. 

As I started to see a pattern in entrepreneurs flailing silently, I began to ask some tough questions, starting with, “What scares you the most?” We soon developed strategies, “baby steps” for entrepreneurs to find their mental fit. One by one, our clients began to see competitive advantages to coaching. I knew when had hit a new journey! How does it work? 

1. Plan outcomes: People who are most likely to become entrepreneurs tend to be self-starters. Using that as our “given”, I asked that they make a list of desired outcomes and then engineered the process backwards. 
2. Manage stress: For many people, stress reduction is touted as a life goal. The missing piece of this puzzle is how exactly to reduce stress! People who lean towards entrepreneurship like to have control over how they spend their time. Planning out the outcomes process is a small manageable way to reduce small stressors each day. 
3. Trust professional support: Coaching is a safe space where entrepreneurs find an outside, objective perspective to honestly deal with rough days. 
4. Find social circle: To stay creative and in “solutions mode”, entrepreneurs must purposely step away from work and reset. 
5. Practice Resilience: Repeat – practice. Resilience exercises practiced consistently, turned out to be helpful. The problems may remain, but the change came in the response and recovery. 

One question is the key to emotional regulation and ultimately, a healthy work environment – “Why?” The answer to “why” allows the entrepreneur to perform based on data rather than fear. It affects team performance and productivity. Prioritizing mental health is more than self-care. It is a strategic business decision that saves time and money in the long run.