A letter to the female Small Business Owner
I felt inspired to write to you… in a way it allowed me to write a letter to myself. To feel the very present moment, something I don’t do nearly enough. So this letter is to you, my fearless women in small business whose grit, hustle, and empathetic hearts I so very much relate to.
COVID-19 hits differently every day. It’s almost as if I am on a rollercoaster where everything changes rapidly and incredibly slowly, all at the same time. Every day is different, yet exactly the same. It’s been difficult for me to address how I feel during this as I’ve always been a very realistic thinker with a calm demeanor; it takes a lot to rattle me. I just keep reminding myself this is not my worst-case scenario, I have my loved ones, I am healthy with all the things I need. But it’s okay to mourn the loss of where your business would be right now, you know? It’s okay to grieve the lost momentum and the plan you had, even for a day, which I think today I am finally allowing myself to do.
As a 29-year-old female business owner in the fitness industry I will tell you that I struggle. When you’re responsible for your own income there is a different type of work ethic that you’re either born with or that builds inside you as you evolve as a woman, I think both are true, and that work ethic never stops. So when you’re quarantined in your house and the doors to your business are closed, you feel this sudden pressure to pivot-- you have to, right? Everyone else is? It’s not enough that you fought all the voices and critics that told you not to start your business, it's not enough to have fought and triumphed every hurdle to get your doors open, your staff dedicated and engaged, your clients loving whatever service or product you provide, but now suddenly you have to reinvent yourself all over again… or do you?
The best advice I can give you my dear friends is to never rush into what everyone else is doing. Wait. Be patient. Observe, learn from the wins and mistakes of others. Don’t ever make a decision based on fear or popularity (or lack thereof). Lean into the most authentic version of you. It doesn’t have to be comfortable (as we know, there is nothing comfortable about being a small business owner) but whatever you do, play the long game.
So I guess this is my letter to you (and myself) as a reminder that in a pandemic you could have never prepared for that has caused the entire world to stop, you yourself have this beautiful opportunity to reimagine your life, your business, what is working, what isn’t. You have the gift to slow down and reinvent if you want to, or not. There is no right decision. In some situations depending on your business, there really is nothing to do, not now.
One of my personal core values has always been “make wise decisions even when it's hard”. Well, ladies. It’s a hard time right now. I could sit here and tell you it will all be okay, but you already know that. You wouldn’t be in the position you are in if you didn’t see the beauty amongst the rain. This is more of a reminder of what you already know. Be patient. Take care of your team. Take care of yourself. Mourn whatever you need to and slow down. We will never be the same after this; we will be better.