The less glittery reality of entrepreneurship

“All that glitters is not gold” is a saying that can be applied these days a lot. The carefully curated visuals of social media (instagram, facebook etc.) paint only one side of the story. Our emotions, our inner works and happenings paint another one. And the reality, the truth get lost somewhere in between. 

When it comes to painting the picture of entrepreneurship and owning a business, it's easy to talk about and publicize things when the business is thriving. But what is behind the glittery presentation is hidden from the easily deceived eyes of the public. What is hidden is the complete story of what it takes to own a business.. 

And because this is the case, people often assume how much money a business or a business owner are making, not being informed at all about the reality of it. It’s the same reasoning as “I pay my cleaning lady $100, so she made $100”. What is notoriously not taken into account is the gas, supplies, travel time, possibly even the cost of childcare, the amount of physical labor and time invested, taxes that will be due on the amount made, potential health hazards like exposure to chemicals, etc. 

Alongside these blind assumptions, I’ve also noticed the resentment and jealousy of people toward somebody who is running a successful business. Truth be told, I often pray for all people to be fruitful and productive, because i believe that wealth is a circular thing. If Everyone is prospering, then they will be consuming and using others’ services, thus making others prosperous too. If, on the other hand, people and businesses are not doing well, then there will be no resources to consume others’ products, and this includes my business, too. I pray for wealth and prosperity of all, because I understand the interconnectedness of everyone involved. 

I always try to look beyond the picture perfect situation that appears in front of my eyes, even though this is not easy. When you look at entrepreneurs, specifically, what they don’t talk about is their taxes, their maintenance fees, their licenses, how many families they support through their business, how many roads and schools they have helped through their contribution. 

Be mindful of your judgment and celebrate other people's success. Support small, local business because the truth is - it’s less glittery than it appears to be.