5 Challenges Women Entrepreneurs Experience
Being a Woman Entrepreneur Isn’t Always Easy…
Were you tired of working for someone else?
Had a great idea that allowed you to be aligned with your values and what is important to you?
Thought I can do it better and so you did?
There are a lot of awesome parts about being a woman business owner and there are also a lot of challenges too.
Most folks don’t go to school to be a business owner unless they know from the start that it is something they want to do someday.
The logistics, the learning curve, one day you think you got it and the next you might be questioning yourself with every thought that your mind thinks.
Being a woman entrepreneur and business owner can be one of the craziest, stress-inducing, most fulfilling rollercoaster rides out there.
In this blog, I am focusing on the mental and emotional challenges that come with being a woman business owner. Keep reading to learn 5 challenges women business owners experience.
I am a virtual therapist in Wilmington, NC, and provide therapy for high-achieving women. A lot of my clients are women business owners experiencing anxiety and stress and struggling with challenges such as perfectionism and burnout.
I offer online burnout counseling in North Carolina and Maryland.
Ready to get started? Click the button below to schedule your free 15-minute consultation with me.
Keep reading to learn 5 challenges women entrepreneurs experience.
5 Mental Health Challenges Women Entrepreneurs Experience
Women entrepreneurs and business owners are some real badasses but that doesn’t mean it’s always pretty. Learn more about some of the mental health challenges women entrepreneurs can experience.
Challenge #1: Fear of Success
To some, this may seem silly.
Why would someone fear being successful? Who wouldn’t want to be successful at something, especially their business?
The truth is being successful can be scary sometimes.
If you’re successful and enjoy what you do that means there is risk and vulnerability involved (all my Type 5s and 6s take a deep breath).
The other part of the fear of success comes with how will it be possible to maintain that success. It’s a lot of pressure to keep it going because if you’re not succeeding or doing well, then of course the opposite must be failure…
Challenge #2: Fear of Failure
The word failure can evoke a lot of thoughts and feelings.
Typically these thoughts and feelings are ones folks would refer to as “negative” (as an ACT therapist that’s a whole other can of worms for a different day).
Having a fear of failure can hold you back in so many ways and it can cause you to miss opportunities and limit your growth potential.
Failure is actually very important to growth.
Challenge #3: Experiencing Work Burnout
Being a woman entrepreneur and business owner is handwork and often has you wearing multiple hats and switching roles throughout the day.
Because you are probably a high-achiever with a lot at stake you want it to work. This can cause you to put your work above everything else and become a workaholic.
Sometimes you don’t even know you have hit the burnout phase until you are already in it.
Learn how you can begin to recover from job burnout.
Challenge #4: Feelings of Stress and Anxiety
There is a heavy dose of stress and anxiety when you are a woman entrepreneur.
You are constantly being stretched outside your comfort zone. While this is exciting for growth to be happening it is also really uncomfortable and can amp up the stress and anxiety in your life.
Check out helpful tips for self-care and why self-compassion is an essential part of your self-care practice.
Challenge #5: Self-Doubt and Imposter Syndrome
Whew…this one is a doozy and so damn sneaky too!
That inner voice telling you that you “aren’t enough” is so cruel, unkind, and untrue.
But that inner voice feeding you all that self-doubt, causing you to believe you’re a fraud, is feeding into stress, anxiety, perfectionism, and burnout.
Women have a hard enough time in the workforce trying to get ahead, carve out a path for success, compare themselves to others, and give a damn what society thinks.
Let’s also take a second to recognize that if you are a woman of color this hits a lot harder too.
It is possible to get help with imposter syndrome, feel more confident, and celebrate your wins!
Burnout Counseling in Wilmington, NC at Calm Waters Counseling
Owning your own business can leave you experiencing stress, anxiety, and burnout. It’s not easy and some days it can make you question whether is it worth it in the end.
Having your own business and being an entrepreneur is also an amazing accomplishment. It is also very normal to experience the rollercoaster that comes too. It’s important to be aware and also take care of yourself when it becomes a lot.
I use a style of therapy called Acceptance and Commitment Therapy. Check out this blog to learn if ACT could be helpful for you.
Learn more about ACT for burnout.
Get started in therapy at Calm Waters Counseling by following these 4 simple steps:
Click the button below to schedule your free 15-minute consultation
Complete the brief questionnaire sent to your email before the consultation
Meet with your ACT therapist
Start meeting your goals and living your life in rich and meaningful ways
Therapy for High Achievers in Wilmington, NC at Calm Waters Counseling
Learn more about me and my Wilmington, NC online burnout counseling practice.
I specialize in helping high-achieving women manage anxiety, stress, and burnout.
If this sounds relatable, check out the helpful services at Calm Waters Counseling, listed below:
Anxiety therapy in Wilmington, NC
Treatment for Perfectionism in Maryland
Burnout Counseling in Wilmington, NC
Therapy for Imposter Syndrome in Wilmington, NC
Online Burnout Counseling in North Carolina
Being an entrepreneur and having your own business can bring a lot of flexibility to your day-to-day schedule and it can keep you busy.
For this reason, online therapy for burnout can make your life a lot simpler. You can still take care of yourself and take care of your business without having to drop everything and get across town to your therapy appointment.
Learn more about online burnout counseling.
If online therapy seems like a good option for you, click the links below to learn more about virtual therapy where you live.
online burnout counseling in North Carolina
online burnout counseling in Maryland
Still, have questions? Click the buttons below to learn even more!
Written by: Laura Rippeon, LCSW, LCSW-C