3 Realistic Tips For Getting Started as an Entrepreneur

Lately, I’ve been reflecting on the realities I see so many people experiencing as they start or sustain their entrepreneurial ventures. Realities that I fear are not always reflected in mainstream media. Entrepreneurship can be an incredible self-empowerment journey (the stuff of motivational videos and posters that I have been a part of myself), and at the same time (and maybe less ‘ inspirationally’) it’s about making rent, and simply covering bills that have been unpaid for longer than you’d like. If you’re lucky, a business venture can become something that outlives you - a legacy. But if it doesn’t - and if it simply covers your cost of living and creates a better quality of life for you and your family, that is just as remarkable. That is a legacy, too. 

This article is a reflection and exercise for me in acknowledging what it can be like to start a business, both out of survival and vision. I am super curious to know what resonates, what doesn’t, and what inspires. I’m glad you’re here.  1. It’s Okay for Your Why to Start in Survival Mode

Not everyone starts a business from a place of abundance. This is true for many of us. Sometimes the “why” behind your mission is as urgent as keeping the lights on or putting food on the table. That reality deserves to be named without shame.

I have been thinking more about this lately, and how a powerful “why” doesn’t have to be a shiny mission statement. It can be the truth of your lived experience: paying for your kids’ sports, covering unexpected bills, building the financial breathing room you never had. Over time, survival can grow into something bigger like a problem you want to solve for others or a change you want to see, but don’t get yourself down if this is not your starting place. You aren't uninteresting or unworthy for prioritizing basic needs first.

What I want to say to any entrepreneur who is making decisions based on what they need to pay for next. I’ve been there. Give yourself permission to pace your growth. This is a reality many of us have had to experience, often when setting out to try something new. Working part-time or alongside another job while you build your business is not giving less than 100%. It’s giving yourself time, safety, and space to succeed. And remember: you can’t do it all alone. Identify your gaps, and invite people into your vision who can help you fill them.

2) Don’t be Afraid to Change Your Mind 

We are living in a time where things are changing at every turn. Whether it’s developments with AI reshaping jobs overnight, shifts in political rhetoric that are harming us or threatening to harm us in new ways, or the evolving cultural makeup of your community. Holding on tight to ‘the way it’s always been done’ might hold you back. The entrepreneurs who last are the ones who listen. Empathic listening is critical in business. Listening, not to defend your position, but to truly understand someone’s feedback or experience with you or your product. Grown demands reflection. This means seeking feedback from clients, community members, and even critics, then being willing to adapt your services or products to what people actually need now, not just what you thought they needed when you began. The goal isn’t to be perfect, it’s to stay relevant, compassionate, and in service of the people you’re showing up for. For me, this has meant changing my mind about clients I work with (if the alignment wasn’t there and my presence was expected to be as a token contributor, I had to make decisions that cost me business but protected my integrity and values). It has meant changing my mind about how I deliver training to be more accessible, where I show up and how, how I engage consultants and vendors in my business, and many other things. I change my mind all the time, because this allows for growth.

Sometimes it can mean admitting you were wrong. Sometimes it means scrapping months of work. Sometimes it means starting over. This doesn’t mean you are an indecisive person (even though it can feel like it). It means you are a leader who's paying attention.  

3) Challenge as You Climb This one is for those of us who struggle to co-exist within a capitalist system, and may feel shame or guilt for their participation. 

Here’s my two cents: it’s okay to operate within systems you know are flawed. We all have to every day. Survival often means learning how to move through structures that weren’t built for us, or were built to keep us out. It’s about doing so with a deep understanding of how the systems work, exclude and manipulate us to excessively produce. Learn the rules, yes. Understand them so you can navigate them with skill. But don’t mistake playing the game for agreeing with it. The real work is in using your access, your influence, and your visibility to open space for others, ask better questions, and quietly (or loudly) shift things with your presence. You don’t have to burn it all down to push for better. Sometimes, the most radical act is showing up with integrity, asking hard questions, and refusing to replicate the harm that once held you back.

Sometimes the very systems (despite being inequitable) are the ones that open a door or offer a platform, and at the same time - you can plant seeds for a fairer way forward, even if those seeds take years to grow. The climb and the challenge can happen at the same time, as conflicting as that can feel. And your entrepreneurship journey could have room for both of these things.

Let me know if you want to hear more insights about entrepreneurship and its realities. We are in this together.

With love,

Angela