Getting Buy-in From Your Friends and Family as an Entrepreneur
Lauren Elizabeth Perna
CEO & Lead Writer @ Lauren Perna Comms | The Mentally Fit Founder | Content & copywriting for life sciences, healthcare, & game-changers | LinkedIn magician | Speaker | Chief Community Officer, Chronic Boss Collective
“What advice do you have to get your family and friends to support you as an entrepreneur?”
This was the question my dear friend Erin Fedeson asked when I shared a few ways that I thrive as an entrepreneur with depression and anxiety.?
She was referring to this suggestion that I had:?
Get buy-in from my friends and family. When you have your own little cheerleading section, it makes the tough days more manageable.
So, what if your friends and family aren't naturally the biggest cheerleaders? How can you create a cheerleading section?
Sometimes, you may need to create that group for yourself. Some families and friends aren't natural cheerleaders, and that's OK. But if that's the case, you're going to need to seek out fellow entrepreneurs or professional groups that will give you that support.
In the meantime, you need to help your tribe understand just how important your journey is. Someone in a traditional career simply might not realize that an entrepreneur might need a little more encouragement.
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Next time someone says, “What have you been up to?” or “How have you been?” tell them! And tell them why you’re doing it.?People love a good passion-driven story.?
Then, gauge their reactions—start by sharing little wins with the people who ask more questions and seem more interested. Keep them updated with your journey.
Tell them you love that they’re supporting you and that it’s super helpful. A “Thank you so much for supporting my journey” goes a long way!
And to the people that have something negative to say, well, you can tell them to go you-know-where. Just kidding.
Tell them that this journey is important to you and that you’d love their support even if they don’t understand why you’re doing it. Then, limit what you tell them because you’ll just feel worse if they don’t understand and put you down.?
How else can you get buy-in from friends and family? Comment below.?
Content writer, blogger, and word wizard ??♂? for content writers and copywriters | Get freedom to write by asking me to write
1 年This is the perfect answer to the question I pose. Thank you so much for taking the time to answer my question so thoughtfully!
Headshot Photographer | Braintree, MA | Helping people find calm and confidence in front of a camera through headshot photography.
1 年Thank you for calling this to light. Cheering sections are so important; vital to our everyday needs. And you'll often find cheerleaders where you least expect it...keep your eyes and ears open! :)
Headshot Photographer | Braintree, MA | Helping people find calm and confidence in front of a camera through headshot photography.
1 年This one deserves to be 'celebrated.' Entreprenurialship can be a lonely journey; we don't necessarily have those co-workers in direct contact to bounce thoughts off. Over the years, my friends and family have been at the core of my cheerleading group -- working in baseball used to be my identity (people always asked about a story). Now, it's "How's business been?" Internally, it feels good to be asked that question. Lately, I've been more honest about my feelings than what they've anticipated. Therapeutic. I also have friends who could be termed competitors (in the same niche field in Greater Boston), but we are close friends first—cheering on our wins, supporting the losses, and advising the turbulent waters. It's so important, and I'm very thankful you brought this to light in a great article!