As a business owner who is surrounded by small business owners, I recognize a kinship that exists between us. It’s not a personality, or a need, or even a want. It’s a mindset.
“The businessperson is someone who swims in an uncertain world, so that those who work for him may feel that the world is a safe place.”
This line from Fernando Trias de Bes’s The Little Black Book of Entrepreneurship resonates with me because it captures the specific satisfaction found in navigating the unknown. I see it in my clients, too. Like me, they understand that the only guarantee in this world is uncertainty. To succeed, as Trias de Bes suggests, you have to be comfortable not always knowing what’s around the corner.
If you are nodding to this, welcome to the club.
This mindset rarely earns the praise it deserves. But for me, it’s not about wanting gratitude. It’s an obsession to build something that benefits everyone your business touches. Employees, clients, and family are all part of the house you are building, and someone needs to be the foreperson.
It is exhilarating, even if it is perpetually exhausting. Taking on the stress of the unknown can feel like standing in a dark room with no way out, knowing there is always something lurking that could make it all fall apart. Sometimes, it does.
But at the same time, knowing that there is nothing else you would ever do, because you know no other way to function.
Success comes from seeing your business benefit the lives around you.
Watching your family live their dreams, employees achieve goals and grow families, clients meet margins and grow their companies: This is why I do what I do.
The weight of knowing you alone must answer for failure is heavy, but it is worthwhile. I will happily carry the burden that falls upon business owners because it means I get a front-row seat to so many beautiful stories, triumphs, and the quiet resilience that defines us.
It is a heavy mantle to wear, certainly, but seeing those stories unfold is the only reward I’ve ever truly needed. I wouldn’t trade this seat for any other in the house.
About the Author: Erin Vezzetti is President of Lucid Marketing Strategies, where she helps small businesses grow with clarity, strategy, and thoughtful execution. Her time with Lucid began in 2007. Erin believes the best marketing starts by asking the right questions and solving real problems, not just producing materials. She’s passionate about helping business owners build success that’s profitable, sustainable, and still leaves time to enjoy life.