What A Founder At Treats Wishes They Had Known Before Entering Entrepreneurship
Alison, Founder and Program Director at Treats, found the entrepreneurial journey "really lonely," despite being independent, highlighting the vulnerability of sharing a new idea and experiencing both the highs and lows intensely alone. Openly sharing experiences, even if others cannot fully grasp the specifics, proves helpful in mitigating this isolation.
Entrepreneurship, Vulnerability, Resilience, Leadership, Independence
Advizer Information
Name
Job Title
Company
Undergrad
Grad Programs
Majors
Industries
Job Functions
Traits
Alison Griffin
Founder and Program Director
Treats.
University of Southern California, 2012
N/A
Film, Media Arts, Visual Arts
Food, Beverages & Alcohol
Entrepreneurship and Business Owner
Honors Student, Scholarship Recipient, Took Out Loans
Video Highlights
1. The entrepreneurial journey can be isolating, even if you are independent and used to working alone. It's important to be open about your experiences and challenges with others, even if they can't fully understand.
2. Building a business requires significant time and effort. Be prepared to invest long hours, including working outside of typical office hours, on tasks that may not always be exciting but are crucial to success.
3. While support from friends and family is valuable, remember that you ultimately bear the responsibility for the success or failure of your venture. The highs and lows of entrepreneurship are intensely personal
Transcript
I think the thing that I wish I'd heard before, but it's different being in the situation, is that it can be really lonely. This is something entrepreneurs, business owners, and people taking the leap often experience.
I'm an only child, so I'm used to being on my own or being independent. That doesn't really scare me, but there is something about starting something new or having an idea and putting it out into the world.
It's very vulnerable. It can be really scary. When you don't have a business partner, someone you're in it with, you're the one who cares about it the most.
You have friends and family, people who are on your side and want to help. But at the end of the day, you're the one who really takes in the lows.
The highs can be exciting. You might have a great meeting, and your supporters can say, "That's great, cool." But you're the one who knows how much it took. You might have spent hours filling out an application for a program and can't believe you got in.
It's rewarding and nice having supporters. I'm so lucky to have people who get it and want to be there for me. But it can be a little lonely.
I'm learning to be open about my experience. It's easy to get insular and just think, "I'm just dealing with it, it's just my thing." But even if they can't be totally in it with you, it is helpful to be open about what you're going through. This includes sharing about a hard meeting or something you're scared about.