I remember many moons ago when I walked away from the full-time job I was in so that I could go all-in with my PR agency, Now Hear This. My mother expressed concern that I would be all alone, going forward as a solopreneur. As any mom would, she worried that I would get lonely.
“Bathing is a lonely business,” Sir John Gielgud’s character, Hobson, says in the 1981 movie, “Arthur” (for which he won Best Supporting Actor). And the main character, played by Dudley Moore, responds with, “Except for fish.”
The good news is that being a solopreneur has lots of exceptions. Activate some of these and tell your mom that you’re doing so, in order to allay her fears that you’re likely lonely.
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Sure, you need to bear down on the book you’re writing. There is a timetable to record your podcast episode. There is a pressing need to shoot that next YouTube video. I’m fully aware of all that. But consider your options.
Some folks write songs by themselves, but lots of others do co-writes, which now eliminates you having to be by yourself.
For the authors, I doubt you’re collaborating with another writer, but there are so many great writers conferences out there! Now you can get out of the house and mix and mingle with people who know exactly what it’s like to have your daily routine.
Maybe you haven’t started a podcast yet and I can talk you into doing an interview-style show, like I do each week with “Now Hear This Entertainment.” Rather than just talking by myself, through that podcast I’m meeting new people all the time. First when we record the interview (usually remotely) but then again when I am in their city and hit them up to meet for, say, breakfast or lunch.
And YouTubers, you have so many opportunities, be it simply having someone run the camera while you’re the on-screen talent, or doing video interviews, or going out and shooting events. Heck, you can even go to events such as VidFest to talk with others just like you and dive into conversations about what’s working and what’s not working.
If you listen to my weekly podcast and/or read the weekly e-newsletter and/or follow the official Instagram account, you know that I travel a lot, which is helped by the fact that I am also an active speaker. Although Now Hear This, Inc. is not just me, this still puts me into lots of opportunities to be face-to-face with all kinds of folks.
You might have suffered what a lot of people took to calling “Zoom burnout” after the pandemic, but the fact of the matter is, at least you can get on a video call with someone and feel to some extent like you’re connecting in a more meaningful way than a telephone call, and help alleviate the threat of loneliness in the process.
Heck, if nothing else, leave the house and go work for a few hours at Starbucks or Panera or invest in a monthly membership at a local co-working space.
I run the Florida Podcasters Association, and we meet monthly, which means I get an opportunity regularly to talk with other creators who are doing what I’m doing. We post about each meeting on Facebook as well as on Meetup.com and EventBrite, and those last two sites are wonderful sources for you to seek out like-minded people that might be gathering regularly. Spend some time looking for something that resonates with you so you can attend.
I realize that there are introverts and extroverts so keep in mind that these opportunities come in all shapes and sizes. A week ago, I was a speaker at an authors retreat, which is going to be smaller and more intimate than a huge conference.
The fact is, you’ll find so many benefits by doing one or more of the above. You’ll help prevent loneliness. You’ll meet and network with people doing what you do. You’ll likely learn from those folks. There will probably even be inspiration from the surroundings that are different from the same four walls you otherwise look at every day. And heck, it could even be the source of a photo that you use for a social media post.
Don’t sit home and feel sorry for yourself when there are so many others who are thriving by taking action as described above.
For more than twenty years I have been helping indie music artists, authors, actors, entrepreneurs, podcasters, filmmakers, small business owners, and more. What challenges are you having in your creator career that I can lend some insight to? Connect with me so you can take advantage of all my experience, and I can help and keep you moving forward.