I've always gone against the grain. From the time I was a kindergartner writing swear words on my daily journal, to today, when I felt judged for going out on my own. I've always done my own thing. I not only go against the grain, I have a stubborn way of splintering the wood of convention. I didn't go to college till I was 27 because I wanted to climb and pursue things that were actually worth the time, not just worth the money. Then I abandoned the world of traditional employment for startups and starting my own company, to pursue a line of work that was, again, worth the time, not just the money. If you're considering starting your own company and embarking on the journey of entrepreneurship, this may sound familiar.

If this is you, you've probably received some pushback from more conventional friends or family members. If you haven't, don't worry. It's coming. While I'm far from an expert on running a business or entrepreneurship, I can offer you the encouragement I wished I had heard when I first set out.

WHAT YOU'RE DOING IS A REAL JOB.
It's difficult for people who don't get it or who have never done it to see how something that doesn't roll in the dough is anything more than a hobby. If they don't see it as a job unless it makes money, then they are likely working for nothing more than a paycheck. Your work is valid.

IT'S HARD AF.
You're probably anticipating this, but can you imagine working for 40+ hours a week for little to nothing? I'm guessing your detractors aren't familiar with that. Grind through it. I'm in this phase now. I'm in the phase where I'm scared and I'm worried about getting clients. That is coming to you, too. You can't anticipate every hardship. One client may bail on a contract leaving you $4000 short, while another client spreads themselves too thin and has to postpone a project (true story). Remember why you got into this. It wasn't because it's easy.

DON'T LOSE HEART.
As I hinted at above, this is my current struggle. You will hit a dry spell where you don't know what you need to know. It will seem like you are the only one struggling because everyone else seems so successful. You'll wonder what everyone else is doing that you are somehow missing. Look at it this way: you have either surrounded yourself with people who are living proof that it's possible, or you've surrounded yourself with people in your same boat. Either way, make friends with them, and see what you can do to build them up.

WHO'S ON YOUR TEAM?
I touched on this above but who is on your team? Your detractors aren't the people you should be listening to. You need people who love you, support you, and believe in your work. You need people who you trust to be honest with you, and to tell you hard truths. Entrepreneurship is brutal. You need people who can believe in you when you're struggling to believe in yourself.

YOU DON'T OWE YOUR NAYSAYERS JACK S*%&.
Some might tell you that those who push back on you are only trying to help you, and that sometimes you need to hear hard truths. But why would you listen to people who don't necessarily believe in what you're doing? You know who is there to tell you hard truths? Your teammates! Your truth tellers love you enough to be in it with you. They don't just show up to be critical and then disappear. For more on this, check out Brene Brown's talk on why your critics aren't the ones who count. It's 20 minutes and worth every second.

Be encouraged. You don't lose. You either win or you learn. When you win, celebrate and be humbled. When you learn, adapt and move forward. Congrats on your new adventure! You're headed against the grain. Don't be afraid to splinter it.

happy trails.

—emma