The hidden dark side of entrepreneurship no one talks about

It’s not all fame and glory.

People tend to glorify the glamor and fame of entrepreneurship. We place successful entrepreneurs on a pedestal without thinking twice about what it took for them to get there. The truth is: no one cares about the blood, sweat, and tears part of entrepreneurship, only the end result.

That one time before millions of users loved Evernote.

Ironically there are countless examples of failure in nearly every success story. Here’s a glimpse of the other side of entrepreneurship from the CEO of Evernote Phil Libin. Imagine lying in bed knowing that you have to fire all of your employees, and close the doors on your company only to receive an email from a user who also happens to be an investor that would sweep in and save the day.

Phil’s problem was one that many entrepreneurs run into at least once: bad timing. The Lehman-Brother’s bankruptcy filing killed Phil’s multi-million dollar investment opportunity and left him hanging with no money and employees to pay. From the ashes of despair rose a serendipitous saving grace at the last minute, allowing him to continue on Evernote’s journey to success. You’ll never find a 9 to 5 with that level of emotional turnaround.

Even in the darkest moments entrepreneurs need to have the tenacity to keep pushing forward with their world changing idea. This inherent skill in every entrepreneur comes at a great emotional cost on a personal level that many are afraid to address. It’s ok to feel the way you do about certain situations. While it’s really tough to find people who understand, you must find at least one trusted person (typically another entrepreneur) to share your thoughts with. The troubled thoughts on your entrepreneurial journey are limitless and will be the cause of many sleepless nights:

1. Are your customers getting value from your product?
2. Are you a bad leader?
3. Is the entrepreneurial freedom worth the emotional impact?
4. Are you really cut out for this?
5. What if you fail?

The utter truth is: being an entrepreneur is lonely. The word itself comes with a lot of preconceived connotations that vary from person to person. No matter how you explain what you do to your family, friends, or even your loved ones; they can never fully grasp how you feel about the business at any point in time. The ups of entrepreneurship are rewarding, fulfilling, and exhilarating, but the downs can be dismal, depressing, and nerve wrenching. It’s this combination of good and bad, yin and yang, which makes entrepreneurship such a rewarding personal learning experience.

If you don’t believe fully in your idea and ability to execute who will.

Being an entrepreneur requires a lot of sacrifices, but most don’t reveal they are true feelings and trials until after they are wildly successful. Personally, I’ve given up my savings, job opportunities, and every aspect of what it meant to be a “normal 21-year-old college student” in exchange for being a startup entrepreneur. Along the way, I had to make very difficult and personal choices that not only had an impact on my personal life but also in the lives of others.