A wonderful Modish reader, Laura, wrote in this morning with a question that really piqued my interest, as it's something I've never actually thought about before... She's an entrepreneur working on getting her business off the ground, and as she reads about all these other successful entrepreneurial women, she's noticed a trend- they all seem to have very supportive husbands/boyfriends/partners in their lives.
But she doesn't.
Hmm, where are all the single ladies at?
If you look at the past interviews in the Do What You Love archives, you'll notice that all the women that have been featured so far mention their boyfriends and husbands as a means for support, either emotionally or financially, or just the person they rely on to have dinner with at the end of the day, share ideas with and remind them how great they are from time to time.
Marichelle over at Heart Handmade even has a whole series dedicated to the supportive men behind the scenes of phenomenal business women, because well, there's a lot of them! (Mine included!)
Although I'm running my business alone, am a "solo-preneur" and in dire need of an assistant ;) I'm lucky to have an incredibly supportive boyfriend by my side that has been here since the beginning of all my business endeavors. From when I started making jewelry and opened my own shop, to when I started writing Modish to when I finally decided to take the plunge into self-employment, he's been there to support any harebrained idea I've ever had.
And I know I've done all these things out of my own volition, using my own strength, and motivation. I give myself credit for being an independent spirit, but honestly, without having my boyfriend there to, at the very least, root me on and give me a "you're amazing, you can do anything!" pep talk every once in awhile, I really don't think I'd be where I am today!
Not to mention having his financial support to help pay for groceries and utility bills and the roof over our heads... Could I have become self-employed and stayed self-employed for this long without having his extra income in the mix? I honestly don't think so!
I'd like to think not, but let's hear from some of you single ladies, hmm? (If you're out there? :) Where have you found support and partnership elsewhere to help you in your business? Do you think you would be more successful, or self-employed by now, if you had a partner to support you, emotionally or financially? Are there advantages to being single and in business for yourself?
And for women who do have a supportive partner in their lives- Do you think you'd be where you're at today with your business, without them?
I know this is a topic verging on the personal, but we're all nice here and mostly women, and I really value your thoughts and the discussion that comes from them. Please feel free to share your ideas openly! :)
