Loneliness in Entrepreneurship - The Struggle is Real

Loneliness and entrepreneurship is a real thing. And as we start 2026, I have to be honest with you – I've been really struggling with it.

Over the past year, I've realized that I had built an approach since COVID which made me, and kept me, more and more isolated. And as much as there's flexibility in what I built, effectiveness in what I built, quality in what I built, it also means that it’s left me often, very alone.

Now, I am continuing to push myself to attend more events, to go networking, to be “out there” more. I've also continue to be part of a mastermind for almost six years now - they are fabulous people who are caring, incredible minds who are inspiring, and who have become friends. And yes, this is all great and wonderful. 

But it's not the same thing as working with a colleague, with a peer, within a team - alongside others. The interesting part is that although I've been aware of it, my end of year reflection made me really realize that it's been more of a struggle than I anticipated. And this is with me being self-aware (or so I like to believe).

What We Don't Talk About

Part of what's interesting is this isn't something we talk about a lot when it comes to being self-employed, being a consultant, being a solo entrepreneur, being an entrepreneur. We talk about having the freedom, the flexibility, the excitement, the passion, all of the elements that come with it. But we don't talk about the fact that even with success or through struggles, often times we end up doing it alone - either way, feeling alone.

And it's gotten to a point where the question that I ask myself is: how do I create/find an opportunity to have colleagues?

Here’s the challenge that I have found as I tried to address my situation: I am in the coaching, training, talent & culture, and development industry (as this will vary in other industries). In this one, many of the people who join this industry, do it as a second career. And in doing it that way, most are only doing it part time, not looking to work as a team.

This means that most of my relationship at work are from my business networks, business contacts, peer groups, the people I meet when I go out and attend events, and the clients I work with - pretty good no? But having work friendships, colleagues and people that we work with, that we connect with to make things happen with - they are different. They feel and are different. You form, storm and norm with them. You go through the 5 dysfunctions with them. 

This is what I mean: being present with clients – you come in, but you're not part of the weekly conversations. Often times, you influence but you're not part of the strategic or decision-making process. You're useful, a resource and a tool - a valuable one - but it's not the same as working as part of a team. And I think that's what I've been realizing – that no-team loneliness.

I enjoy working. I enjoy my work. I'm passionate about what I do. I look forward to doing it. I look forward to helping people. But what I've been struggling with isn't necessarily the work. It's what it's causing when I end up being by myself.

Sure being flexible and having a home-based office means that I don't have a commute. I walk into my office, this home-based office, and most of the time, a lot of the stuff that I do is virtual (yes, on camera all the time).

And in the past, I've tried to bring on people who are looking at doing something new. Often times there was an imbalance in what we're doing – either people were working full time, people had immediate needs, people underestimated what it meant to be an entrepreneur or to launch a business. And so after many years in business, I realized I don't want to grow or build it alone. And yet, that puts me in a very interesting spot and a question that I guess, I want to ask my community: Honestly, how do you build a business with somebody else when most people want to do it alone? How do you connect with others that are driven, interested about what you do, interested by the experience that you bring to the table and help contribute, and that want to work with a team of colleagues - bringing in the good, the bad, the fun, the sad, and the ugly?

And it's gotten to the point where I am struggling regularly with this question that I am now asking myself: how do I just bring that passion and that experience to somebody else's team? And as an entrepreneur, as someone who calls entrepreneurship his home, who loves to start things, that's a new perspective to integrate.

The Pivot That Changed Everything

COVID changed the whole momentum that I had, as it did for many people. And I thought I had pivoted fairly well. But I realized that my pivot created the challenge that I'm talking to you about today: that over the last five years, I pivoted into an offering and then a methodology that basically put me in a place of being more and more isolated, and more and more alone.

And so it's interesting where we can try to pivot around our services and try to be mindful about what we're doing, but sometimes these great intentions can also have unexpected consequences. I mentioned it already -  I've been aware about it for a year, but I've probably been living with this struggle for the last three years.

Over the holidays as we take time to reflect and look at the new year, my two words – stability and discipline – will help to address certain challenges that the isolation has left. Its impacted my business in more than one way. Me and the work it takes to maintain the quality of performance I expect of myself, and want to offer my clients. The operations - looking at how to create new momentums, to changes things up. Economically - losing the momentum that any company needs to keep new business growth. And to add to this, many of the industries that I work with and the clients that I work with have all been impacted by the last year's worth of unrest, turmoil and uncertainty. Although I know there's a lot of industries that are flourishing and growing, mine has been a little bit at a standstill.

And so compound that with the fact that I don't actually want to do this alone, leaves me in a place where - I guess in full vulnerability and openness – I'm working really really hard on how to move forward, successfully.

The reason that I am writing this now, I guess today it came to a head having those difficult conversations with the ones that we love about the potential of moving forward. I have a phenomenal spouse who's been so supportive and has taken on quite a bit to allow me to try to navigate this. But I guess the reality is, when we talk about motivation and we talk about all of this – there's a lot of things I understand, I see it – but there's the constant drag of not having somebody else to chat with, go for a walk with, to bounce ideas off of, to be frustrated with, to be happy with, to live the experiences of today, to live the experiences of victories of clients and downturns, or pauses, or anything else really.

I think that's the difference between building a team and having staff - you're driving and motivating, and as much as you can bring them on, as much as you can connect with them, as much as you want it to be otherwise, the connection is different. When you turn around and work with a colleague, you're at a same level. And I think that's what I'm missing - I think this is the answer to the loneliness.

And although I've tried, I guess I'm kind of almost at a loss now. And I am not quite sure how to resolve this as I look at my year ahead. And yes, I can join a team - and I am actively looking into this with the question of fit and contribution top of mind. Yes, I could find colleagues - and I am looking into that but how to do it differently when past tries have been unsuccessful?

The realization is that I built a delivery model that kept me alone.

Moving Forward – With Your Help

And so I take the time to share this because as we start the new year, I assume most of the time people have lofty goals, great intentions. And I start the year realizing that I start the year once again being alone. Alone in work and my goal is to change this for 2026. 

My invitation to people who are reflecting on their year, and if you think you might be struggling, or you're not doing as well as you can but you are still working to pinpoint why just like I was at the end of 2025, I invite to ask yourself and reflect on this: might some of the good parts of your business and your success, be causing the unexpected consequences you are dealing with now?

The wonderful thing about entrepreneurship is sometimes you need to take a leap of faith. The challenge of entrepreneurship is, well, you take a leap of faith and sometimes we don't have all the answers. We have to go with what we think is the best gut forward.

Here are my final thoughts as I conclude this article: why is it that as a coach, a mentor, and as someone who specializes in Human Capital, that “we”, or in this case I, often fail at helping ourselves or helping ourselves see what might be happening? We do it so well for others, help them succeed in their own organizations and in their own teams. I guess it’s the reality of the expression in French "le cordonnier mal chaussé" (or in English, as a direct translation: the shoe cobbler who has ill fitting shoes) - is it not? 

Now, enough said on that. It’s time to change this in 2026!

Thank you. Thank you for listening and being patient as I shared. Thank you for allowing me to be vulnerable - despite being proud. Thank you for being part of my community. And a great big thank you for all your support over the years. 

Have ideas or solutions? – thank you for your ideas, suggestions, and recommendations. Any thing you can think of to help quickly address this challenge, any people, any teams - all would be much appreciated. Reach out to me at antoine@spc-cpf.com and lets connect. 

Finally, if you're going through this, reach out! I know I am not the only one living this. Let's have a conversation. I get where you're coming from. And as much as I'm a proud entrepreneur, I also have to be self-aware enough to understand that at a certain point this has to change, and I have to figure out a way to do it. And sometimes just talking to others, or having the support, or having somebody who gets you is that first step. And so if I can be that for you, please, by all means, connect.