Breaking out of the employment mentality is a BIG part of this. You know, "This is how it's always been." "This is what you do." "This is what you *have to* do."

People get things in their heads that they do things because they have to. But you don't.

You don't have to grind yourself into the ground when you own a business. Yes, there's times when you will have to do those 10,000 little things that pile up and deal with the kind of crap that your employment-minded friends and family will never ever understand. But you don't *have to* create this unintentionally unenjoyable process.

People are so used to the idea of just working all the time when you have your own business, or a job that's high in the pecking order, that they take it with them when they strike out on their own. It's that Protestant work ethic BS people have been brainwashed with from Day 1.

Entrepreneurship isn't a monolith though. It doesn't have to be forming the perfect startup and getting venture capital and putting in 80-hour work weeks so you can cash out on an M&A or IPO. Nor does it have to be this big brick-and-mortar startup that provides hundreds of local jobs. Of course, those are options.

But you have other options. You can be a solopreneur who works totally alone save for a couple other hustlers you contract stuff out to when you need it. You can grow to just 1-2 employees and you'll have happy, engaged, and loyal workers if you offer them the same kind of work-life balance you yourself are seeking.

You can create passive income through digital products like e-courses, e-books, games, memberships, and so much more. You can retain ownership of these things or always sell them off to a company who's interested in buying them from you and all without having to go through the arduous process of getting an investor and making that company YOUR LIFE.

My line's open if you want some ideas. I make a comfortable living in digital media and am not beholden to any investors, and have a sweet work-life balance.