Rollers Coasters Aren’t So Bad If You Have People To Scream With

Hiring yourself is a hard road to hoe.

The ups and downs of running a business can leave you
stressed, insecure, scared, doubtful and exhausted. And that’s on a good day.

Then again, roller coasters aren’t so bad if you have people
to scream with.

And once you hear those voices, once you realize you’re not
alone, once you find people to face the world with, the ride isn’t so bad after
all.

I started my company the day I graduated college. And in ten
years of freelancing, ten years of being the sole employee and ten years of
having no permanent office to go to everyday, I’ve worked overtime to fill my
roller coaster with a few groups of people to scream with.

A chamber of
solidarity. People who fight the same obstacles as you. People who hear the same voices as you. And people who will acknowledge
your insecurities, lay their cross on the table and say me too.

A room of mirrors.
People to give unbiased but useful opinions on our
work. People to show you what we’re too close to yourself
to see. And people who will look you in the eye and say oh my
god.

A network of healing. People
to help you greet your fear. People to sustain you when your spirit is tired
and sagging. And people to carry you
to the other side of the wall and say don’t stop.

A company of
encouragement. People to say you’re not crazy. People
to be there for you when you start to doubt yourself. And people who will
support the decisions you’ve made about our own reality and say right on.

A circle of safety.
People you can cleanse yourself with. People you can complain and cry and bitch
with. And people who will let you be the lowest version of yourself in their
presence and say I still love you.

That’s a big
reason why I’m still here.

For those
who have stood by my side, you are the story I tell.