Ignore Responsibility

When you’re a small business owner, certain things that other professionals think about don’t really apply to you. The concept of “managing stress” is a lot easier when you’re just one part of a larger organization than when you’re responsible for the whole show. If I let my guard down, that puts Rock Candy Media in danger, and with it, the lives of my employees and their families and the other business owners that rely on us to market and advertise their dreams.

There are times when I’m doing something as simple as going to the grocery store and it will hit me. The sudden realization that if I let my team down, they’re not going to be able to buy groceries. A clear-eyed understanding of just how much people are counting on you is enough to send anyone into a panic attack.

This holds true for clients as well. I’ve had clients in the past tell me that they’ve been putting off their mortgage in order to pay for our advertising services, which is flattering, but also terrifying. It also is fundamental in shaping the Rock Candy Media approach that “we treat your business like our business.”

So what’s a business owner and leader to do when every trip to the store or stop at the gas pump is a reminder of how much responsibility you have for so many other people’s livelihoods? Embrace the stress, ignore the fear.

Those little twinges of panic and flutters in your chest are good. They keep you motivated and striving to always do better. What you can’t do is start dwelling too much on them and allow them to paralyze you. Business owners do bear a nearly unbearable amount of responsibility, but, sometimes, the most responsible thing you can do is ignore responsibility.