Lonely Entrepreneur

I never thought that starting a company, a movement to eliminate loneliness, would add to my own feelings of being alone.  The irony of that statement is not lost on me and I tried to come up with a joke about it, however I’m not that funny!

I have been essentially working on my own starting YANA (www.YANAcares.com) for the past few years…setting up the legal structure, talking about YANA with anyone who would listen and sharing our message, giving away YANA wristbands and various YANA items (tee shirts, hats, blankets and jewelry), getting our website up, strategic planning, etc, …all the while longing to collaborate with others, to work side by side with someone or a team.  Being an entrepreneur can be a very isolating and lonely experience.

Luckily for me, YANA now has two amazing employees, Anne Wagner (Chief Marketing Officer) and Lauren Fiske (Marketing Coordinator) and I get to interact, share ideas and collaborate with them on a daily basis.  It has been wonderful working with Anne and Lauren and my feelings of loneliness building YANA have diminished greatly!

As I reflected about my situation creating YANA, I wondered if I was the only entrepreneur experiencing loneliness.  So I did what any resourceful person would do, I Googled the subject.  Well I take comfort in knowing I am not alone as there are countless articles (http://onforb.es/12e8Bkk, http://bit.ly/15zqKXV) on the subject as well as a Facebook page (http://on.fb.me/11ZiJu1).  Many delve into the reasons why entrepreneurs feel alone and what one should do to help alleviate those feelings.  Helpful suggestions included:

        1.     Prioritize your life outside of work

        2.     Embrace your social sphere

        3.     Take up a hobby

        4.     Don’t always wear your business hat

        5.     Build networks, find mentors

…And the list goes on.

However I find the most helpful way to decrease or eliminate loneliness, not just for entrepreneurs but for most people in varying situations, is for a person to recognize the position you are in, to understand and acknowledge what you are going through, and to be there for you.  Whether an entrepreneur, or celebrating an achievement, or going through a difficult moment in life, everything is always better when you know you are not alone.

At YANA, we realize we can’t accomplish our mission on our own.  While we try to eliminate loneliness and create a better way to express you care about another, we are also trying to inspire people to be more empathetic, more understanding, more compassionate.  We hope to inspire YOU to reach out to another and let him or her know you care, and that you are there for him or her through the celebratory moments as well as the difficult ones.

So as you go through each day be sure to practice empathy, understanding and compassion.  And don’t forget to share these four words, You Are Not Alone.

YANA,

Wayne

Father's Day

Happy Belated Father’s Day to all!  I hope all Dads had the opportunity to spend time with their children and the day was full of accolades.

Admittedly yesterday was not the easiest for me.  I am a divorced dad and I have two incredible and amazing young daughters.  Unfortunately I did not get to spend yesterday with my daughters as they both headed off to summer camps for a week.  It is a great experience, they love the camps, and I am truly happy for them.  However it did sadden me that I didn’t get to be with them.  As a divorced dad, my time with them is already limited and yesterday just added to my missing them every day.

So what did I do yesterday?  Well I was able to speak with one of my daughters and that was simply lovely.  I did a rigorous workout (triathalon) which made me feel better, and told some close friends how I was feeling, which always seems to help.

Don’t get me wrong, I am not playing the sympathy card, I’m just a dad who simply misses his daughters and even more so yesterday.  However I do bring this up because even on Father’s Day, many people need to feel they are not alone.  Broken relationships, divorced dad’s, those who fathers have passed away and the list goes on, can create feelings of loneliness on this special day.  And it's not just Father’s Day, but just about every holiday or birthday or really any life experience that can create this feeling of loneliness.  I truly believe every life experience is better when we know we are not alone. When you want to celebrate something, you want friends and family around to join in.  When you are experiencing a difficult moment in life you want to be supported by others.  Life is about connecting with others whether family, friends or even strangers.  Maybe it's something as simple as a phone call from your son or daughter, a visit by friends, grabbing a beer with a buddy, someone telling you they understand and they know the current situation is difficult for you, holding one’s hand or getting a hug, a pat on the back, etc, etc, etc.  You get the point.  If everyone could be a little more understanding or empathetic, acknowledge what someone else is going through, so much loneliness could be eliminated.

So as you go about your day, remember to share these four words with another, “You Are Not Alone”.

YANA,

Wayne