The Entrepreneurial Gap: Embracing the Messy Middle
Finding Growth and Resilience in the In-Between
I was meditating today and began crying. There I was, laying on the floor, just crying and holding myself for comfort. This season in my business and life has been incredibly challenging, and I find myself smack dab in the middle of what I call the "tedious gap." Not enough entrepreneurs talk about or are honest about the fucking gap in entrepreneurship. It might look different, and the timing both when on the journey and the length of the gap between entrepreneurs may differ (and how many someone might go through), but long-term successful entrepreneurs all go through at least one gap, I believe.
The Illusion of Instant Success
It’s so easy to sell the “final” product or lifestyle of having your own business and an influencer’s level of success. Almost every coach I find on Instagram is selling an overnight success that their offer flips the switch in your journey. They say they have all the answers and that your success is just behind your purchase with them. Don’t get me wrong, there are amazing coaches out there who can help you find your answers. I also think it’s important that every entrepreneur (even coaches and consultants) should have some kind of mentor, coach, or consultant or a combination of support that’s been where they want to go (if you’re curious about the differences between a coach and a consultant - here is a blog about that). But at the end of the day, I believe we hold our own answers and that there is a ton of fucking “work” that happens behind the scenes before things take off or click in.
The Reality of Building a Sustainable Business
I believe in building a business around ease and sustainability; it’s my whole approach to business, especially in my own. I love helping clients move up and forward in their business journeys in a way that feels aligned and attainable. As a 3/5 Projector in Human Design, I’m literally meant to be a guide, like a lighthouse, and I thrive on helping people when I have the opportunity. But just because it’s easy for me to see things for others, I don’t always see very well for myself. Who lights the way for the lighthouse?
Navigating Personal and Professional Challenges
I have been working with some mentors from the beginning of my business and I now have a business consultant as well that I’m looking forward to diving into things with, but even with support, I’m still having to learn resilience and patience. I myself am struggling with HOW and integration, and that is why I am so passionate about helping others with clarity and momentum because that’s what I have needed and still do in my own business.
The last few months of my business have been fucking trying. Yes, I have worked with clients, yes, I have helped them get results in their businesses, but things have not really clicked on my end, and I have struggled to see what I’m missing, what I need to improve to actually reach more clients and help more people without hustling and being out of my own alignment. Lindsey Schwartz of Powerhouse Women says, “Entrepreneurship is just a personal development journey disguised as a financial opportunity,” and I fully agree with that.
Embracing Authenticity and Vulnerability
The overnight success stories we see or hear about sometimes talk about the dark before the dawn, but often it is glazed over, or it’s not as honest as it could be (often they are still in it and haven’t made it to the other side yet either). People in the entrepreneur space don’t feel they can be honest about their business struggles because they worry that it ruins their credibility to help others. I want to run my business and my life with authenticity, so here it is. Guess what, I don’t have all the answers in my business right now! Days like today, I’m fucking clueless and feel at a loss as far as my next steps and where I want to go. I’m done hiding my struggles because they change all the time and I know that my hardships are for me to learn and only get better and be a better business consultant at the end of the day.
The Inner Work of Entrepreneurship
Sure, most people want the “easy route” of building a business overnight and want to work with people that are living their dream. I want that too, but I know most of the hard work of building a business is actually the inner work needed and the right support to help show us our blindspots or break down the plan of action we need for change. The inner work of business is about finding clarity and understanding of ourselves and what we need. I’m trusting myself and the Universe as much as I can right now that I am on the edge of something bigger, but if you looked at my last couple of months, you would think I’m crazy. I’ve been through some major personal shit the last couple of years and especially the last couple of months (not all bad, but some big shifts) and I have no clue for certain what is coming or not. I am working through it, feeling through it, and showing up the best I can just like I would tell a client, but there is no outward proof of my efforts….yet. But that I am trusting this process and facing all my demons head-on the best I can. Most days I feel really good actually and hopeful, but the outward results are taking their sweet time showing up, and the patience I have needed to find and the safety in waiting is next level. I have bills to pay and dreams and plans like everyone else, so the answers and clients and help have to keep coming (and they will), but I’m learning TRUST.
The Purpose of the Gap
I truly feel that this gap period is on purpose. I do believe that we are all souls that chose to come to earth to live in this human expression in order to feel and experience the full range of human emotions and the dense energy of earth. I truly believe those of us who are aware of this idea in some way and that diving into personal development and healing are meant to help change the world (even if just a small corner), but it means we have to live in the gap (or multiple) in order to come through the other side. The gap is often mostly for the inner work, not because something is wrong or bad in your business. It’s an opportunity to look inward, discover, refine, and redefine success, who you are, and who and where you want to be. It’s absolutely crucial to have an idea of those answers so when the slow or challenging times hit, you are adaptable and ready to take anything on with ease of alignment, knowing exactly who you are and what you bring to the table. Someone can hand you the perfect blueprint for your business, but integrating and sustaining it in a way that is in ALIGNMENT for you and your business so that it actually works is the “hard” part of building a business. Not the business side.
So I may not be where I want to be in my business yet, but I am working through the mindsets and personal development I need to have that success and freedom I desire that is also financially stable and abundant. That doesn’t mean I am not worthy or capable of helping people reach their goals in their businesses in the meantime—hell, I have helped people a lot. But having a successful, aligned, and sustainable business is not a destination, it’s a journey. Life and business are only ever-changing, never constant. That freedom and ease starts for me now while I am in the building phases of my business, and I believe we have to find that ease, security, and freedom within before it shows up in our businesses (or before it becomes sustainable).
Building Resilience and Character
Those who have truly found the success and freedom we seek when we begin our businesses, more so now, will tell you about the gap and the hardship that had to happen. I believe that the gap of entrepreneurship and the one I am in is because we are meant for more, and we have to go through it in order to build the resilience and character we need to hold more, do more, and be more for ourselves, our businesses, and our clients. I’m not going to sit here and lie and say I have figured everything out about business (yours nor mine) because every business is unique just as every entrepreneur is. And while I am in the business of helping others with their business and one might think I have all the answers for myself too, I don’t, and I don't think I ever will. But that’s where I think we need to shine light on and encourage people we work with and look to for help to also have their own resources and support systems/teams so they can continue serving others the best and most authentically they can.
A Journey of Continuous Growth
Do I think I am the best business consultant out there able to help anyone? Hell no, but are there plenty of entrepreneurs who are stuck in their businesses that I know I could help support even while I also still need help? Absolutely. Days like today were hard, months like the last few have been hard, and without consistent revenue, I have been questioning everything about who I am, what I do, and what my bigger mission is…but more than anything, I get so stuck in the “HOW” even if I have the what. That’s why I love helping clients with actionable plans and support in the integration—the how—because I fucking get it. Being an entrepreneur is living in the gray, and if someone tells you differently, they are lying. Uncertainty and often discomfort is where we have to be most of the time, but it is how we work with those factors that shape us, our businesses, sustain us, and our success. It’s about going deep and getting radically honest with yourself because your business will only grow and be as successful as you are willing to heal and grow inward.
Embracing Personal Power
I know I’m supported by a bigger mission, and this is all part of the process of my own personal growth journey. I do believe that my version of success is available to me and that I can get there, but I need this time to become the person who has that success, and it takes work to unlearn and rebuild when there isn’t a lot of outward proof of my worthiness. I’m having to step into and find my own personal power to rise to the occasion and face my inner demons and the uncertainty of how it will all come together. I have the vision, and now I have to keep showing up for myself and my business until it happens. It’s not a matter of if my vision (or a version of it comes to pass), it’s a matter of when for me, but I know that my idea of success, security, and freedom starts NOW within me, not “when I…” If I am chasing “when” in order to receive or feel successful or worthy or safe, I won’t ever feel that when I get there. That’s a big reason why the gap has to happen. There are so many things I am grateful for in this gap season I have been in, like time and space to be with myself and all parts of me. I needed this gap to go even deeper into myself and my desires, my shadows, and peel back and heal anything holding me back.
I don’t think I would have grown as much as I have on a personal level if I was busy with clients every day, and because of my hustle defaults that I am unlearning, the Universe knew that and has given me this extra space to choose myself first. I’m sharing this not for attention or a cry for help or for more clients, but so other entrepreneurs might know that they are not alone. Maybe most people reading this will think I’m not qualified to help them in their business if I don’t have everything figured out myself…but how can anyone have all the answers? I know I can help people from where I am at now especially since I am open to continuing to learn and develop my knowledge and skills (not just the inner growth). I don’t believe in the “I built my business this one way and now I’ve packaged up my exact process so you can copy me and be a millionaire just like me.” While some of those strategies may be helpful—hell, they might be amazing—but if you are different from the person selling it, have a different business model, you have kids, life happens, etc. then what? Then how does their “perfect blueprint” fit into your business? Maybe it does for a time or to a point, but then it stops or it doesn’t work…how do you adapt and pivot? But if you are wanting to work with a consultant that believes in you, your business, and also knows what it’s like and won’t sell you a fake version of success, then I am the right consultant for you.
TL;DR
Alright, you didn't read the whole thing, so here's the quick rundown. Being an entrepreneur means dealing with the fucking gap—the messy, uncertain middle part where you're not quite there yet, but you're working on it. It's not all about overnight success or Instagram-worthy wins. It's about doing the inner work, trusting the process, and staying authentic even when things are tough. I've been in this gap, facing personal and business challenges, but I believe in my vision and know that true success comes from aligning with your values and finding ease within yourself first. Reflect on where you are in your journey, embrace the gap, and keep moving forward with resilience and trust.
Reflective Questions
Are you in a gap season in your business right now? How does it feel, and what are you learning from it?
What inner work do you need to focus on to align more closely with your vision and values?
How can you embrace the uncertainty and discomfort in your entrepreneurial journey to grow stronger and more resilient?
Ready to navigate your own entrepreneurial gap with authenticity and strategic insight? Let's work together to create a business strategy that aligns with your values and vision. Reach out for a one-on-one consultation and let's illuminate your business journey together!
About the Author
Kay Sibson is a strategic business consultant known for her creative and holistic approaches to small business consulting, helping entrepreneurs scale their businesses sustainably. With a diverse background that includes technical theater and extensive experience in operations strategy, marketing strategy, and team management, Kay brings a dynamic and innovative approach to her consulting practices. Her expertise in business growth strategy and strategic business consulting and planning makes her a trusted advisor in the business community, adept at fostering scalable and intuitive solutions.
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Remember: this post is for informational purposes only and may not be the best fit for you and your personal situation. It shall not be construed as legal, financial, or medical advice. The information and education provided here is not intended or implied to supplement or replace professional advice of your own attorney, accountant, physician, or financial advisor. Always check with your own physician, attorney, financial advisor, accountant, or other business or medical professional before trying or implementing any information read here.
