I’m writing my upcoming book, I Am Not My Business, a practical guide for entrepreneurs to live a happier life, by disconnecting our self-worth from our successes & failures.
My life as an entrepreneur has been one long rollercoaster ride… highs, lows, ups, downs, side to side. Sometimes I’m screaming with joy, others I’m about to puke all over myself. Lots of the puke ones, actually.
I’ve failed more than I’ve succeeded. That’s important, we’ll come back to that.
The wins were always nice. The best. I felt most alive in moments of success.
Earning $50,000/mo from my blog. Reaching 6 million readers every year. Helping 40,000+ bloggers & small biz owners grow faster through RightBlogger. Six-figure online course launches. 525,000+ downloads of my podcast where I got to interview my business heroes. Life-changing deals consulting with Fortune 500 companies. Leading the marketing teams at high-growth startups.
When things were going up, I felt great. On top of the world.
The downs, though. DAMN. The downs made me feel like a catastrophic failure.
In the aftermath of an L, I’d feel completely devastated, crippled with anxiety, like everything I’d done up til now was pointless. I treated myself as if I’d failed at life.
Most of all, I felt that I had no right to teach others about business if my own wasn’t going up every day. I felt like a fraud.
A few years ago, I hit a breaking point. I was unhappy. Tired. Everything was just dull.
I needed a big change, but I didn’t know what… or how. So, I tried a lot of things.
I took time off work. Hired a coach. Attended retreats. Hiked. Travelled with friends. Doubled down on therapy. Ended a relationship. Got a shit load of tattoos. Explored psychedelics. Cultivated deeper relationships with my family and friends.
I quit a high-paying job with people I loved. Moved from LA to Colorado (and back). Made creative projects. Invested in building new skills. Started a new business.
It took a lot of letting go to create the change I needed, but I got myself off the rollercoaster.
What changed most was my relationship with my business… and myself.
I stepped back in as a new version of Ryan. My business is still doing it’s thing, but the ebbs and flows no longer make me feel better or worse about myself (on my good days, at least).
And because of that, I’ve become a much happier person… I’m more at-peace.
I’m creating my best work, making incredible new friends, deepening my relationships, and believing in myself more than ever before. That one feels particularly special.
My life is far from perfect, but that’s part of what makes it perfect.
I Am Not My Business is the story of how I learned to separate my successes and failures in business, from my worth as a person. It’s my collection of tools, daily practices, habits, challenges, principles, and a guide to living a happier life as an entrepreneur.
— Ryan Robinson
P.S. Be the first to know when my book is out. Join the Not My Business Newsletter: