Being a leader is lonely, more than most people admit out loud.
In my own personal experience and with clients I’ve talked to, you can’t always share half-baked ideas with your team.
Your spouse may not be your best sounding board for business challenges either.
In ecommerce specifically, so much of the work is remote, which makes it even harder to find real connection.
Nobody Hands You Community
You have to seek out your people.
Attend in-person events, even when it feels easier to stay home.
Join a mastermind or peer group where people understand the specific struggles you’re facing, not just business in general.
That’s part of why I created WEB, our monthly circle for women-owned ecommerce brands to support each other in business and life.
Build Your “Three People List”
Here’s a practice I recommend to every client:
Build your own “three people list.” Three people you can call for personal support, and three for business support, not including your life partner.
Most people struggle to come up with their lists.
If that’s you, that’s not a personal failing. It’s just a sign the list doesn’t exist yet, and it’s worth building.
Start Small
Reach out to one person this week. Actually show up in one community, instead of just lurking.
This is how you build what I call Life Profit. It’s how you thrive both in your business and personal life.
That way, when the hard season comes, and it will, you already know exactly who to call.
Cyndi
As my book research, I’m curious where you gather. Which ecommerce community do you participate in?
If not one of these options, reply and let me know where you’re at!
Million Dollars Sellers (MDS) or eComFuel (formerly eCommerceFuel)
A free Facebook, Reddit, or Discord group
I’m not part of an ecommerce group right now
Quick Summary
- Business ownership is lonely: you can’t share every half-formed idea with your team, and your spouse may not be the right sounding board for business challenges.
- Ecommerce owners face extra isolation because so much of the work is remote.
- Support as a business owner has to be sought out through in-person events, masterminds, and peer groups that understand your specific challenges.
- Cyndi Thomason recommends a “three people list”: three people for personal support and three for business support, not including your life partner.
- Start small by reaching out to one person this week and actively showing up in one community. This is how you build Life Profit.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why do business owners feel so isolated?
Business owners carry decisions their teams can’t always share, and partners or spouses may not have the context to help with business problems. For ecommerce owners, remote work makes real connection even harder to find.
Where can I find support as a business owner?
Look for in-person events, masterminds, and peer groups made up of people who face the same specific challenges you do. For women-owned ecommerce brands, Cyndi Thomason’s WEB circle meets monthly to support members in business and life.
What is the “three people list”?
It’s a practice Cyndi Thomason recommends to every Your Profit Team client: name three people you can call for personal support and three for business support, not counting your life partner. If you can’t fill the list yet, that’s a sign to start building it.
Should my spouse be my main business sounding board?
Not necessarily. Your life partner is important support, but they may not be the best sounding board for business challenges. That’s why the three people list excludes your partner.
What is Life Profit?
Life Profit is Cyndi Thomason’s term for thriving in both your business and your personal life. Building a real support network is a core part of it, so you know who to call when a hard season comes.
Want a partner who understands the numbers behind your ecommerce business? Your Profit Team helps ecommerce owners build profitable, sustainable businesses using Profit First. Book a discovery call with Your Profit Team.
Related reading: What Do I Do When I’m Too Overwhelmed to Think Clearly? · How Does an Introvert Win the Cheerleader Award?
