Founder Blog: 3 Words to Support Our Community Right Now

Read Time: 5-7 minutes

By: Heather Wentler

There are many times when I feel, “Why do my words matter?” This month is one of those. We have so many messages being thrown at us all day, every day, by much “louder” or more widely known individuals than myself. How is what I’m going to say going to make a difference and resonate with someone in a way that they may not have heard the same message from someone else? Should I just not say anything at all?

That last one, “Should I just not say anything at all?” reminds me that writing these posts is important and makes a difference. Everyone’s words matter and have a right to be said and heard.

Resilience

As an entrepreneur, you have mastered resilience! You get up every day to problem-solve, find new tactics, implement new ideas and processes, and listen to the noise while trying not to let it take over your path toward success.

Entrepreneurs are known to be “doers.” We struggle to sit on the sidelines, not voice our thoughts, and take action when we see solutions to problems. Keep going!

Let’s remember not to create problems where they don’t exist. There have been times when I’ve talked with entrepreneurs building a new product or business, and I pause and ask, “What problem are you fixing?” because sometimes great ideas are just shiny objects that take our attention off course and set us back. We must remember that while those shiny objects may be significant innovations, they could deserve time in the parking lot to percolate on for future implementation, and sometimes we should just look away.

Let’s also not create problems because of our egos either. I was recently talking with a friend about a mutual experience we had where I explained how after reflection, I realized that the situation we were was doomed from the beginning. The situation had a bunch of entrepreneurs and leaders of our businesses trying to work together, and we failed because our egos got it way. As entrepreneurs, we’re expected to have all the answers, defend and fight for our companies and why we deserve whatever benchmark we’re working towards. We forget that we’re human. We are all doing the best given the information we have, and sometimes sitting back and learning instead of automatically going on the defense is what we need to do to be able to make more informed decisions.

Rest

What’s the saying? You can’t pour from an empty cup. If you aren’t taking care of yourself and those who make your company thrive, you can’t achieve full success. I’ve mentioned this in the past: the rest looks different to each of us. 

People will say, “I feel like I’m good at work-life balance.” Having those boundaries around when and what work looks like vs. living outside of work is essential. I moderated a panel last summer where I asked panelists what they do outside of work or how they identify outside of being an entrepreneur. When I pitched that question to the panel in the planning sessions, I wasn’t sure how it would be received. The way entrepreneurship is talked about in mainstream (yes, even still today in 2025) is that being an entrepreneur has to be your everything if you want to be successful. You should live, breathe, dream, and do everything else for your venture. I was happily surprised by how the panelists responded with, “Great question! No one ever asks me about what else I do outside of work”. There was a panelist that was like, “er…I don’t know how to answer this.”, honestly I was hoping we’d have this happen too. It created a space for us as a panel to talk about how having a life outside your venture is just as crucial to your venture’s success.

Rest can be binging something on TV that brings you joy, being out in nature, going to a community gathering, or doing some self-care, such as going to a workout class, getting a haircut, or having a therapy appointment. 

Rest can also become a place of harm. Entrepreneurs are also known to have high mental health concerns. We’re more likely to be depressed or use alcohol/drugs to “maintain”. If you are concerned about how “things that help me rest or relax” are becoming a problem, please seek professional care.

Resourcefulness

Most entrepreneurs who start their own ventures are what we affectionately refer to as “corporate refugees”. These individuals worked within a corporate environment and, for various reasons, left and started their businesses.

Another term you could use for them is “the resistance”.  They’re tired of playing the game and want to create rules for how their time and talents support their beliefs and overall financial gain.

As we know, entrepreneurship is a long-haul game. We see wins and setbacks almost every day while running our businesses. But we know that we have resources to support and back us up. It’s when we leverage these resources we become stronger and more successful. 

Community is the overarching aspect of being resourceful. Having individuals or groups/organizations of varying skill sets that you can lean on is essential. From finding the business partner or service provider that is needed to having a group of other founders who understand what you’re going through and you don’t have to give a full each time so they can relate, empathize, and offer ways to support can be lifesaving (literally and figuratively).

These three R words are only a short list of what it takes to be an entrepreneur, an effective company or organization leader, and a broader community member. 

I hope you can consider how these words apply to you, your venture, and your life as we move through 2025 and beyond. 

Continue to lead with kindness, learn from mistakes, hold yourself accountable, and find joy daily.

You’re doing great, let me know how I can support you :)