Janson's Journal | June 2026
You Don’t Have to Run This Business Alone
There’s a version of entrepreneurship that looks like freedom — setting your own hours, doing work you love, answering to no one. And for many interior designers, that’s exactly what solo practice delivers. But ask those same designers, in an honest moment, what it actually feels like to run their business, and a different word often surfaces: lonely.
This isn’t a personal failing. It’s a documented reality. According to the Wordmetrics Entrepreneur Burnout Report, 46% of entrepreneurs struggle with feelings of isolation and loneliness, and 39% feel like they have no one to talk to about their stress. And this isn’t unique to early-stage businesses — the Harvard Business Review reports that half of CEOs experience feelings of loneliness in their role. The higher the stakes, it seems, the lonelier the seat.
There’s another layer to it, too. As the owner, you are the last line of defense on every hard call — the problems no one else can solve, and the ones no one else wants to. Vendor disputes, a difficult client relationship, a cash flow crunch, a hiring mistake — they all land on your desk, and they land there alone. One notable entrepreneur described it simply: “Being an entrepreneur is like eating glass and staring into the abyss...” Blunt — but if you’ve been in business long enough, you know exactly what that means.
For all the community that surrounds a thriving design practice — the clients, the vendors, the collaborators — when a difficult business decision lands on your desk, there’s often no one in the next office to think it through with. Friends and family are loving but rarely equipped to engage at the level your business requires. Networking events offer camaraderie but rarely the candid, invested counsel you actually need. The result: decisions made in a vacuum, second-guessing that runs on a loop, and the quiet weight of carrying it all yourself.
There’s a better way — here’s the idea.
Build Your Personal Board of Advisors.
Not a formal corporate board, and something far more personal than any structured group program — a small, curated circle of 3 to 5 people who know your business, care about your success, and will tell you the truth. Importantly, this is not a group that convenes together. Each of these relationships works independently — you’re drawing on them one on one, in the moments when you need a specific perspective or a straight answer. MIT Sloan Management Review research makes the case clearly: the notion that one mentor can meet all of your developmental needs is often inconceivable — what you need is a network of different support roles that fits your life and evolves with your career.
Here’s how I think about the roster:
The Financial Mind. Someone who understands numbers, profitability, and can pressure-test your pricing and spending decisions before you make them. This could be an accountant, a financially savvy peer, or an outside firm with deep knowledge of your industry — it’s a role TDA plays for dozens of our clients every day. You need someone who can look at a decision and tell you what it will actually cost.
The Industry Peer. Another designer — ideally in a non-competing market — who gets the specific texture of your work. They understand the client dynamic, the vendor relationships, the project complexity. This is the person you call when something goes sideways on a job and you need perspective from someone who has been there.
The Operational Thinker. Someone who has built and scaled a service business and can help you think about systems, delegation, and capacity. They help you evaluate where your time is going, where the process is breaking down, and what structure needs to be built to support the next stage of growth. It’s a topic that comes up constantly in our work with clients at TDA — and one of the most consistently underleveraged opportunities we see in design firms of every size.
The Challenger. The person in your life who does not let you off the hook. They ask “but have you really thought about...” when everyone else is nodding. A mentor, a former boss, someone in your circle who has built something themselves and earned the right to weigh in — whoever plays this role for you is invaluable, even when they can be uncomfortable to be around.
The Encourager with Discernment. Different from a cheerleader. This is someone who genuinely believes in you and has the judgment to know the difference between a solid idea and a shiny object. They will celebrate your wins and redirect your energy when you need it.
The beauty of this is that it requires no formal structure. You’re not scheduling group meetings or drafting an agenda. You’re cultivating intentional one-on-one relationships with people who are invested in your success — and you in theirs. Research shows that people are 65% more likely to achieve their goals when they commit to someone else, and 95% more likely when they have regular check-ins. That number holds whether the check-in happens in a boardroom or over coffee.
Start with one. Who in your life right now would give you an honest, informed opinion on a real business decision you’re facing? Reach out this quarter. Tell them what you’re working on. Ask what they think. That’s the beginning.
The most successful business owners are not the ones who figured everything out themselves. They’re the ones who knew who to call — even if they were eating glass and staring into the abyss while doing it.
You don’t have to run this business alone.
Sources for Janson’s Journal
Wordmetrics Entrepreneur Burnout Report, 2024
Harvard Business Review — CEO Loneliness Study
MIT Sloan Management Review — “Assembling Your Personal Board of Advisors”
American Society of Training & Development — Goal Accountability Research