What advice would you give to someone feeling discouraged or doubtful about their entrepreneurial journey?

I’d tell them this: You’re not alone, and doubt is part of the journey—not a disqualifier. I have a grant writing agency. When I started my business, I was working full time managing a nonprofit organization for entrepreneurs, teaching entrepreneurship to college students, bootstrapping everything, and building my business late at night and on weekends. I’ve faced loss, setbacks, and seasons where I questioned if the sacrifices were worth it. But what kept me going was knowing someone was waiting on the other side of my persistence—someone who needed the service or solution only I could provide.

Discouragement doesn’t mean you’re failing. It means you care deeply. In those moments, revisit your why. Surround yourself with people who understand your vision, and give yourself grace as you grow. Success isn’t always loud. Sometimes, it’s quietly choosing to keep going when no one’s clapping yet.

Keep building. Keep believing. You’re further along than you think. 

Give yourself GRACE... grace and space to learn, unlearn, make mistakes, practice, course correct, BREATHE, cry, absorb, ask questions and sometimes ask the same questions over and over again until it sticks, find the right mentors, and to START OVER at your own pace. Rome wasn't built in a day, yet it was because they showed up every day, they ask and received, sought and found what they needed, knocked on doors that seemed closed until they were open.

After reading this and seeing the comments this actually just help me out even more 

Discouragement is real- but it should not be the end of your story and often doubt shows up just before growth. When you feel overwhelmed, pause and realign with Your original "why". Revisit your vision, break larger steps into smaller more meaningful steps. Another practical step that helped us in the beginning was, surrounding yourself with wise counsel and people who are where you want to be. 

I have already replied to this message. 

It's a roller coaster for sure!  You have to expect it.  You can't get too comfortable with the high of success.  You can't get too anxious or defeated when the lows come.  When you think about the journey from this perspective, it's easier to deal with solving problems rather than taking the problems personally.  

Consistency is key, nothing happens over night. Ensure you are always doing something to benefit yourself or your business everyday get 1% better and overtime you will have a thriving business.

Just keep going! We all have special gifts we can share with our clients. 

I have been in the flooring business for over 25 years.  Started as a helper on the delivery truck and worked myself through all the steps of the flooring business.  Driver, installer, finisher, general manager of the store, sales manager, VP.  Then became one of the owners of HQ Flooring and Renovations (High Quality Flooring).  I have to tell you that it has been a hard road and to stay motivated is easy when the work is flowing in.  But when hard times come, such as this past winter, it is easy also to give up and see yourself out of the business.  It is very important to know what to do and be prepared for when hard times come.  I always expect winter months to be very slow, however my partner and son-in-law hadn't experienced these slow months, since he has been in the business since 2020.  I always saved enough money to stay a float on the winter months, however due to the lack of work and the slow down of the economy, this past winter we were not prepared.  It was a long and hard winter and we are still feeling the effects of not being prepared for it.  So my suggestion is to get a grip on your accounting and save as much as you can so you don't run into issues like these when the jobs stop flowing.  We invested in a couple of marketing companies, which let to nothing substantial.  But working with Jobber and using the tools available to us, we were able to generate and still generating a good solid work load.  I am glad I didn't give up, and I am hoping to be here doing what I do best for another 20 years.

Trust that every setback is part of the process. Stay focused on your “why,” take one step at a time, and don’t be afraid to ask for help. Progress often comes just after the point you feel like giving up. Keep going. You are closer than you think.