Let’s be real—entrepreneurship is hard. Like, “make something out of nothing” hard. There’s no magic formula, no overnight success, and no shortcuts. The struggle is real, and it gets heavy. So, what do you do when you hit that wall and want to throw in the towel? Try these three ideas to get you feeling like your old self and back in the game.
Change Course, Don’t Quit
Look, it’s okay to admit when something just isn’t working. If you’ve been honest with yourself and tried everything—like EVERYTHING—sometimes the move isn’t to quit but to downshift and change lanes. It could be that the timing’s off, or maybe the approach needs tweaking, but quitting before you’ve exhausted all your options? Nope! That’s not the move. Take a good hard look at the situation, and if it’s time to shift gears, go for it. But don’t throw in the towel just because things aren’t moving fast enough.
Remember: There’s no such thing as overnight success. Every big win you see took years of trial and error, late nights, and plenty of changes. Stay the course, but be flexible and get some rest.
Reconnect with Your Why
When the going gets tough, go back to square one—revisit your why. Why did you start this? What’s the deeper reason behind your hard work and late nights? Revisit that initial spark, the one that lit you up at the very beginning. Sometimes we lose sight of that when we’re caught up in the day-to-day, but your “why” is what’s going to keep you grounded when everything feels off.
Try This: Take 30 minutes to write down (again) why you started. No fluff—get specific. Is it to create stronger financial stability for your family? To disrupt your industry? To solve a real-world problem? Keep that why front and center.
Build a Circle of Real Ones
Your community matters, big time. Find people who’ve been through it and understand the struggle, but they also understand the payoff. When you’re ready to quit, sometimes all it takes is talking to someone who can remind you of how far you’ve come and how much brighter your future can be if you stay the course. Find a mentor, read other entrepreneurs’ journeys, hire a business coach, or join a community of fellow entrepreneurs who get it. We weren’t built to do this alone, and your support system can be a lifeline when things get tough.
Try This: Schedule a bi-weekly check-in with your community—whether that’s a mastermind group, a mentor, or even an accountability partner. Regular conversations with people in the trenches with you will keep you moving forward.
Quitting Isn’t an Option (But Change is Inevitable)
Number A (as I like to say): Entrepreneurship is the hardest job out there. We are literally creating something out of nothing—it’s alchemy, and it takes time, patience, and a lot of resilience. Quitting can’t be your first move. Change if and when you need to, but only after you’ve done everything in your power to make it work.
Stay purposeful, stay inspired, stay in the game.
Erin White
Founder & CEO, Hexagon Strategy Group
Helping Entrepreneurs Do Well by Doing Good
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