Freedom for The Highly Sensitive Entrepreneur

Each year, on Independence Day, I reflect on all the freedoms I’m so fortunate to have. I honor those who have given their lives for this freedom and the foresight of those who framed the Constitution (248 years ago for a country with a population of about 2.5 million).

This holiday also offers a unique opportunity to reflect on what freedom truly means in our professional lives. Starting your own business, like starting a new country, isn’t always easy, but it affords a level of freedom that isn’t possible when under someone else’s rule.

While the Founding Fathers declared independence from tyranny, we highly sensitive persons (HSPs) running micro businesses often find ourselves seeking liberation from a different set of challenges. Our declaration of independence isn't about breaking free from a monarch, but rather from the conventional business norms that don't serve our sensitive nature.

Freedom From Overstimulation

In a world that often celebrates hustle culture and constant connectivity, HSPs need to carve out spaces of calm. Our freedom comes from creating work environments that soothe rather than overwhelm our senses. This might mean:

Creating a space for yourself that’s quiet and clutter-free, uplifting and cozy.

Enjoying silence or soft jazz on your noise-canceling headphones while you work.

Reducing the number of meetings you attend and opt for smaller, more intimate connections around projects and referrals.

By declaring independence from overstimulation, we create the conditions that allow our sensitive strengths to flourish.

Freedom To Work at Our Own Pace

248 years ago, America rejected the imposed rhythms of British rule. Are you working under someone else’s imposed timelines, or your own unrealistic expectations? Create time freedom for yourself:

Structure your day around your personally most productive hours.

Take regular breaks from work to stretch, brew a cup of tea, connect with nature, jot down some thoughts, feelings, insights or just gaze out the window.

Just say “no” to rushed deadlines that compromise your well-being and quality of work. As a solopreneur, this involves planning ahead. If you’re working for someone else, ask them which projects they’d like you to back-burner so you can focus on this other more urgent project. It’s not realistic to just pile it on.

There is a natural ebb and flow to all of life. When we honor it, we thrive.

Freedom To Align Business with Our Values

Like the framers of the Constitution, we have the power to create a framework that governs our professional lives.

Choose clients and projects that resonate with your ethical standards.

Incorporate environmentally friendly practices into daily operations.

Prioritize depth and meaning in work over rapid growth or profit maximization.

As we celebrate Independence Day, let's take a moment to appreciate the unique freedoms we've created in our businesses. Let's honor our sensitivity as the cornerstone of our entrepreneurial identity.

Our forefathers fought for the freedom to govern themselves. As highly sensitive entrepreneurs, we fight for the freedom to be ourselves fully in our business lives. We declare independence from the notion that there's only one way to run a successful business.

So this July 4th, as fireworks light up the sky, let's celebrate our own quiet revolutions. Let's toast to the freedom we've created (or intend to create) – freedom from overstimulation, freedom to work at our own pace, and freedom to align our businesses with our values. In doing so, we're not just running businesses; we're crafting a new declaration of independence, one that honors our sensitivity and allows us to thrive on our own terms.

Happy Independence Day, fellow HSP entrepreneurs. May your sensitive spirit continue to light the way to true freedom in your business and beyond.