In some ways, it seems like it was only yesterday when I first had this vague idea about a “thing” that I wanted to build and bring to the world. Of course, as any entrepreneur will tell you, the journey starts not with a dream or an idea, but with action.

Now, as I reflect back on the incredibly insane adventure the past 6 years have been, I wanted to capture some of the more meaningful (and perhaps unexpected) lessons I’ve learned. 6 lessons for 6 years. May we all be insight exporters, sharing what we’ve learned with our friends and colleagues to benefit their journeys - both now and in the future.

An Op-Ed with Neuehouse Member Ben Brooks

I’m sure we can all agree that 2020 isn’t exactly working out like we’d originally planned or pined for.

Upon my holiday return from the sandy shores of the Philippines, I had taken some time to write down my annual goals, anticipating a big growth year. And poetically, it has indeed been a growth year – but in my sense of resolve and resilience, rather than in size or scale. COVID-19 and the protocols surrounding it, the collapse of the economy, justified unrest over systemic racism, and a massive reckoning of uncertainty have proven to be a real series of curveballs for everyone – and many of us in the NeueHouse community have also been forced to contend with finding ways to keep our businesses and ventures afloat, navigate complex financing programs, make tough cuts to staff and vendors, and deal with the absence of in-person events and networking which are normally instrumental in fueling the development of our projects and companies. In other words, navigating the year 2020 thus far has certainly been hard on everyone – and for business owners, creatives and freelancers, we’ve had to face additional headwinds.

Starting my own business has been one of the most exhilarating experiences of my life. But it is so stimulating, fast-paced, and exhausting that it’s easy to neglect taking the time to pull up and reflect on what I’m learning.

Of course, on a more tactical level, my team and I are constantly discussing what we are learning and making a thousand tiny adjustments and decisions as a result. But it’s these larger insights from what was the hardest working year of my life, 2017, and a pretty intense start to 2018 so far, that I think are most valuable when looking in.

Between the media and millennials, being an entrepreneur has never looked more glamourous. In many ways compared to the confines of corporate, government, or non-profit work, charting one’s own destiny can seem incredibly enticing and liberating. However, the part that seldom is talked about outside of entrepreneurial and startup circles is just how brutal the lessons of this path can be.

Starting things is sexy. We’re easily enticed by new products, new companies, new markets, new hires, new facilities, and new initiatives. Finishing, on the other hand, isn’t nearly as alluring, but it is much more satisfying.