From the outside, being a business owner looks like freedom: you call the shots and build something meaningful. But behind the scenes, the reality is very different. Owning a business often feels less like freedom and more like carrying the weight of the world on your shoulders.

The end of the year brings a unique kind of chaos for founders. You've been building momentum all year, but now the holiday workload hits: last-minute client requests, a flurry of marketing campaigns, and an endless list of to-dos before the new year. That overwhelming feeling? It's the real cost of doing it all yourself. You're trying to manage inventory, run social media ads, and handle customer support tickets while everyone else is in the holiday spirit.