Being Highly Sensitive in Business – 10 lessons

Being a Highly Sensitive Person in Business, I know what it’s like for highly sensitive people who naturally give too much.

I made this guide about Being a Successful Highly Sensitive Person in Business – for all you big-hearted entrepreneurs + business dreamers.

Read on for more information for highly sensitive empaths, or get instant access to the whole mini-series FREE by signing up below!

I’ve spent over 20 years as a highly sensitive person in business myself.

If you are thinking of becoming a highly sensitive person in business – or are already a successful highly sensitive entrepreneur, you have lots going for you.

Positives about being a highly sensitive person in business

Inc.com recently name 4 highly sensitive traits that help highly sensitive people in business achieve business success:

• A highly sensitive person will take feedback seriously

Highly sensitive people are very conscientious. They are always growing and learning. Though it can hurt to hear feedback that is less than perfect, the willingness to take constructive criticism means highly sensitive people can be on a faster route to excellence.

• A highly sensitive person will be a connected leader

Highly sensitive people in business are great listeners who are very aware of the needs of those around them. This means highly sensitive people in business can anticipate problems, and people feel highly sensitive people in business are very approachable. Clients and employees open up to highly sensitive people in business. They trust highly sensitive empaths in business to solve their problems.

• A highly sensitive person in business has strong intuition

Your rich inner life and awareness of subtleties, helps you notice things that others miss. Highly sensitive people in business feel more strongly guided by their inner voice when something doesn’t sit right. Being a highly sensitive person in business, you can see through deception and spot insincerity.

And Inc.com says the highly sensitive business person’s secret weapon is empathy.

Empathy makes highly sensitive people in business ideally suited to service industries where they can work closely with people. It also equips HSPs to makes sales, the know, like and trust factor helps people feel safe to buy.

Being a highly sensitive person in business means you will listen to others and their problems. Your empathy means that you really hear them and feel a genuine desire to help. This quality is also great for networking.

If you are not sure if you are a highly sensitive person yet, take Dr Elaine N Aaron’s test: Highly Sensitive Person Test.

If you know for sure you ARE a highly sensitive person, make sure you check out my free self-care guide to prevent energy drain, psychic fog + other not so nice symptoms: Self Care for Sensitive People.

Also, if you’re not yet self-employed but your itching to leave a toxic workplace, check out my thoughts on what you need to do next: Escape The Toxic Office.

If you are looking for personalised support as well as money, mindset, communication + tech education, check out my

Holistic Grower Training

It’s for

Highly Sensitive Business Owners.

Enrolling in May 2023!

Being a highly sensitive introvert in business

Additionally, if you are also an introvert – like me – the internet age is an excellent time to be in business. Instead of large groups, you may prefer to network via 1-2-1s, or virtual coffee & chat meet ups.

You can also batch your marketing so you feel less of a content creation hamster-wheel, and you can avoid stage fright by getting used to being visible online incrementally.

Many highly successful online entrepreneurs who appear to be extroverted are in fact introverts.

It’s that introverted streak that enables them to write that book, or create that programme, or other business tasks that require long periods of time alone.

Remember that being “introverted” does not mean having low confidence. Far from it. It simply means you need time alone to recharge as interactions with lots of people drain you, rather than energise you.

You may have fewer connections but your relationships will be deeper.

This is just as true if you are a highly sensitive introvert in business.

If you are unsure if you are an introvert, take the Personality Test based on the work of Carl Jung and Isabel Briggs Myers.

Negatives about being a highly sensitive person in business

If you want to change the world, but frequently feel depleted, drained, exhausted or burnt out in your business, you are not alone.

Unfortunately, there are also some down-sides to being a highly sensitive person in business.

Highly sensitive people in business are drawn to helping others, but business can feel lop-sided if unconscious patterns are not addressed.

Do you recognise yourself in any of these?

• You work hard and achieve great results, yet never seem to have enough cash.

• You say “yes” when you mean no + find assertiveness difficult.

• You do things to keep people happy, even if you don’t feel good about it.

• Your clients squeeze you, to the point where your business feels restrictive

• You prioritise your work + you have hardly any time for yourself.

• You feel guilty about pricing and are never 100% sure about the true value of your service?

If you are a caring soul, the business of running a business can lead to stress, overwhelm, under-earning + burnout.

The good news is that, with a few fundamentals in place, you can create your own wealth + freedom as your own boss.

Being a Highly Sensitive business boss in 2023

Over 20 years ago, when I started in business, the Internet had only just been born!

I ran a boutique marketing and PR agency for bars and restaurants in central London, for four years.

A worked with some award-winning establishments, and cut my teeth in self-employment.

The business crashed in the lead up to the Iraq War in 2003, when tourism slumped and marketing budgets were slashed.

In honesty, it was the right time to end.

I’d reached a professional plateau and, after learning such a lot as a highly sensitive empath in business, and dealing with all the challenges + excitement of growing a small business in London, I couldn’t see my next steps.

I had no inkling that one day I would be a healer and clairvoyant.

I didn’t even know I was highly sensitive!

The clues were there: I was highly conscientious, wanted to do a great job, worked incredibly hard, listened intently to feedback + tried to keep everyone happy.

I took a lot of responsibility on my shoulders.

Partly because many of the technological benefits that help highly sensitive empaths in business today, didn’t exist.

I did a lot myself and finding help was difficult. For example:

Story time…

I remember searching for a virtual receptionist in the 1990s

I settled with a company that operated out of a cavernous call centre.

Every time people called ‘my office’ they’d get directed through to a random operative.

He or she was clearly reading from a script + had no knowledge of my business.

Not only was it impersonal, but callers were left with the impression I worked out of an aircraft hanger.

It was the only service I could find!

Thankfully, as a highly sensitive person in business, you now have many wonderful options, tools + resources at the tips of our fingers.

You can easily hire a bespoke, personal service that takes the weight off – and really helps you feel freedom and spaciousness.

For instance, virtual book-keepers, personal assistants, web or logo designers, data enterers (– is that a word?), admin support and so much more, are available at the click of a mouse.

Being highly sensitive in business is easier than ever

Female ‘small business owners’ are more visible too.

There’s more diversity – and more role models to choose from.

Gone is the aspirational shoulder-padded, briefcase-wielding ‘tough nut’ of the 1980s. (Remember Sigourney Weaver in Working Girl? Anyone?)

In 2023 we have many wildly different small business women to admire + be inspired by.

“If you can see it you can be it.” So the saying goes.

Nevertheless, you may still be lacking your own highly sensitive business role models.

You may also be without a roadmap to help you avoid common problems experienced by highly sensitive people in business.

One example is this:

Being a Highly Sensitive business owner, your default setting will be to understand another person’s needs + to try to help make things better.

This makes you ideally suited to a service industry.

(And other professions that require healing, caring, teaching + nurturing.)

Being a natural giver + carer is wonderful.

Except when these qualities lead you to stress, overwhelm, under-earning + burnout in your business.

This guide to 10 Business Lessons for Highly Sensitive People is for fellow empathic entrepreneurs.

You natural healers + intuitives do not need encouragement to give more in your business.

Giving is your forté.

Instead, strategies to counter-balance your natural inclination to put other people’s needs first are more useful.

Most of the issues in this Highly Sensitive guide will NOT arise if you are not a highly sensitive person.

This is exactly why you being a highly sensitive person in business can make you feel like no one understands your entrepreneurial problems…

…Or that there’s something wrong with you?

…Or you’re not cut out for self-employment?

If over-giving, under-earning and/or burnout are an issue, then these 10 business lessons will help.

PS. If you like my 10 business lessons for highly sensitive people in business, you’ll like my

Holistic Grower Training

for

highly sensitive empaths!

This course teaches you how to grow a business as a highly sensitive person without stress, overwhelm, under-earning or burnout.

Is there a dark side of being a HSP in business?

These 10 lessons for HSPs in business include a few taboo subjects too.

I don’t gloss over the challenges for the sake of keeping up appearances.

I work very hard.

And I am aspirational.

Of course, I want to be that woman, sat on the beach, sipping cappuccinos while tapping away on my laptop.

…Don’t you?

But… there’s a myth that solo-preneur business life is all champagne successes, swanky sea views, hobnobbing + sunsets.

The truth is that your business life will not match those of the Instagram happy influencers’ – at least, not most of the time.

There’ll be drudge work.

(– But you know that already, right?)

Nevertheless, you can still enjoy high levels of freedom, creativity + fulfilment.

I mean, life as a HSP entrepreneur can be rather good.

Why it’s good to be highly sensitive in business

Being a highly sensitive person in business, you may feel alone, because you don’t fit the mold.

If you’ve felt that no one understands or relates to your particular challenges, it may help you to know that highly sensitive people can still be deeply successful in business.

It is possible to create a successful business, on your terms, without changing the essential you.

All it takes is the right mindset, self-awareness + education.

These 10 business lessons for highly sensitive people in business will show you the elementary things to avoid, off the bat.

The lessons will be delivered over 7 days.

You’ll also receive my weekly Good Vibes email, from which you can unsubscribe at any time!

So, let’s get into it!