I love the moments when social entrepreneurs come together and work through things in a shared space.
It’s hard to explain until you’ve experienced it, but it goes a bit like this: someone reveals a problem they thought was unique to them, maybe a week where their purpose felt like a burden instead of a calling, and three other people nod in recognition. Not because they have the solution to the problem, but because they’ve been in the same boat before.
The problem starts to feel smaller. The solution starts to feel clearer. The burden starts to feel lighter.
I’ve run a mastermind group for social entrepreneurs for several years now, and this moment never fails to move me. But it took me a while to recognize just how important this is. Peer support isn’t a “nice-to-have” for social entrepreneurship, but more of a “have-to-have.”
Social entrepreneurs face unique challenges. They add up.
Funding. The truth is, traditional funders don’t really know what to do with social entrepreneurs. The model doesn’t fit their formula. The timeline doesn’t fit their timeline. Social entrepreneurs are forced to bootstrap for far longer than many traditional businesses, scraping together a combination of revenue, grants, and goodwill to keep their venture afloat. That takes creativity. It takes energy. It takes time.
The Profit vs. Impact Tension. Every decision as a social entrepreneur requires the answer to two questions: “Does this support my mission?” and “Is this financially sustainable?” Sometimes, those questions are aligned. Many times, they’re not. Managing the push-and-pull of these two questions requires discernment — and it’s a skill that can be hard to develop on your own.
Burnout. Social entrepreneurship burnout is a special kind of burnout. When you’re working on something you love, something that matters, you push yourself to your limits because you believe in the cause. You feel guilty when you rest because you know the problem you’re trying to solve isn’t resting. And since most social entrepreneurs are trying to balance a day job, a family, or other commitments while they work on their venture, burnout is a very real concern.
The thing is, those challenges in and of themselves are not insurmountable. It’s the fact that they’re isolating.
Most people in a social entrepreneur’s life don’t really understand what they’re going through. They might appreciate the mission, but they don’t get the struggle. They might worry about the struggle, but they don’t really get the mission. Rarely do they get both.
That’s what a peer community gives you.
Not a playbook from a course. Not advice from an expert. Other people who get it.
One of my favorite moments from past mastermind groups is when one of the participants was dealing with a legal issue that had the potential to tank the entire business. She didn’t expect to find a solution in the group, she just needed to talk it out.
What we didn’t know was that another participant in the group was a lawyer. They just started asking questions, and offered to help our participant think through her options.
Over the next few weeks, they worked to fix a messy situation. It led to difficult decisions, but she wasn’t alone. Watching someone show up like that for someone else in their moment of need was one of the most beautiful things I’ve seen in my work with social entrepreneurs.
That’s what happens when social entrepreneurs get together. It doesn’t happen every time, and it doesn’t happen on demand. But it happens enough to make a difference.
And it’s not a replacement for strategy, for mentorship, for funding, or for a solid business model. But it is a reminder that your problems are not weird. That your doubts are not a sign that you’re on the wrong path, but a sign that you’re on the path. That there are other people out there who understand what it takes to build something that matters, and who want to help you do it.
We learn from each other. That’s my very favorite part.
If you’re a social entrepreneur who could use a supportive community, I’d love to hear from you. Head over to uprootcreative.com to get in touch and learn more about joining a mastermind group like this one.
You don’t have to go it alone.