How to be an entrepreneur while being a dad with a full-time job

Have you ever dreamt of being a solopreneur but felt like it’s too late?

I’m a solopreneur wannabe dad with a full-time job. Chances are, you had that dream, or perhaps thinking about being one.

We're told that financial freedom promises a life less ordinary - but for a dad like me - for now, it's childcare drop-offs and bedtime stories squeezed between content writeups, business and work.

The path to freedom, especially for a young dad with a full-time job, is not a walk in the park.

The journey so far…

In this newsletter I will share with you some strategies that are working for me in chasing that dream. But before that, let me further paint a picture of how things are - it’s not all sunshine.

Feels a lot like this..

These are my (and perhaps your) struggling years, documented not to discourage you, but to offer a realistic glimpse into the trenches. My days are a beautiful mess of spreadsheets, lego pieces, and presentation slides punctuated by the giggles of my little guy. It's a constant negotiation between work, fatherhood, and the ever-present solopreneur dream.

The first year was blurry - it was an inconsistent life schedule and tiredness is a constant companion. Sleeping in was slowly becoming a luxury that I could rarely afford and somehow got accustomed to. My evenings, once spent exploring new restaurants with my wife, were now consumed by website design updates and social media marketing, if we're not cleaning the house and picking up toys from the floor. Weekends, once reserved for only family adventures, became a frantic scramble to catch up on both work and neglected father duties.

Despite those doubts and question, amidst the chaos, I can say some hope emerged. Friends who are also potential clients praised my work, after being asked a few things on investing through a social media post that resonated with them. They had trouble understanding a lot investing concepts, so I made it clear for them.

What's best was that my little guy proudly declared, "Dad, I want to give your business cards to my friends!"

These small victories, these moments of validation, I must say, they rekindled the fire after a constant daily battle of doubt vs hope.

They became the fuel that keep us pushing forward, the reminder of the "why" behind the struggle.

Here's what I've learned, the hard-won wisdom from the trenches:

Embrace the Hustle, But Prioritize Efficiency

Let's face it, there simply aren't enough hours in the day. But that doesn't mean there's no time for your solo hustle. Embrace the early mornings and the late nights, but do so strategically. Utilize productivity hacks, automate tasks where possible, and ruthlessly eliminate time-wasters and distractions. Batch similar tasks together to minimize context-switching. Every stolen minute counts, so make them count.

Here's an example for what you can do to be efficient. If you commute to work by a public transport, let's say each commute takes about 45 minutes, then you'll have 1 and a half hours a day to either listen to a podcast on how to improve your skills, marketing strategy, or even draft a content during those times. I normally work on my online course slides using my laptop on my commute to work every other day. That really help with the progress of my hustle. Remember, Rome wasn’t built in a day.

Communicate (and Negotiate) with Your Partner

Having a supportive partner is an absolute game-changer. Talk openly about your dreams and goals, as well as theirs, but also be realistic about the sacrifices it will require. Negotiate new routines, share household chores, and be flexible. Remember, you're not just building a business, you're building a stronger family unit.

Although it's easier said than done, it requires a lot of patience to work out what works best for both of you and the family as a whole especially in the early years of getting to know each other. Setting the right expectation at the beginning is really crucial. What I did was, defining our roles and tasks within the household to ensure nothing is left behind. She'll make dinner schedule for the week, and on days that I'm working from home, I'll cook and care for our son. My wife owns a business, so she understands further ahead what that means and for me, that helped a lot.  

When in doubt, communicate.

Carve Out Time for Family (and Yourself)

It's easy to get swept away in the solopreneur vortex, but don't neglect your family. Schedule dedicated time for them, even if it's just 30 minutes of uninterrupted play before bedtime. Disconnect from work during these periods and be fully present and put your phones away. The same goes for yourself. Schedule time for sleep (yup!), exercise, or whatever helps you recharge. A burnt-out solopreneur is no good to anyone.

One way to do this, for me, is to carve out time for myself in the early hours of the day. I'll wake up around 5am to do my prayers, some exercise, and I'll jump to deep work mode. This is the best time for uninterrupted high-quality work. You don't need 4-5 hours to do this, all you need is 2 hours maximum a day. And if that's not achievable, start with one hour. Outside of that, it should be dedicated for family, and full-time job. I'd usually dedicate time for my parents and friends, and I'll ensure my wife does the same every now and then. If she doesn't, I'll remind her! And importantly, make time for just you and your partner!

Find Your Tribe

I can't stress how important this is. Loneliness can be a major hurdle for solopreneurs, and (especially new) dads - combined together, it becomes a bad combination.  What you can do, is to seek out online communities, attend networking events, or find a co-working space with a supportive environment. Sharing your struggles and successes with others who understand the journey can be a powerful source of motivation.

Personally, what I did was I'd arrange fortnightly catchups with friends, and we'll talk about ideas, plans for the future, and actually discuss about where we are in life, and business.

This makes a whole lot of difference to me, and I must say it is a major contributing factor in helping persevere.

You've heard of the saying, you are the average of the 5 people you spend most time with. So choose wisely!

Focus on Your "Why"

On the days when motivation feels like a distant memory, revisit your "why." What ignited the spark for your solopreneur journey? Was it the desire to leave a legacy for your son? To create a more flexible work-life balance?  Reconnecting with your core motivation can reignite the passion and keep you pushing forward.

For me it was simple. The reason was to not trade time for money. If I'm given 8 hours to chop down a tree, I won't chop it from the first second. I'd sharpened my axe instead in the first hour, so it wouldn't take long to chop it down, so I'd have more time to spend doing better things. These are the axe-sharpening years for me, so the remaining years wouldn't get eaten up by a blurry routine that we call life.

My why was simply to be able to repay my parents for all their sacrifices, and give my family a fulfilled life, spending time doing what we want by making a difference to others.

To conclude...

There were moments of self-doubt so profound that just paralyses my efforts. Was I a terrible father, husband, son and brother, for putting aside my family's due attention in pursuit of some elusive dream? Was I failing at my day job, my mind constantly pulled between investment projects and revenue streams? Was this all worth it?

Being a solopreneur dad with a full-time job is undeniably challenging.

It requires unwavering commitment, relentless hustle, and a whole lot of love (and honestly, a fair amount of caffeine).

But the rewards, the sense of accomplishment, and the freedom to build something meaningful makes it all worth it. So, if you're out there, juggling course slides and a karate class, know that you are not alone. I can't say for sure it will pay off financially, because honestly, as I've mentioned at the start, I am still in this arduous start of the journey.

But one thing I know for sure is that you will come out of this a better person than what you were. It really is a hustle of ups and downs – as I would always so to friends who ask about it, some days you thrive, most days, you just want to survive.

And that's okay.

Anyway, that's all I've got for now, but I'm sure there's a lot more ahead of us in this journey. What's your biggest challenge? I'd like to know if you actually relate to everything I've just said - share some love and feel free to reply to this email!

As always, if you’ve been thinking of improving your financial life, even for a tiny bit, consider my upcoming online course where I teach you how to manage your cashflow and constantly invest your money in the stock market, to grow your wealth for the long-term without the headache.

If you've read this far, I thank you for your time, it means a lot to me.

Take care of yourself.

Till the next one :)