You don't know what you're missing

We talk a lot about solopreneurship, being a lone leader, and early founder-ship as "wearing all the hats."

You're the strategist, the executor, the marketer, the accountant, the customer service rep, the product developer. It's exhausting, sure, but that's just part of being scrappy and building something from nothing, right?

But here's what we don't talk about:

It's not just that you're doing all the jobs. It's that you're also doing all the invisible work that happens before, during, and after those jobs get done.

When a corporate leader needs to make a big decision, here's what happens:

They schedule a meeting with their team. They talk through the options. People push back on their thinking. Someone brings up a consideration they hadn't thought of. Someone else shares a relevant experience. They pressure-test the idea from multiple angles. Then they decide.

When you need to make a big decision, here's what happens:

You think about it alone. You research it alone. You talk yourself into it, then out of it, then back into it. You wonder if you're missing something obvious. You make a pros and cons list. You ask your partner what they think, but they don't actually have enough information to do anything other than challenge you. You decide. You second-guess yourself. You move forward anyway, hoping you're right.

When a corporate leader is stuck on a problem, here's what happens:

They mention it in the daily stand-up. Three people offer suggestions. One person has solved this exact problem before. They crowdsource a solution in 10 minutes without even having to schedule another meeting.

When you're stuck on a problem, here's what happens:

You Google it. You ask Claude. You scroll through blogs from 2019. You join a LinkedIn group and post a question that gets 47 generic responses. You piece together a solution from incomplete information and hope it works.

When a corporate leader is having a rough week, here's what happens:

Their team can tell. Someone asks if they're okay. Someone else picks up some of their workload. Their emails get answered by their assistant, their team keeps moving the client work forward, the business keeps running, and the leader gets to feel supported through a break.

When you're having a rough week, here's what happens:

You push through. You tell yourself everyone has hard weeks. You wonder if you're cut out for this. You feel alone. You keep going anyway because there's no one else to do it. You cry, go for a walk, and then get your ass back to work.

When a corporate leader sets a goal, here's what happens:

They announce it to their team. The team builds it into their planning. People check in on progress. There's accountability built into the structure.

When you set a goal, here's what happens:

You write it down. You mean it. You get busy. You forget about it. You remember it three months later and feel guilty. You set it again. You second guess it. You start working towards it, but then get too overwhelmed with other things. Repeat.

See the pattern?

It's not just about wearing all the hats. It's about being your own:

• Strategic advisor (who helps you think through big decisions)
• Accountability partner (who expects you to follow through)
• Expert brain trust (who's solved the problems you're facing)
• Emotional support system (who reminds you you're not crazy)
• Reality check (who tells you when you're wrong)
• Cheerleader (who celebrates your wins)

You're not just doing the work. You're also managing yourself doing the work. You're your own boss, your own employee, your own HR department, AND your own executive team.

The cognitive load isn't about time management. It's about sourcing everything—strategy, accountability, expertise, support, validation—from yourself, while also being the person who needs those things.

No wonder you're exhausted.

No wonder the marketing doesn't get done consistently.

No wonder you know what you should do but can't make yourself do it.

You're not failing. You're just trying to be an entire organization by yourself.

Here's what I know after a decade of working with entrepreneurs like us:

The ones who break through don't have better discipline. They don't have better systems. They don't work harder.

They have people.

Not employees. Not necessarily. But people who know their context, hold them accountable, offer expertise, provide emotional support, and help them think through decisions.

People who show up as their whole selves and create space for others to do the same.

People who walk toward storms together instead of facing them alone.

This is what Buffalo Collective is designed to provide:

• Accountability team: Daily Slack check-ins (M-F), weekly planning and reflection. People who expect you to show up.
• Expert brain trust: Member office hours, collective problem-solving. People who've navigated what you're facing.
• Decision-making support: Monthly 4-hour gatherings with people who know your context, your values, and your goals.
• Emotional support: A herd that gets it. That's done it. That's doing it alongside you.

Not another course. Not another coach telling you what to do. Not another consultant making your to-do list longer. Buffalo Collective is the team you need.

We start in January with two small groups—one IRL in Twin Cities, and one virtual online.

I'm hand-selecting people who are ready to both be supported AND be supportive. This only works if we all show up for each other.

Ready to stop being a team of one?