- Rebecca Vijay, an online entrepreneur, faces isolation and challenges due to time zone differences.
- She works in publishing at night and sleeps during the day when her family is away.
- Global connections through coaching groups helped her overcome isolation and find support.
I own an online business that provides book writing and editing services. I focus on empowering women through faith, entrepreneurship and financial literacy.
As a child growing up in New Delhi, every day was an adventure with friends and weekends were busy with church, youth events and programs. Going from a carefree youth environment to entering the workforce and adjusting to a 9-5 schedule took some time.
Now that I run my business alone at home, I feel even more isolated.
I worked a few corporate jobs before starting my business
After working in different organizations early in my career, I moved to Oxford University Press for almost eight years, leading a commissioning team that published business books.
I got married in 2008, found out we were expecting twins, and lost my first twin on the third day of life. I raised my premature daughter with the support of my husband.
Infant loss can be a taboo subject, and most people around me chose to ignore it. Stifling my thoughts and emotions forced me to withdraw into myself.
I had another son, and when he was a few months old and my daughter was in kindergarten, I decided that we could still make money, but that spending time with my children during their growing years training was more important. I left corporate life in 2014. Few people around me understood this decision.
I became an author and struggled to feel even more understood by my community.
I started blogging and in 2017 I wrote my first book, “My angel in heaven“, about the death of my son and finding comfort in God, which has helped many grieving parents and become a bestseller on Amazon.
Even though the people around me congratulated me, I didn’t feel like they understood what it took for me to bring this book to life. I then published two more books that year, and the response was the same, as they also made the bestseller lists. It made me feel even more disconnected from the people around me.
I then faced new challenges by becoming an online entrepreneur
I started my business, Fount of Grace Creatives, in 2018, providing publishing services to local authors and grew it to become an international publishing house in 2021.
I created the concept of an anthology featuring inspiring stories of women changemakers, pioneers and visionaries on a global scale. Organizing coaching or networking calls is difficult; when for some it is midnight, for others it is early morning.
As I now work primarily with US clients, I tend to work evenings, which leads to late nights. Sometimes I’m even up until 4 or 5 a.m., or maybe I don’t sleep at all because I have to get up at 6 a.m. for my kids to go to school.
Once my kids and husband are out for their day, I try to get a few hours of sleep. It is extremely difficult because our cleaning lady will come, the waste will have to be collected, a courier will come, etc.
I usually put my phone on silent, otherwise it will keep ringing and disrupt my irregular sleep. In addition to that, I get migrainewhich are triggered by lack of sleep or sleep interruption.
It is difficult for friends, family and acquaintances to understand my schedule
My husband works in logistics and the others around me mainly work in IT, education, human resources, finance, banking or ministry.
For them, I am at home and have to be available whenever they call or message. Some people feel that the online world I work in isn’t a “real” job and don’t try to understand it. They also don’t understand why I invested in mentors, programs, and online courses.
I work on business development, sales and marketing, social media and order fulfillment. It’s very different from more traditional jobs, and I’m all the more isolated because I can’t talk about my work or what it involves.
The pandemic came and made everything worse
We were imprisoned within our four walls. I lost my mother and a few close friends.
Before I could even comprehend this, cancer stole two of my favorite and most inspiring authors whose stories I have published.
All of this left me spiraling out of control and alone.
I started making friends online
I connected with others through global coaching groups to learn the strategy and skills needed for my business. These women helped me break the boundaries in my mind and understand how to speak to an international audience and charge in USD because they had to break their own barriers and obstacles to succeed.
These women we became friends and helped me feel less alone. We experience similar challenges, share our successes or advice, and speak the same lingo.
Investing in myself, following through on my vision even when others didn’t understand or see it, and focusing on my mission helped me develop these deeper virtual personal relationships.
The struggles are worth it
Life as an online entrepreneur coming from a different time zone than most of my clients has been difficult and lonely, but when I look back on the lives I touched by publishing their inspiring stories, the sacrifices were worth it. penalty.
I plan to train businesses and educational institutions in the personal development and leadership of women and continue to encourage my children and women around the world to dream big, not limit themselves to a job of 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and considering working online as a way to gain time and financial freedom.
Do you have an isolating job and want to share your story? Email Lauryn Haas at lhaas@businessinsider.com