08/11/2026
An Unfamiliar Friend in Entrepreneurship
My upbringing was a lot about figuring out how to operate within an existing system. How to mesh, meld, and perform in a crowded space. How to operate—and excel—within the lines.
I went to high school with a couple thousand kids, college with more than fifty thousand others, and was one of a million employees at my last corporate job. To stand out, or even merely function, you had to navigate the system. Sink or swim.
And now?
Now it’s just me. One.
It’s a shock to the system. My system.
There is no management. There is no chain of command. But there is enormous choice.
Choice feels a little bit like an unearned power. Am I quite ready for this?
It creates a freedom that feels exciting, unbound, and sometimes—dangerous.
For the curious, choice in my days looks like: What services do I provide? What’s my cost structure? How do I collect payment? Where do I want to physically work? Should I niche down? What would my niche be? Where do I get health insurance? How do I diversify my revenue streams? How do I survive, let alone thrive, without a framework? Do I take a day off in this season?
After years of being told what boxes needed to be checked to hit the mark—to get into the school, get the paycheck, earn the promotion—choice arrived at my doorstep as an unfamiliar but destined friend.
The type of friend you wish upon everyone.
The type of friend who can change the course of your day—or maybe your whole life.
My unfamiliar friend in entrepreneurship—choice.
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Interior Design, Entrepreneurship, Austin, Texas, Bryce Vandergriff Design
