Contributed by Kym Huynh, an EO Melbourne member, EO Global Communications Committee member, and co-founder of WeTeachMe. Kym is fascinated by entrepreneurs and their journeys, so he asked EO members from various chapters to share their entrepreneurial experiences. In this first installment of Kym Huynh’s Leadership Toolkit series, Kym asked what entrepreneurs wished non-entrepreneurs knew about them.

We asked successful entrepreneurs from EO chapters around the world, “What’s something you wish people knew about what it’s like being an entrepreneur?”

Here’s what they shared:

There’s more to being an entrepreneur than drinking champagne

The amount of energy required, the number of sleepless nights, the constant questions in our minds, the constant search to improve, and the sense of responsibility that an entrepreneur carries on their shoulders are aspects that most people do not see nor understand.

— Andrea Grisdale, EO Italy, founder and CEO of IC Bellagio 

Entrepreneurs top most health statistics—on the wrong side

Being an entrepreneur is a privilege that affords us a lifestyle that most people think they would love. What many don’t understand is the personal cost.