Because growth changes you—and not everyone is meant to grow with you.
One of the quiet fears many women share with me—often whispered, never admitted out loud—is this:
“What if I outgrow my friends when I start my business?”
It’s a real fear. A painful one. And an honest one.
Because stepping into entrepreneurship doesn’t just change your career.
It changes you.
Your habits shift.
Your conversations shift.
Your values shift.
Your priorities shift.
And sometimes, the people who once felt like home suddenly feel like another lifetime.
So how do you deal with this without guilt, resentment, or loneliness?
Let’s walk through it gently.
Understand that growth naturally creates distance
Just like school friends drift when careers begin, and colleagues drift when families grow— entrepreneurship can create its own kind of gap.
Not because you think you’re better.
Not because they are doing anything wrong.
But because your life is moving into a different rhythm.
You are thinking about sales targets while they want to talk about Netflix.
You are planning your next launch while they want to plan a weekend brunch.
You’re reading business books while they’re sharing memes.
It’s not personal. It’s just change. And change brings distance.
Don’t force old friendships to carry a new version of you
When we grow, we sometimes expect the people around us to instantly understand, support, and adapt.
But that’s a lot to expect.
The truth is:
Not every friendship is meant to upgrade with every version of you.
Some are seasonal.
Some are emotional anchors.
Some are companions for a specific chapter.
And a few rare ones will walk with you no matter what.
Allow friendships to hold the purpose they naturally hold—without forcing them into new roles.
Stop expecting friends to understand a world they’ve never lived in
Your friends may not understand:
- Why you decline outings
- Why you work late
- Why you invest money into courses instead of vacations
- Why you wake up excited about ideas instead of gossip
- Why you’re obsessed with growth, strategy, and purpose
And they don’t have to.
Entrepreneurship is a world only entrepreneurs fully understand.
That doesn’t make your friends less loving or supportive;
it simply makes your path different.
Create gentle boundaries without guilt
As you grow, your time becomes your currency.
You’ll naturally pull back from:
- draining conversations
- unhelpful advice
- energy-demanding friendships
- people who dismiss your dreams
- people who want the old you back
Boundaries aren’t rejection. They’re protection.
You’re not walking away from people—you’re walking toward your future.
Allow your friendship circle to evolve
Entrepreneurship attracts a different kind of person:
People who dream.
People who think big.
People who take risks.
People who get excited about possibilities.
People who talk in solutions, not complaints.
As you grow, you will naturally magnetise people aligned with your new environment:
- mentors
- collaborators
- growth-minded friends
- accountability partners
- people who celebrate your wins
- people who support your ambition
Your social circle evolves when you evolve.
Keep space for the friends who genuinely want to stay
Outgrowing friends doesn’t mean losing everyone.
Some friendships survive every season because they’re rooted in love, not lifestyle.
These are the friends who:
- cheer for you even if they don’t understand
- don’t feel threatened by your ambition
- don’t expect you to shrink yourself
- adapt with your growth
- feel proud of your transformation
These friendships stay—not because of similarity, but because of emotional depth.
Treasure these ones.
Grieve the friendships that fade (it’s normal)
Growing out of friendships can feel like a quiet heartbreak.
Let yourself feel the sadness.
Let yourself remember the memories.
Let yourself honour what that friendship meant.
You’re not being dramatic.
You’re being human.
We don’t just lose people—we lose old versions of ourselves tied to those people.
Give yourself permission to grieve.
Remember: you’re not abandoning them, you’re choosing yourself
Entrepreneurship demands courage.
Courage to dream.
Courage to change.
Courage to release what no longer aligns.
You are not selfish for choosing your growth.
You are not arrogant for choosing your ambition.
You are not wrong for wanting a circle that supports who you’re becoming.
You are simply stepping into the next chapter of your life.
And some people may not come with you—not because they’re bad, but because your path is different.
Final Thought
You won’t outgrow everyone.
But you will outgrow a few.
And that’s okay.
Because entrepreneurship isn’t just about building a business—it’s about building yourself.
And as you rise, your relationships will reorganise themselves around the person you’re becoming.
Some friendships will fade.
Some will evolve.
Some will deepen.
And new ones will enter to support your next level.
Just remember:
You’re not losing people. You’re finding yourself.
