When Your Side Kick Visits Asia

My friend and business partner, Chapin, has been traveling a lot lately for both personal and professional reasons. Her husband is currently deployed in Asia and has been for a while. Chapin has taken advantage of the flexibility she has in her work—since she works for herself and is also a contract worker—allowing her to adapt to these shifts in her personal life. Without the constraints of a traditional 9-to-5 job, she can easily adjust between when her husband is home and when he is away, while also engaging in multiple side projects.

Since Thanksgiving, she has been traveling extensively. She went back home for a while then spent time in Asia. After that, she was back at her own place briefly before heading to Asia again to visit her husband.

We don’t talk all the time, but we make it a point to have at least a one-hour call every week. It’s only when she’s gone for an extended period that I realize how important and valuable our partnership is. Just touching base, talking, and having a conversation with someone who truly understands what it means to be creative makes a huge difference. I have plenty of supportive people in my life, but there’s something unique about having a close friend—especially another woman—who fully understands my journey.

There’s an ease in our conversations because she just gets it. I don’t have to explain every little detail or provide endless backstory, which can be exhausting. When you have someone who is living through the same challenges, has overcome similar struggles, or is currently in the trenches with you, it makes all the difference. Sometimes they can offer guidance, and other times, they just share in the pain and frustration. Either way, that kind of connection goes a long way.

Having someone like this in your corner—someone to bounce creative ideas off of, share victories and struggles with—can be invaluable. Maybe you don’t have a business partner in the traditional sense, with financial ties, but having a person to talk to, a sounding board, a safe space, is just as critical. While having a great partner—whether that’s a spouse, husband, or wife—is a wonderful thing, there’s value in having a separate relationship that is based purely on friendship and mutual respect.

I’m not saying you have to bring someone into your business, but having a regular check-in—a weekly call, a quick 30-minute conversation—can make a world of difference. A friend of mine recently started her own business, and just having that short, consistent check-in serves as a kind of proof of life. It validates the experience: yes, this is hard, yes, this is great, and yes, it’s also incredibly exhausting. The highs are thrilling but also overwhelming. Having a sounding board helps you navigate it all.

So I encourage you to find that person. If you don’t have someone like that in your life, you’re not alone—and I can be that for you. We can offer that support, help you gain perspective, talk through the emotions, and pull you out of the fear and overthinking that can hold you back. Because success isn’t about being the most brilliant person in the room—it’s about showing up, putting your work out there, and taking action even before everything is perfect.

And if you’re an entrepreneur running your own business, you need this kind of support at least once a week. Chapin has only been gone a week, and I’m already struggling—seriously struggling—because I rely on that connection. Sometimes, those calls are about me helping her when she’s struggling. But often, in giving advice, I end up hearing exactly what I need, too. Being in that mentor role can help pull you out of your own stuckness.

There are times when all Chapin does on these calls is put things in perspective for me—she reminds me of how she sees me, which is often different from how I see myself. That’s why it’s so important to have a support system beyond just your partner or spouse. A business partner—whether official or not—understands your journey in a way others can’t.

And if you don’t have that person yet, we can be that for you. We can be the ones you check in with until you find your person. And who knows? Maybe in time, you’ll turn around and find yourself being that person for someone else, too. Not necessarily in a financial sense, but someone to stand with them through the highs and lows. Someone to celebrate with and someone to remind them of their worth when they feel humbled.

Who is that person for you?