Table for One: The Hidden Loneliness of Business

“Clients aren’t a social life.”

As photographers and creatives, we give so much of ourselves to our clients, creating joy and memories for their families. But if we’re not careful, our clients can become our only source of adult connection—and the loneliness that creeps in is real.

In this episode, I’m sharing my honest reflections on hidden loneliness, why client interactions can’t replace real friendship, and how to start making space for joy and connection outside of business and family roles.

What’s in this episode:

[00:35] The hidden loneliness of working from home
[01:30] Why client interactions aren’t the same as friendship
[02:30] How loneliness shows up in sneaky ways
[03:20] The irony of creating joy for clients but not for ourselves
[04:45] Why fun and friendship have to be intentional
[05:40] A gentle reminder: you are more than your business and motherhood

This is your reminder that you’re allowed to have joy and connection outside of your work and motherhood — because you deserve it

SUBSCRIBE: Apple Podcasts | Spotify

Did this episode give you the encouragement you need to reframe the way you think about loneliness? Check out this episode Unlocking the power of a creative community that benefits everyone with Malia Battilana

Transcript

[00:00:00] Hello, my beautiful friends. Welcome back to the show. Today I wanna talk to you about something that has been on my heart. It’s the hidden loneliness that can creep in when your business becomes your whole social life. I’ve titled this episode table for one, the Hidden Loneliness when it feels like Your clients become your only Social Life, because that’s exactly what it can feel like sometimes.

Now, I’ll be honest, there have been seasons where I realized I haven’t left my house in weeks [00:01:00] beyond school drop off or grocery shopping and photo sessions. And because I work from a home studio, my clients come to me, which meant that outside of my family, they were literally the only people I saw. And I love my clients truly, but that’s not the same as friendship.

It’s not the same as laughing with a girlfriend over coffee or just going on a spontaneous little adventure, or having someone just ask you about your life without revolving around your business or your role as a mom. And the weird part is sometimes you don’t even notice it right away. You’re so busy editing and juggling sessions and running your household that one day you look up and realize, wow, when was the last time I actually had fun?

Like real life giving, just for me fun. And maybe that question can almost feel uncomfortable because somewhere along the way, we convinced ourselves that motherhood and business [00:02:00] was supposed to take up every ounce of our lives. And maybe we thought the occasional client interaction or school pickup chitchat was enough.

But deep down it’s not. Is it? And loneliness is sneaky. It doesn’t always look like sitting in an empty room crying. Sometimes it looks like being constantly surrounded by kids and clients and still feeling completely unseen. Sometimes it looks like just giving so much of yourself to everyone else that you don’t even realize your own cup is bone dry, and sometimes it looks like convincing yourself you’re fine because your calendar’s full.

But your soul feels empty. So here’s the part I wanna say out loud, because I think so many of us feel it and don’t admit it. Clients aren’t a social life. Yes, they can be warm and lovely, and we can laugh together and connect in meaningful ways. But at the end of [00:03:00] the day, it’s still a professional exchange.

And if that’s the only place you’re getting adult interaction, it’s no wonder you feel lonely. So I actually wanna ask you something today. Are you having fun in your life? Are you making space for joy that doesn’t have a purpose attached to it? Not networking, not posting content, not making memories for other people, but fun that is just for you.

Fun. That makes you laugh until your tummy hurts fun, that makes you feel alive, and not just like a service provider or a mom who has an always, never ending to-do list. because here’s what I’ve really noticed. When I don’t prioritize fun and connection, everything in my life starts to feel heavier.

I get resentful of my work. I get really short with my family. I start scrolling more and just surfing TikTok [00:04:00] because I’m desperate for some kind of stimulation and none of that actually fills the loneliness. the only thing that does is real intentional connection with friends, with my husband, with myself.

Now the irony is we’re so good at creating joy and connection for our clients. We will spend hours scouting locations and making playlists, finding ways just to make the kids laugh. We pour ourselves into their beautiful moments and they walk away with these incredible memories. But how often do we actually give ourselves that same attention?

How often do we create experiences that are just for us? So if you’ve been feeling this kind of hidden loneliness, I wanna gently encourage you to stop waiting for someone else to fix it. your friends might not always be the [00:05:00] ones to text first. Your partner might not realize how much do you need something outside of work in parenting?

And sometimes it has to start with you. Book the coffee date, sign up for a pottery class, grab some girlfriends and go to a silly karaoke night. Even if it feels small or frivolous, it matters because here’s the truth, your business will always have needs. Your family will always have needs. There will always be laundry and editing, and emails and groceries, and that list.

Never ends, but joy and connection and fun. Those only happen when you decide they’re just as important as everything else.

So if you’re listening to this right now and realizing you’ve been sitting at that table for one, for far too long, let this be your nudge. Your clients are not your social life. Your business is not your whole identity. [00:06:00] Motherhood is not the sum total of your being. You are a whole human being who deserves laughter, adventure, friendship, and fun.

And maybe today’s the day you put something on your calendar that isn’t about anyone else. It’s about you and it’s for you. Oh my friend. Thank you for sharing this space with me today. I appreciate you so much. I am sending you so much of my light and love today and every single day. We’ll see you next time.