[ibimage==24524==Large==none==self==ibimage_align-center]

Entrepreneurship is hard.  The risks, the long hours, the long shots, and the tight budgets don’t exactly make for stress free living. Yet, as I’ve toured the country interviewing self-starters I’ve noticed one consistent choice that enables creators to find peace and success in the midst of the crazy—trusting your supporters.

Admittedly, we’ve all experienced the pain of deception or betrayal and it’s easy to respond by vowing never to let others in on what we’re truly thinking. While this may keep us safe, it also cuts us off from exciting possibilities. Here are a few reasons why it’s better to open yourself and your idea up to the risk of pain rather than hide your thoughts and work in secret:

• Sharing your idea allows vibrant community to grow around your plans. The right people will be inspired by your trust in them and they, in turn, will become fervent believers in your future
• When life gets shitty your community might be all that stands between you and bankruptcy, depression, or whatever “failure” may mean to you.
• People will point out your weak spots. This may hurt temporarily, but you’ll be grateful when you create a better product/business plan/piece of art because of their feedback.
• It empowers advocates. YOU CAN TAKE A MUCH DESERVED BREAK! With a small yet dedicated army of believers your project is advancing even when you take a day trip to the mountains.

Conclusion: Unless you’ve got a top-secret government defense contract to develop a death laser, you’re only going to benefit from inviting your community in on the fun of creation.

Sam Pike is the founder and host of the Forum Stories, a podcast and adventure company dedicated to exposing creativity across America. You can reach him via twitter at @tfstories or email at [email protected]