The Toughest Tool In Business: Knowing When Not to Show Up

The Toughest Tool In Business: Knowing When Not To Show Up

Hi Friends!

I had planned to write a blog this week about my favorite digital tools — the apps and platforms that help me run Threadlined Presence as a team of one. That post is still on the way, but life threw me a curveball and reminded me of another kind of tool that is just as important: the ability to make hard business decisions.

Monday was supposed to be my first vending event. I had been preparing for weeks: designing signs, organizing a raffle, and even measuring every inch of my table to make sure everything fit. I was excited, nervous, and ready to connect with other small business owners and potential clients in person.

But over the weekend, I came down sick. I did everything in my power to rest and recover — sleep, tea, electrolytes, soup, everything short of an icky wheatgrass shot — hoping I would be well enough in time… come Monday morning, I still wasn’t. As much as I wanted to push through, it would have been irresponsible to both myself, and the people at the event — potential clients, fellow entrepreneurs, and everyone else who showed up ready to connect. The only option was to stay home.

I didn’t make that decision lightly.

That morning I took my dog for a walk, hoping the fresh air would help me weigh how I was feeling, and I also talked it through with my partner, listing the pros and cons:

Pros: attend the event, make connections, gain visibility for my business.
Cons: risk overworking myself, risk spreading illness to others, make a poor first impression by showing up visibly unwell, or put the organizers in a difficult position if I cancelled too late.

I also reminded myself that everyone’s immune system is different. What might be “a bad cold” for me could have much more serious consequences for someone else in that room, or people they know. In the end, the responsible choice was clear.

It was devastating.

I had been promoting the event on social media — even counting down the days, and I wanted so badly to be there. But the truth is that showing up sick would have been worse than not showing up at all.

For solopreneurs and small business owners, integrity and trust are non-negotiable. Protecting your community matters more than visibility for a single day.

As a solopreneur, these are some of the hardest challenges to navigate. There is no one to step in, no backup team to cover the booth. It is just you and your judgment. These are the moments that test an entrepreneur’s resilience and remind us that responsible entrepreneurship is about more than just showing up; it’s about showing up well.

Thankfully, the team at The 365 Experience was kind enough to roll my vendor spot over to their next networking event on October 20. I am so grateful, and I cannot wait to be there with fresh energy and a stronger presence. The raffle I had been planning will make its debut then, and I am so excited to share it with everyone in person.

Today is Wednesday, and I am still under the weather, but slowly getting better. I am back at it, a little more toned down than usual, but doing my best to push through and keep showing up. Because at the end of the day, consistency and resilience are just as much a part of the solopreneur’s toolkit as any digital tool or marketing strategy.

This is the same approach I bring to my work with clients at Threadlined Presence: showing up thoughtfully, with integrity, and always putting people first. If you’ve ever had to make a tough call in your business, I’d love to hear about how you handled it.

Here’s to the tools that keep us grounded and help us stay true to ourselves and our communities. 🥂

More soon,



Bernice