From the time you launched your business, it’s probably felt like everyone — including their mothers — has advice for you. People from all walks of life are eager to tell you who they think you should hire, what your next product should be and what you need to do to make your company a success. 

This can put entrepreneurs in a tricky place. If you ignore everyone’s input because you think you know better, you’re succumbing to arrogance. But if you listen to anyone and everyone, and follow whatever advice you’re given, you’re falling prey to ignorance.

Both outcomes lead to disaster. Instead, you must learn to embrace entrepreneurial independence. Here are three keys to achieving this and sticking to it.  

Revisit Your Relationships           

Relationships are a huge part of life and, if you’re not careful, they can impact your business greatly. As you begin to grow your company, you’ll likely notice that your friends and family fall into one of two camps: the first wants you to succeed, and the second is uncomfortable with the idea of your success. 

People might be jealous or resentful that you’re achieving something they’re not, or they may dislike the ways you — and your relationship with them — are changing. As you reexamine your own traits and grow as an entrepreneur, you might distance yourself from people or things that are no longer serving you, and this doesn’t sit well with some folks. 

In order to avoid giving too much (or too little) credence to all the outside voices, get really clear on the relationships you won't sacrifice. Do all you can to preserve and protect those — and then be open to adjusting the rest.

It can be hard to modify a relationship that matters to you, but it’s sometimes necessary when a person is dragging you down or getting in the way of your goals or your business. 

When you change your perspective and revisit your relationships through this lens, you’ll be better equipped to tune out the voices you don’t need and tune into the ones you do. In other words, this clarity in your relationships will help you attain and maintain entrepreneurial independence. 

Keep an Open Mind — Without Quitting

Something I often recommend for achieving entrepreneurial independence is setting your company strategy, since it gives you a roadmap to come back to when you’re unsure about certain decisions. But some business owners think this means they have to set a direction and then never waver from it. This is far from the truth. Instead, I encourage you to be open to changing your mind — within reason. 

After all, when you first set your company strategy, you do so based on the information and experience you have at the time. But then, as you continue to lead your company, you gain more knowledge and experience. It just makes sense to tailor your strategy to reflect what you’ve learned. So set and adhere to your strategy, but be open-minded too. 

Of course, it’s important to point out that this doesn’t mean pivoting when you first encounter resistance. The idea of pivoting has become trendy, and some business owners use it as a reason to quit their current approach when it gets hard.

Once you’ve set the course of your business and your strategy, you need to stick to it and do the work. There’s no easy way out and, while some companies benefit from pivoting at times, it’s not what most entrepreneurs need to succeed. Stay focused on your mission and vision and, when it gets hard, double down on it. 

Build in Time for Reflection

Staying in the sweet spot of entrepreneurial independence, away from ignorance and arrogance, takes hard work. But it also takes intuition and self-awareness. Something that helps a business owner develop these critical tools is carving out interruption-free moments to reflect and sort through everything on their mind. 

This can be hard for entrepreneurs to do. After all, many are type-A and even more are used to going nonstop. Still, it’s important to make this happen. Meditating and reflecting will help you remain clear on your own goals and needs, while also helping you manage your ego.

If you have trouble finding stillness on your own, work with a business coach to help instill this practice. It’s often in the quiet moments when you can really hear your own voice and get back to what matters most to you. 

When it comes to growing a successful business, striking the balance of entrepreneurial independence is key. You can do this and sustain it by revisiting your relationships, keeping an open mind and making time for reflection. It’s not easy, but it’s always worth it. 

Clate Mask is co-founder and CEO of Keap