The Entrepreneur Sandwich™
If you're building a business while caring for aging parents or family members, you know the unique weight of living in what I call the "entrepreneurial sandwich" - that intense middle ground where startup dreams meet eldercare realities, where board meetings compete with medical appointments, and where every decision carries the weight of both your business future and your family's wellbeing.
You're not alone in feeling stretched between the relentless demands of entrepreneurship and the unpredictable needs of those you love most.
Through this journey together, I'll share the hard-won strategies, practical frameworks, and emotional tools I've developed to help you thrive in both roles without sacrificing your sanity, your relationships, or your business vision.
Whether you're just starting to feel the squeeze or you're deep in the thick of managing both worlds, I'm here to show you that it's possible to build something meaningful while honoring your family commitments - and that your unique perspective as someone navigating both challenges actually makes you a more resilient, empathetic, and innovative entrepreneur.
@theentrepreneur_sandwich
What It Means
for You,
the Entrepreneur
Finding balance in the entrepreneurial sandwich means:
Gaining clarity on what truly matters – Creating a strategic approach that honors both your business goals and family commitments
Leveraging smart technology and support services – Using tools and systems to streamline business operations and create space for caregiving responsibilities
• Shifting your mindset about time distribution – Understanding that dividing your time between business growth and family care isn't a compromise—it's essential for success in both areas
• Working with your reality, not against it – Embracing a sustainable approach that allows your business to thrive alongside your caregiving responsibilities
Ready to transform your situation from overwhelming to manageable?
Let's talk about creating strategies that work for your unique circumstances.
Demographics and Trends in Entrepreneurship and Caring for Aging Family Members
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Nearly half (47%) of adults in their 40s and 50s have a parent age 65 or older and are either raising a young child or financially supporting a grown child, with about 23% of U.S. adults currently part of the sandwich generation. Of all adult child caregivers, 24.3% also care for a minor child, representing approximately 2.5 million individuals.
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The sandwich generation is primarily middle-aged: 71% are ages 40 to 59, with an additional 19% younger than 40 and 10% age 60 or older. More than half (54%) of those in their 40s have a living parent who is age 65 or older in addition to having a child under 18 and/or a young adult child they are still helping financially.
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Women bear a more significant share of caregiving responsibilities, representing 60% of sandwich generation caregivers and spending an average of 45 minutes more each day on caregiving tasks than men. Working Americans who also provide care to loved ones are predominantly women at 56% versus 44% men.
Growth in Middle-Aged Entrepreneurship
By 2019, more than 25% of new entrepreneurs were between 55-64, up from about 15% in 1996. Individuals 55 or older own 43% of the country's small businesses. The average age of entrepreneurs is 40+ years old, representing 64% of the entrepreneur population.
Motivations for Later-Career Entrepreneurship
For individuals aged 50+, becoming an entrepreneur is often a means to stay active in the labor market rather than a lifestyle choice, representing more of a choice of organizational form than a way of living. A 2018 Urban Institute study found that 56% of workers age 51-54 endured involuntary job separation that led to long-term unemployment, driving many toward entrepreneurship.
The rapid growth of AgeTech creates significant advantages for entrepreneurial caregivers:
• More assistance options – A expanding marketplace of tools and services specifically designed to help you care for aging family members more effectively
• Earlier problem detection – Smart monitoring systems and AI-powered analytics that identify potential health issues before they become emergencies
• Better time management – Automated systems and remote monitoring that free up your time by handling routine tasks and providing peace of mind when you're focused on your business
For entrepreneurs managing both business growth and family care, these technological advances mean less time spent on reactive crisis management and more time available for strategic business decisions.