Most of us start a business for freedom. More money, more time, more choices, more control over how we live. Then somewhere along the way, a lot of us build the exact opposite: a job we can’t leave.
I know because I built one. I hit every growth metric I set for years. I had an amazing team, hundreds of clients, all the outward signs that things were working. And I was also the mom whose family was always waiting for me to finish the call.
This episode is about the moment I couldn’t unsee that anymore, and the question I want you to sit with too: if the business is winning and your life is losing, is that actually profit?
Listen to the Episode
Episode Timestamps
- 00:38 How entrepreneurs build themselves a job they can’t leave
- 01:34 Closing on the SBA loan and scraping together every dollar I had
- 04:20 Getting stuck in high performance mode instead of freedom
- 05:41 Why financial freedom never automatically becomes time freedom
- 07:10 The vacation phone call about the almost $100,000 account
- 09:32 Watching my family wait for me in the hotel lobby
- 12:19 Journaling my way into questioning what I had accepted as true
- 14:09 Realizing I had built a business model, not a life model
- 17:16 The challenge: writing down what you actually wanted your business to create
Key Takeaways
Freedom Can Quietly Become Another Job
I leaped into business with passion and a plan, knowing it would be hard. What I didn’t expect was to still be hustling and grinding years in, chasing growth metrics and forgetting why I bought the business in the first place. Most of us go into business for the freedom to do what we want, when we want, with who we want, how we want. Somewhere along the way I got to the financial freedom part and never claimed the time freedom.
The Phone Call That Changed How I Saw Success
We landed at St. Petersburg, and before we even checked into the hotel, my phone rang. An almost $100,000 account I had just closed was suddenly in jeopardy, and what I thought would be a five minute call turned into forty five minutes of crisis management. My husband and kids sat in the lobby waiting, and I looked over and watched my son’s little feet swinging from the chair. I remember thinking, they’re always waiting. They’re always waiting for me.
Looking For Proof That the Hustle Wasn’t the Only Way
I had five days on that vacation to reflect, and I brought a journal. I started asking myself if it was really true that entrepreneurs have to live in hustle culture, that family has to get crumbs, that self care comes last. When I looked at my own clients, I saw dads coaching soccer and actually watching the game instead of faking it on their phones. That was the evidence I needed to realize I had a decision to make.
Building a Business Model Without Ever Building a Life Model
There wasn’t one year in seventeen years that we didn’t grow. I hit every growth metric, every single time. But when I sat and journaled and looked at my life by design, I realized the business model I had built was driven by high performance and by me never losing, and it was definitely not a life model. That day I made a decision to explore what it would look like to redesign my business around the life I actually wanted, instead of the other way around.
Redesigning What an Ordinary Day Should Feel Like
When I finally asked myself what an ideal workday would look like, the first answer surprised me: it was simply not yelling at my son to get out the door in the morning. I could have just changed the time I showed up at the office. Instead the ideal became quality time on the ride to school, telling my kids how much I loved them, and sending them off without the stress.
They’re always waiting. They’re always waiting for me.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I know if my business is actually giving me the freedom I wanted?
I tell you to write down the three things you originally wanted your business to create for you, whether that was time, money, travel, impact, or freedom with your family. Then look at the business you’ve built today and ask if it’s actually delivering that, or moving you further away from it. If the business is winning and your life is losing, that isn’t profit.
Why do I still feel stuck in the hustle even after my business is doing well financially?
In my own experience, I got to the financial freedom part and never claimed the time freedom that was supposed to come with it. I got so immersed in chasing growth metrics that I forgot why I bought the business in the first place, and high performance became part of my identity. Sometimes the pressure and grind is financial, and sometimes it’s that you haven’t looked at the life model versus the business model at all.
What should I do if I realize my business doesn’t match the life I actually want?
I had to sit down and literally dream up what an ideal workday and ideal weekend would look like for me, starting from scratch. For me that meant redesigning my business around the life I wanted instead of building my life around the business, which sometimes requires a complete restructuring and realignment, not more hustle. I’m going to keep talking about this in future episodes as I walk through how I actually did that.
Connect with Michelle
If this episode gave you a mindset shift, share it with another entrepreneur who needs to hear it. Ready for more support?
- Read or listen to The Path To Profits
- Free guide: The 7 Financial Mistakes Entrepreneurs Can’t Afford to Make
- Join Michelle at the next Thrive Hive Mastermind in Naples, Florida
- Substack
Clarity. Cash Flow. Freedom.