Today we’re celebrating 3 years in business - a milestone that feels both wild and deeply grounding.

Three years ago, I set out to build a business that gave me more freedom, more alignment and more energy. I had the skills. I had the vision. And like most entrepreneurs, I figured I’d build it as I went.

Now I’m starting year four and I can see just how much has shifted - internally and externally. Some of it was intentional. Some of it I never saw coming. But all of it has shaped how I run my business today - and what I’m building next.

What I Wish I Had Done Sooner

One of the biggest turning points this past year was deciding to leverage the thing I’ve been doing for 25+ years - helping businesses maximize efficiency through the use of technology.

Up until then, I had been relying mostly on coaching - a newer skill. And while I still love that part of the work, shifting my focus back to what I can do innately, because of decades of experience, made everything easier.
Since making that decision, there’s been way more momentum in the business. A lot of new clients. So much more flow.

Flow with my clients. Flow in my daily schedule.
I should have done that much, much sooner.

A Decision That Changed Everything

I also made a major decision about the kind of business I want to build - and more importantly, the kind I don’t.
I decided that building a business centered around me - with lots of automation and contractors - is not the business I want.

Why? Because I’m human.

I have many other things I want to experience in life and when a business depends entirely on me to function, that makes it fragile. Fragile like a glass ornament dangling from a frayed string. One wrong move and it’s gone.

I don’t live in the "fear" space very often. But when I think of all the HARD FRICKEN WORK I’ve done in the last 3 years - and the fact that it could all unravel in a heartbeat if I were to get sick or need to be a caregiver to a loved one - it makes my fear sense rise up and say: "Oie! Fear! Fear! Fear!"

That realization shifted how I think about scale, capacity and long-term sustainability. It’s not just about growth. It’s about resilience.

One Way the Business Is Stronger Now

A direct result of that shift is that the delivery of Custo-related services now runs on a full system - not a half-built one. What used to be scrappy and manually held together now has structure. It’s strong, it’s reliable and it gives me and my clients a much more consistent experience.

The difference is noticeable in my daily workflow and in the way I’m able to show up with more focus and less friction. It doesn’t need me in every step to work - which means I can keep building, without breaking.

Who I’m Energized to Serve

Three years in, I’m definitely noticing a pattern - who is attracted to me and who gives me energy to serve.
With the help of my business coach, Danny Ballard (who I adore with all my heart), I’ve been able to niche down in a way that feels completely aligned.

We specialize in helping entrepreneurs who are shifting from operator to owner. They are stretched thin, but they have big visions for their business. They want to grow - but they know they need to do something different.

Why? Because there’s only so much time, energy and focus one person can have. And deep down, they know being the hardest-working employee in the business isn’t the right focus anymore.

Niching down into this space hasn’t limited my work - it’s clarified it. It’s helped me connect more deeply, serve more intentionally and build a business that supports the kind of transformation these leaders are truly ready for.

But those wins didn’t come from just working harder.

They came from changing how I show up inside the business.

The Shift

Some shifts happen slowly over time.
Others hit you like a clear, undeniable truth.
For me, this one was both.

I realized the role I was playing in my business - coach, consultant, strategist, advisor - wasn’t enough. Not because I wasn’t doing a good job. But because my clients needed more than coaching.

They needed help implementing.

They didn’t just want someone to talk strategy with. They needed someone who could help them actually bring the ideas to life - build the systems, streamline the operations and bridge the gap between knowing what to do and actually getting it done.

And once I saw that clearly, I couldn’t unsee it.

That’s when I made the shift.

I started delegating the roles and tasks that drain me - immediately. No more waiting until I had the “perfect process” or “more time.”

I’ve learned that my energy is too precious to be drained all the time. If something’s pulling me away from high-value work or the things that light me up, I don’t keep it on my plate.

That clarity has created more space. And in that space, something important clicked into place:

I’ve always been a visionary. I’ve always seen how things could be better, smoother, stronger. The difference now?

I’ve finally given myself permission to play the visionary role full-time.

That’s not just a mindset shift - it’s a structural shift. I’m building the business around that decision. And everything is flowing more clearly because of it.

The most surprising part?

How freeing it is.
How much easier it is to see what needs to happen next - when I’m not stuck in the weeds.

When I’m not over-functioning in areas I’ve already outgrown.
When I’m focused on leading, instead of holding everything together.

This is what the shift from operator to owner looks like in real life.

And honestly… it feels good here.

The shift changed how I lead. It also forced me to pay attention to some lessons I’d been avoiding for a while.

Lessons That Hit Hard

Some lessons come quickly.
Others take a few years, a few stumbles and a few moments of sitting with your own discomfort.

For me, the hardest lesson to learn was this:
Listen to your gut. Trust your gut. Talk to your gut.

I used to override it.
I’d feel that tug - that quiet resistance or tightness - and immediately try to logic my way past it.
I’d tell myself I was being too judgmental. That maybe this was a “growth edge” I needed to stretch into.
That maybe discomfort meant it was something I should say yes to.

But now I know better.

When my gut speaks, I ask it:
“Why are you feeling like this?”
And then I listen.
Because it always knows.

One of the biggest traps I see - especially for entrepreneurs like me - is the urge to say yes to every opportunity. The FOMO is real.

We don’t want to miss a chance. We don’t want to be passed over.

And sometimes we confuse momentum with alignment.

But here’s the truth I had to learn the long way:
Not every opportunity is the right opportunity.

Just because it’s shiny, or exciting, or flattering - doesn’t mean it’s aligned.
Aligned with your values.
Aligned with your goals.
Aligned with what actually energizes you.

Life’s too short to take on things that don’t feel like a full-body “Hell Yeah!”
Mind, body and soul need to agree.

Because isn’t that why we started our own businesses in the first place?
To have the freedom to choose how we work, who we work with and what we say yes to?

That clarity has been earned. And it’s changed the way I make decisions now.

Business Wisdom Earned

Some lessons show up as boundaries. Others as habits you finally stop overcomplicating.

One of the best things I’ve done this past year?
Simplifying my weekly schedule.

I tried to be fancy with it. Color-coded blocks. Themes within themes. Time tracking tools.
But the truth is, decision fatigue is a real thing.
I didn’t need complex. I needed clarity.
So I stopped trying to perfect the schedule and built one that’s simple - and effective:

• Monday: Organize

• Tuesday: Client work

• Wednesday: Group coaching sessions

• Thursday: Sales and marketing

• Friday: Open

Friday is my white space.
It gives me breathing room - for catch-up, creativity, or whatever might pop up.
It’s the kind of routine that frees up mental energy without making me feel boxed in.

I’ve learned that wisdom in business doesn’t always come from doing more.
Sometimes it comes from doing what already works - and doing it more consistently.

The Future

In Year 1, my focus was on helping entrepreneurs get clear on their business model - what they do, who they serve and how it all comes together.

It was about creating clarity and direction.

But heading into Year 4, things look different.

Now, my focus is on helping entrepreneurs grow and expand their business - by making The Two Big Shifts:

1. A shift in mindset

2. A shift in efficiency

These two things change everything.
And they show up in all the work I do now - whether it’s coaching, system design, or strategic support.

That’s why the theme for this next chapter is simple - Systems.

I’m not just talking about tools or templates. I’m talking about building real systems that support delivery, protect your time and allow the business to run with less direct involvement from you.

Even how I organize my own week has changed.
I used to call Tuesdays “client work,” but I’ve shifted it to “build systems that support client work.”
Because I don’t just want to show up for my clients - I want to build the structure that supports long-term results.

And the question I’m asking myself all the time now is:
“How can I… build this so it can run without me?”

If any of this resonated with you, I’d love to hear from you - reply back!
Tell me what landed. Tell me what you're shifting.

Because whether you're in year 1, 4, or somewhere in between - there’s always a next version of you waiting.

So here’s the question I’ll leave you with:
What would change in your business if you stopped building for today… and started building for the version of you that doesn’t have to be in the middle of everything?