Entrepreneurs, what if you’re not really stuck?

What if it’s simply decision time?

Think about it… One of the things we love most about being entrepreneurs is the freedom to make our own choices.

• We can work the hours we want.

• Take time off when our family needs us.

• Choose the projects we want to work on.

• Change direction when something isn’t working.

Oh… the freedom!

That was one of the MAIN reasons many of us decided to become entrepreneurs in the first place, right? But there’s another side to that freedom that we don’t talk about nearly as much.

The endless number of decisions we have to make.

How many times have you found yourself staring at your notebook with pages full of ideas? You’re thinking…

• I need to redesign my website.

• I want to create a new YouTube series.

• I need to finish that course for my Skool community.

• I need to complete that new journal for Amazon KDP.

• I should probably start posting more on social media.

And then there’s everything else:

• Researching

• Tweaking

• Planning

• Wondering what to post

• Trying another strategy

• Looking at what everyone else is doing

• Changing your mind

• Starting something new

Sound familiar? You’re not lacking ideas. You probably have TOO MANY ideas and not enough time to implement them.

And that’s where I think the real problem begins.

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Decision Fatigue

As entrepreneurs, we’re making decisions every day — sometimes every hour.

• What should I work on?

• What should I post?

• Should I launch this?

• Should I finish that?

• Should I keep going?

• Should I stop?

And sometimes we make a decision that moves us forward. Other times, we make a decision that takes us down a completely different road — only to eventually say:

“STOP! This isn’t working.” So think about your own week.

How many decisions did you make — and where did those decisions lead you?

I call this decision fatigue.

And when I notice that I’m heading into decision fatigue, I have to stop myself.

Literally. STOP. Take a deep breath. And give myself what I call the Decision Test.

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My 3-Question Decision Test

When I feel overwhelmed by all the choices in front of me, I ask:

1. What decision am I avoiding? Sometimes we’re not actually stuck. We already know what needs to be decided. We’re just avoiding making the decision.

2. What is the best realistic outcome? Not the perfect outcome. Not the fantasy outcome. What is realistically possible if I make this decision and take action?

3. What is the most important action I need to work on NOW? This is the question that gets me moving again.

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Because when I find myself constantly making decisions, changing directions, and jumping from one idea to another, I know something is off. I’ve probably strayed away from my purposeful planning method that I teach in my skool community. I’ve stopped:

• Focusing on my goals

• Following my plan

• Taking the actions that will actually bring results

And that’s usually my signal to get BACK IN THE GAME.

Back in the Game with Pomodoro

One of my favorite ways to get myself moving again is the Pomodoro Technique.

Why? Because I don’t have to figure out everything at once.

• I simply choose ONE thing.

• Set the timer.

• Focus for a short period of time.

• Take a break.

Then decide what comes next. It takes the giant, overwhelming project and breaks it into smaller, manageable pieces. And sometimes that’s exactly what we need.

• Not another strategy.

• Not another notebook full of ideas.

• Not another hour of research.

We just need to make a decision — and take the next step.

I explain exactly how I use the Pomodoro Technique in this video:

Watch: How to Use the Pomodoro Technique to Get More Done

And if you’re an entrepreneur who sometimes finds yourself overwhelmed by all the things you could be doing, I’d love for you to join me on my YouTube channel, Entrepreneurs Who Work From Home with Gale Bates, where I share practical ideas to help entrepreneurs create more clarity, better systems, and consistent momentum.

So here’s my question for you: Are you really stuck right now — or is there simply a decision you’ve been avoiding?

And if there is…

What’s the ONE decision you need to make today to get yourself moving forward again?

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Every now and then, you meet an entrepreneur who has found the thing they truly understand. They know it. They live it. They’ve spent years figuring it out.

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It was the first time in a long time that I missed writing my blog last week. But when you have two hurricanes at your back door, sometimes you have to adjust your plans.

And that’s exactly what happened. We had to hunker down. We were without electricity for 24 hours and without internet for three days. So, I pulled out the candles, battery lamps and books and made the best of it.

As we say here in Hawaii, “Auwe!”

And you know what? It reminded me once again why I love planning, and why I love planning products, journals, notebooks, calendars, paper and pens. I don’t love them simply because I like being organized. I love them because when you plan on purpose, it changes how you experience your life and your business.

And sometimes purposeful planning means knowing when to change the plan.

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Why I’ve Always Been Drawn to Planning Products

I’ve been a pen-to-paper person for as long as I can remember. There is something about opening a fresh planner or notebook and seeing that blank page in front of me. It feels so full of possibility.

I love that I take the thoughts that have been running around in my head and put them somewhere I can actually see them. And when I do that, something changes.

• I feel calmer.

• I feel more in control.

• I can see what needs my attention.

• And I can make a decision about what comes next.

That’s what planning means to me. It’s not simply writing down everything you need to do. It’s creating a space where you can think, prioritize, focus and follow through.

When you have a purpose behind what you’re doing, your planning becomes more intentional. You’re no longer simply asking:

“What do I need to get done?”

You’re asking: “What matters most right now?”

That’s a very different question.

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The Difference Between Planning and Purposeful Planning

I discovered a long time ago that being disciplined with a few key routines and habits made a huge difference in how organized and in control I felt while growing my business.

But there was something else I discovered. I wanted the process to be simple. I didn’t need another complicated system that required hours of planning before I could actually get to work. I needed something I could return to every week. Something that would help me decide what mattered, make a plan, and then actually take action.

That’s where my Purposeful Planning system came from. It is built around three simple steps:

1. Set Goals - Know what you’re working toward. Your goals give you a direction.

2. Make a Plan -Decide what needs to happen next. Break the bigger goal down into manageable steps and determine where your time and attention need to go.

3. Take Action - This is where the plan becomes progress. You don’t need to accomplish everything at once. You simply need to know your next step and take it.

Set Goals → Make a Plan → Take Action.

Simple. But powerful. Because when I follow this process, I spend less time wondering what I should be doing and more time actually doing the things that move my business forward.

I’ve been teaching this approach to entrepreneurs who work from home for years, and I’ve built much of my work around helping entrepreneurs create more structure, stay focused and make consistent progress.

That’s also why I created the Purposeful Planning resources inside my Skool community, The Entrepreneurs Collab Circle.

Members can download the yearly planner for FREE, along with business growth trainings designed to help them stay focused on their goals.

Why I Created My Own Planning System

I started creating my own planners more than ten years ago. And they’ve evolved along with me. Technology has changed. AI has changed how we work. Digital planning has become incredibly popular. And there are certainly people who prefer to keep everything on their computer or phone.

But there are still plenty of us who are, as I like to say, “died-in-the-wool” paper planner people.

• I’m one of them.

• I like writing things down.

• I like seeing my goals on paper.

• I like turning a page and seeing what’s ahead.

And I especially like that moment when I take something that has been floating around in my head and put it down on paper. Because once it’s on paper, I can do something with it.

I can think about it. I can prioritize it. I can decide whether it really matters. And then I can take action.

That’s why I created the Purposeful Planning System.

It’s not really about the planner. It’s about what happens when you use the planner to create a way of thinking and working that supports the life and business you want to build.

Purposeful Planning Isn’t About Doing More

This is probably the most important thing I’ve learned.

Purposeful planning isn’t about getting more things done.

It’s about getting the right things done.

• There will always be another email.

• Another social media post.

• Another idea.

• Another project.

• Another thing you could be working on.

• If you’re an entrepreneur, the list never really ends.

So the goal can’t be to finish everything. The goal is to know what deserves your attention now. That’s why I believe a good planning system should help you create clarity before you create your to-do list. It should help you decide:

• What am I trying to accomplish?

• What matters most?

• What can wait?

• What is my next step?

And perhaps most importantly: Can I trust myself to follow through?

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In my latest video on YouTube, I explore why keeping everything in your head can lead to overthinking — and how getting your thoughts out of your head and onto paper can help create clarity and greater confidence in the decisions you make.

Because there’s something powerful about seeing your thoughts in front of you instead of carrying them around all day.

And that brings me back to where I started.

• The hurricanes changed my plans.

• But they didn’t change what mattered.

• I still had work I wanted to accomplish.

• I still had projects I wanted to finish.

• I simply had to adjust.

• And that’s another reason I love purposeful planning.

A plan isn’t a promise that everything will go exactly as expected.

It’s a framework that helps you know what to do when things change.

• Sometimes the plan is to move forward.

• Sometimes the plan is to slow down.

• Sometimes the plan is to change direction.

And sometimes, the plan is simply to light a candle, pick up a good book and wait for the electricity to come back on.

The Blank Page Still Excites Me

After more than ten years of creating and using planners, I still get excited about a blank page. Because I don’t see an empty page. I see possibility. I see goals that haven’t been accomplished yet. Ideas that haven’t been explored. Projects that haven’t been finished. And another opportunity to decide what matters.

That’s really what purposeful planning means to me.

You don’t have to plan every minute of your life.

You simply need a way to intentionally decide where your time, energy and attention are going.

And then take the next step.

I’m currently putting the finishing touches on my Purposeful Planning Masterclass, where I’ll be taking this philosophy and turning it into a simple, repeatable weekly planning process for entrepreneurs who want more structure, focus and consistent progress in their businesses.

Because after all these years, I still believe the simplest systems are often the ones we actually use. And the systems we actually use are the ones that can change our results.

So here’s my question for you today:

Are you a pen-to-paper planner, a digital planner, or somewhere in between?

And more importantly:

Does your current planning system help you focus on what actually matters — or does it simply give you another place to keep your to-do list?

I’d love to hear what works for you.

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— Gale

I think you’re going to love my guests in my series, “Entrepreneurs who work from home” Matt and Dawn, who decided it was time for a change. After careful research, they packed up, moved to Portugal, and started a business called The Unretirees.

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The other morning, while I was out on my walk, I started thinking about all the things we carry around in our heads.

• The email we need to send.

• The course we want to create.

• The phone call we’ve been putting off.

• The idea we don’t want to forget.

• The project we know we should start.

Without realizing it, we become the storage place for hundreds of little tasks and unfinished decisions.

Then we wonder why we feel overwhelmed.

I don’t think it’s because we have too much to do. I think it’s because we’re trying to remember too much in our heads.

Your Brain Wasn’t Designed to Be a To-Do List

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When every task stays in your head, your mind never gets a chance to rest.

Instead of focusing on what’s important, you’re constantly trying to remember what comes next. You ask yourself…

• “What was I supposed to do today?”

• “I mustn’t forget to...”

• “I’ll do that later.”

Every unfinished task quietly asks for your attention.

Eventually, your thoughts become cluttered, and it’s harder to make good decisions. That’s why one of the simplest productivity habits is also one of the most powerful.

Write it down.

The moment you move a task from your mind onto paper, something changes.

You create space. You feel lighter. Your mind is free to think instead of remember.

I keep my notes in my One Notebook Journal and at the end of the day review things to add to my to-do list.

Overthinking Is Not Progress

As entrepreneurs, we often tell ourselves we’re “thinking things through.” Sometimes that’s true. But many times we’re simply delaying a decision. We tell ourselves:

• “I’ll do it when I know the right answer.”

• “I’ll wait until I’m more confident.”

• “What if I make the wrong decision?”

Days turn into weeks. Weeks turn into months and nothing moves forward. The problem isn’t usually a lack of knowledge. It’s a lack of self-trust.

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Learning to Trust Yourself

One of the biggest lessons I’ve learned as an entrepreneur is this:

• You don’t build self-trust by waiting until you’re certain.

• You build self-trust by making decisions.

Some decisions will be right. Some won’t. But every decision teaches you something along the journey of entrepreneurship.

If it doesn’t work? You just course correct. You move forward. You learn, and you keep going.

Entrepreneurship isn’t about making perfect decisions. It’s about making thoughtful decisions and adjusting along the way.

Purposeful Planning Builds Confidence

This is one of the reasons I believe so strongly in purposeful planning.

Planning isn’t just about managing your calendar. It’s about creating a system that helps you think clearly. Instead of carrying every task in your head...

Write it down.

Instead of wondering what to work on next...

Choose your priorities.

Instead of questioning every decision...

Take the next step.

The more often you do this, the more confidence you build—not because every decision is perfect, but because you’ve learned to trust yourself to handle whatever comes next.

That’s exactly how we approach things inside the Entrepreneurs Collab Circle.

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We don’t believe productivity is about cramming more into your day. We believe it’s about purposeful planning—creating simple systems that help you stop feeling overwhelmed, make better decisions, and keep moving forward with confidence.

Our goal is simple:

Helping women entrepreneurs who work from home create more structure, stay focused, and make consistent progress.

Because when you have a plan you trust, it’s easier to trust yourself.

Today, I have a Question for You

What’s one task, decision, or idea you’ve been carrying around in your head?

Today, write it down. Then ask yourself one simple question:

What’s the very next step I can take?

Because progress rarely begins with having all the answers. It begins with trusting yourself enough to take the first step.

That’s how businesses are built.

That’s how confidence grows.

And that’s how purposeful planning turns good intentions into consistent progress.

Here’s my challenge for you today.

Take one thing that’s been living in your head… write it down. Decide on the very next step. Then do it. Remember, confidence doesn’t come from having all the answers. It comes from trusting yourself enough to take the next step.

Let me know how it goes.

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There are certain books that stay with you long after you’ve turned the last page.

For me, one of those books is “Secrets of the Millionaire Mind” by T. Harv Eker.

Although this book is known for its lessons about wealth and developing a millionaire mindset, the principles I learned reached far beyond money. They taught me to keep growing to my fullest potential and to create abundance by helping others succeed.

It didn’t change the way I thought about money. It changed the way I approached building a business, setting goals and taking intentional action every single day.

Ironically, I didn’t fully appreciate its impact until years later…

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It was a lovely misty morning in a deep forest in the south of Ireland, near a lovely town called Kenmare, where I was waiting for my colleague to start a morning walk. We had both earned an incentive trip after leading teams that achieved more than one million dollars in annual sales.

As we wandered through the misty forest surrounded by towering trees, glistening dew and tiny ceramic goblins tucked among the roots, we reflected on the habits and decisions that had brought us to this magical place.

As we talked, I realized that so much of my journey could be traced back to this one book.

A Book about Building Wealth

Although this book is often thought of as a book about building wealth, I discovered that its principles reached far beyond finances. They shaped the way I helped 500 women to build home-based businesses, planned my weeks, and stayed focused on long-term goals.

T. Harv. Eker says, “We live in a world of cause and effect, and the only way to change your outer world is to first change your inner world.

• What you hear, you forget

• What you see, you remember

• What you do, you understand.

Every time you reach the end of a major principle in the book, you then put your hand on your heart, and make a verbal “declaration” then touch your head with your index finger and make another verbal declaration.”

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What is a Declaration?

He says, “It’s simply a positive statement that you make emphatically out loud, and he says they are a valuable tool because everything is made of energy and all energy travels in frequencies and vibrations. Therefore, each declaration you make carries its own vibrational frequency and when you state a declaration out loud, its energy vibrates throughout the cells of your body, and by touching your head and your heart at the same time you can feel its unique resonance.”

And what I found most interesting was that he emphasized that the definition for a declaration is “to state an official intention to undertake a particular course of action.”

That was my plan in growing my business, to be “intentional” about the actions I needed to take to help this team hit the million-dollar mark.

The Equation that Stuck with me.

T. Harv. Eker had this equation called T-F-A = R. it was simply

Thoughts lead to feelings -- Feelings lead to actions -- Actions lead to results.

That simple equation became part of my weekly planning routine.

Even today, as I teach my Purposeful Planning System in my Skool Group (The Entrepreneurs Collab Circle), I’m reminded that productivity doesn’t begin with a planner.

It begins with a thought.

When we choose our thoughts intentionally, our actions become intentional too.

T. Harv Eker says, “Everything begins with your thoughts.” His premise is - you can catch yourself when you’re thinking negative thoughts and consciously shift your focus to positive thoughts. You can choose to think in ways that will support you in your business.”

That was extremely meaningful for me, waking up every day to being intentional. Intention sets the emotional tone and productivity follows, and that’s when you get the clarity you need to start your day.

My life is different today.

That trip to Ireland was not only magical it was filled with adventures and new friendships that are locked into my memories of a time spent in a beautiful place with beautiful people.

After building a thriving coaching business with entrepreneurs, I now spend time interviewing entrepreneurs around the world sharing practical planning strategies and helping business owners build momentum through simple systems if you’d like to hear their stores, you can check out the interview series here.

But one lesson from that season has never changed. It’s T. Harv. Eker’s quote:

“How you do anything is how you do everything!” Those words continue to remind me that success isn’t built in one big moment.

It’s built through the small intentional choices we make every single day.

What’s one intentional habit that would move your business forward? I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments.

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Sybil Hall used to work through her days without eating lunch.

Not because she didn’t have time — because she didn’t schedule time. As a teacher and instructional coach for years, her whiteboard was filled with a schedule for everyone else’s day. It never occurred to her that she needed one too. She worked through everything — no lunch, no breaks — until burnout caught up with her.

What she built afterward is the reason this story exists.

You can catch the full interview with Sybil here:

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The Benefits of a Whiteboard

I loved it when Sybil told me she still uses a whiteboard because it’s something I’ve used for years myself. Sybil uses two of them, actually, covering both walls of her office. “It’s the teacher in me,” she says. “I need to feel comfortable in my space.” But now the whiteboard isn’t just for output. It has her banana break on it. Scheduled. Intentional. Right next to the client calls and the deadlines.

“I found so much more higher-level productivity, and so much more joy in my day,” she says, “once I actually put lunch in my schedule.”

It sounds almost too simple. But that’s the pattern with Sybil’s whole approach: the fix was never a bigger system. It was permission to protect the small things.

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The One Extra Hour

She told me about her habit that changed everything! She started small — just an hour earlier, before the house woke up.

Sybil was writing her book, Burn Bright, Not Out, with two kids and a full teaching job already filling her days. There was no spare hour hiding anywhere in her schedule. So, she made one — waking up before everyone else and using that hour just for herself. First for writing her book and later for a yoga practice that grew out of dealing with sciatica.

“Finding one extra hour that is just for you can solidify how you set up the rest of your day,” she says. “One hour changes everything.”

That hour became the seed of her morning routine — and, eventually, of the book that became her gateway into entrepreneurship. She was honest about her writing. “I don’t know if I’m a good writer,” she says, “but I’ve got to share this story and get it out and see what happens.”

That book turned into journals. The journals turned into a brand — Illuminate — trademarked, sold online and in person at holiday markets, where she still prefers talking to customers about paper quality over selling through a screen. It also turned into six separate income streams: online business, real estate, journals, speaking, courses, and coaching.

Execution Over Outcome

She has a system holding all of it together and says it isn’t a productivity hack — it’s a 12-week cycle, borrowed from Brian Moran’s The 12 Week Year. The idea is you can’t stay focused for 12 months, but you can for 12 weeks. Set one to three goals. Then, every week, don’t ask whether you hit the outcome — ask whether you executed the plan. It’s one of the best ways to accomplish a goal in 90 days.

Sybil runs this system inside her Skool community, “Income Without Burnout,” through a 90-second Monday check-in she calls the WAM — the Weekly Accountability Meeting.

“I did 80% of my activities this week, and next week I’m committing to X,” is roughly how it goes. It’s quick. It’s public. But most of all, it’s revisable.

“Every week we reflect back, and we can revise and change going forward,” she says. It’s a small ritual, but it’s the difference between a goal that quietly dies in January and one that gets adjusted in real time, and it’s something we can all relate to.

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Building It With People, Not Alone

Sybil is blunt about why community is load-bearing in her business, not optional: “I am the sum of everyone I surround myself with.”

Her very sage advice to other entrepreneurs is specific — don’t just surround yourself with people miles ahead of you. Find people slightly ahead. Close enough to learn from, close enough to still relate to.

That philosophy shows up everywhere in how she runs things: in the “build with me” energy of her Skool group, in the mastermind-style groups she’s part of, and in her stance that hiring coaches — a book coach, a journal coach, an ads coach — isn’t a luxury. “To be a coach, you have to have a coach,” she says. “It’s huge, and it’s important.”

What She’s Building Next

Sybil has always been early to new tools — she was a tech and innovation coach at the American School of Dubai, an Apple Distinguished Educator, and she edited her book with ChatGPT the same month it launched. But her newest experiment is a shift: she’s moving her workflow over to Claude, specifically because of its ability to run agents.

“Claude has the capability to run agents, meaning I can get employees for my business,” she says. She’s setting up what she calls a “build with me” — using Claude Co-work to build out a marketing team and a financial team, essentially hiring AI employees to run alongside her. It’s early. It’s also, in her words, “mind-blowing.”

True to form, she’s not doing it quietly. “We are all in this together,” she says — bringing her audience along in real time, the same way she’d watch someone build a tiny house on YouTube. That transparency is part of the business model itself: give freely, let people watch you figure it out, and the ones who want closer access — coaching calls, spreadsheets, the behind-the-scenes — become the ones who pay.

It’s already working. Four months into the strategy, she’s at $500 a month in recurring revenue on Skool alone.

Her One Piece of Advice

“Keep going. Find people to do it with.”

Sybil is careful to separate a stressful, avoidant urge to quit from a clear-eyed, intentional decision to let something go.

But underneath both, she says, is the same principle: give yourself permission to release what you did in the past, but keep moving forward in some way, and don’t do it alone.

“It’s so much easier when we’re cheering each other on,” she says. “Fail forward is another good one.”

I so enjoyed this interview with Sybil Hall — it’s got me thinking about what I’d do with an extra hour myself. If you had one, what would you do with it?

Sybil Hall runs "Income Without Burnout" on Skool and is the author of Burn Bright, Not Out. Watch the full interview [here].

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One of the biggest challenges of working from home is… working from home.

When your office is only a few steps away, it’s easy to let work fill every spare moment. There’s always another email to answer, another social media post to create, another idea to chase.

As entrepreneurs, we’re fortunate enough to spend our days doing work we love. But sometimes the work we love quietly becomes all we do.

Then there are the everyday responsibilities—feeding the family, doing the laundry, planning meals, paying bills. Before long, we realize we haven’t made time for something that’s simply... enjoyable.

Something that’s just for us. That’s why I believe every entrepreneur needs a hobby.

• Not because it helps you make more money.

• Not because it’s productive.

But because it reminds you that your life is bigger than your business.

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A Reading Hobby

I’ve always been a reader. I smile when I hear people online say they read 10 or even 20 books a month. For me, one fiction and one non-fiction book each week is about all I can manage—and my life is fairly quiet now that I’m an empty nester.

My latest fiction read is The Calamity Club by Kathryn Stockett. I honestly can’t remember the last time I laughed out loud so much while reading a novel. The characters, dialogue and storytelling are heartfelt, clever and wonderfully entertaining.

On my bedside table is The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry by John Mark Comer. It was recommended by my recent YouTube guest, Jess Massey, and also by my best friend, so I’m looking forward to diving into it.

Books have a wonderful way of helping us escape.

They help us learn and see the world through someone else’s eyes which often helps us in our business.

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A Knitting Hobby

Knitting has become one of my favorite creative outlets. I’m not a traditional knitter because I rarely follow patterns. I enjoy creating my own designs.

I started by making simple 40-stitch squares for throws, but lately I’ve been turning those into long runners with different textures and designs.

Recently I discovered a lovely New Zealand designer, Truly Myrtle, who teaches knitters how to make garments that actually fit. I think it’s time I challenged myself to learn something new.

When did you last challenge yourself in your business to learn something new?

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A Journaling Hobby

Journaling isn’t just a hobby for me—it’s become part of who I am.

Almost every morning I sit down with a cup of coffee and my Daily Journal before I begin work. It’s my quiet place. A place to sort through my thoughts, celebrate small wins, write down ideas, and set my intentions for the day.

Whenever life feels busy or overwhelming, journaling helps me feel calmer, clearer and more grounded.

I don’t write because someone else will read it. I write because I need to hear myself think.

How often do you need some quiet time to just THINK in your business.

A Walking Hobby

I also consider my morning walks a hobby.

Living on the Big Island of Hawaii means I can step outside my front door and spend a few miles walking alongside one of the most beautiful mountains in the world. At 3,000 feet above sea level, the morning air is cool and refreshing.

Most days I’m listening to an audiobook or a podcast. At the moment I’m enjoying East of Eden by John Steinbeck, along with The Rest Is History podcast as they explore The Odyssey.

Those quiet mornings often become the most creative part of my day. Some of my best ideas arrive while I’m walking—not while I’m sitting at my desk.

How often have you come up with a great idea for your business while you’ve been out walking?

Your hobbies matter.

As entrepreneurs, we’re constantly encouraged to optimize everything.

• Be more productive.

• Work harder.

• Scale faster.

But I don’t believe life was meant to be lived that way. The hobbies we love give our minds space to breathe.

• They restore our creativity.

• They reduce stress.

• They remind us that success isn’t measured only by what we accomplish, but also by how much we enjoy the journey.

The irony is that when we step away from work for a little while, we often come back with better ideas, more energy, and a fresh perspective.

That’s why I actually schedule my hobbies into my week. They’re not distractions from my business. They’re one of the reasons I can keep showing up for it.

That’s the heart of what I’m building inside the Entrepreneurs Collab Circle.

It’s a community for entrepreneurs who want to grow their business with purpose—through practical planning, consistent action, and meaningful conversations—while still making time for the life they’re working so hard to create.

If that sounds like the kind of entrepreneurial journey you’re looking for, I’d love to welcome you.

👉 You can learn more about the Entrepreneurs Collab Circle here.

I’d love to hear from you.

What hobbies bring you joy?

How do you make time for them while running your business?

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Leave a comment below—I always enjoy hearing what fills other entrepreneurs’ cups.

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A simple team-building exercise taught me one of the most important lessons I’ve ever learned about confidence, visibility, and growing a business.

No... my CEO wasn’t actually kidnapped.

But on a rainy afternoon in Monaco, a simple team-building exercise taught me a lesson I’ll never forget.

At the time, I thought we were simply solving clues walking around one of the most beautiful places in the world. I had no idea I’d end the day facing one of my biggest fears.

Years ago, I attended a leadership event in beautiful Monaco with my company. About fifty leaders from around the world were divided into teams for what sounded like a fun challenge.

Our CEO had been “kidnapped.” Our mission? Explore Monaco, follow a series of clues, and rescue him before time ran out. Armed with umbrellas and clue sheets on a very wet, rainy day, we wandered through the streets of Monaco.

We explored the Prince’s Palace, admired the Cathedral of Our Lady Immaculate, walked through Casino Square, and took in the breathtaking coastal views. Somewhere along the way, I became so caught up in the adventure that I almost forgot we were supposed to be rescuing our CEO. Eventually we returned to the hotel, ready for lunch and a good laugh.

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Then Everything changed

Each team was told they had thirty minutes to prepare a presentation explaining how they solved the mystery. And somehow...I had been chosen to lead the presentation on our findings.

Suddenly, my fun morning turned into sheer panic. Not because I didn’t know our story. But because I imagined everyone in that room judging me.

• I worried I’d forget my words.

• I worried I’d make a fool of myself.

• I worried I’d disappoint my colleagues.

In that moment I realized something. I wasn’t afraid of giving the presentation. I was afraid of what people might think of me.

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My Monaco Moment

I wish I could tell you that I suddenly felt brave. I didn’t. I was shaking inside. But I took a deep breath, stood up, and gave the presentation anyway. To be honest, I don’t even remember whether people applauded. What I do remember is how I felt afterward.

I had done something I didn’t think I could do. And that experience taught me one of the most valuable lessons I’ve carried into my business.

Confidence doesn’t come before action.

Confidence grows because of action.

Every entrepreneur has a Monaco Moment

Looking back, I realized that day wasn’t really about giving a presentation. It was about becoming visible. Every entrepreneur reaches that point eventually.

• It might be your first YouTube video

• It might be your first networking event.

• It might be your first webinar

• It might be your first sales call,

• Or simply telling someone, “This is what I do.”

For me, these all became a little easier because I kept showing up. We have to become visible. Whether it’s recording a video, speaking on Zoom, introducing ourselves at a networking event, or simply posting on social media, visibility suddenly becomes part of growing our business.

And that’s where many of us stop. For years I thought I was afraid of being visible.

But I eventually realized... It wasn’t visibility I was afraid of at all. It was everything I believed might happen because I became visible. Now, I’m facing my fear and I’m visible every week on my YOUTUBE CHANNEL interviewing Entrepreneurs from around the world.

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THE FEAR ISN’T THE CAMERA

The fear isn’t the camera. The fear is what we imagine people are thinking about us. And that’s a very different fear.

• If you’ve been avoiding video...

• If you’ve been putting off introducing yourself...

• If you’ve been waiting until you feel more confident...

Maybe it isn’t about becoming fearless. Maybe it’s simply about taking one small step forward. One small action that can lead to so many possibilities.

You’re Not Meant to Build Your Business Alone

Every entrepreneur eventually has their own Monaco moment. Mine happened in a rainy hotel ballroom in Monaco. Yours may happen the next time you press publish, step in front of the camera or introduce yourself to a room full of strangers.

Wherever your Monaco moment is waiting… I hope you choose courage over comfort. Because confidence doesn’t come first.

Confidence comes after you take the first step.

If you’re looking for a supportive community of entrepreneurs who will encourage you as you grow your business, I’d love to welcome you to The Entrepreneurs Collab Circle. It’s a place where entrepreneurs encourage one another, celebrate wins, ask questions, build confidence and keep moving forward together.

Now, I’d love to hear about your own “Monaco Moment.” What was the moment that stretched you—and what did it teach you?

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I’m back with my Friday Fortnight stories about behind the scenes of real entrepreneurs who work from home.

I met my biz bestie in a mastermind group, and today we are still meeting every month. Michelle Marchant Johnson joined me in my Entrepreneurs Who Work From Home series and shared how she maps out her entire week. A decade later, she’s still one of…

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One of my favorite moments during my recent interview with entrepreneur besides learning about her business strategy and productivity, was her bookshelf.

Jess shared that in the month of June alone she read nine books—2,746 pages across romance, literary fiction, thrillers, mysteries, and nonfiction—all while running a thriving business from home.

What struck me wasn’t the number of books.

It was that she intentionally makes reading part of her life.

She describes reading as her favorite way to rest. She listens to audiobooks while walking on the treadmill, reads on her Kindle while blow-drying her hair, and loves spending quiet time with a good book in her favorite chair.

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It reminded me of a question I ask every guest on my Entrepreneurs Who Work From Home interview series:

“What are you reading right now?”

It’s never a trick question.

I ask because I’m genuinely curious, and because I know entrepreneurs can learn so much from one another through the books that have shaped their thinking.

My love of reading began long before I became an entrepreneur.

I grew up in the Australian outback without television.

Some of my happiest memories are of finding a cool spot on the verandah during the heat of the day (100+ degrees in the shade) and disappearing into a book I’d borrowed from the library or saved up to buy from a bookstore.

Books became my window to the world.

They introduced me to different people, ideas, cultures, and possibilities long before I ever experienced them myself. They were the reason I left the outback and traveled the world.

That love of reading has never left me. In fact, here’s my current reading stack this week!

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The entrepreneurs I’ve interviewed keep recommending great books.

One unexpected benefit of hosting my interview series is discovering books I may never have found on my own.

A few memorable recommendations include:

• Sybil Hall recommends The 12 Week Year—a framework she not only teaches in her Skool group but lives by. She also recommends Believe It by Jamie Kern Lima.

• Mona Weathers recommends Alex Hormozi’s $100M Offers.

• recommends At Your Best by Carey Nieuwhof and The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry by John Mark Comer.

Every recommendation becomes another opportunity to learn from someone who’s already walked the path.

Some books stay with you for years.

There are books I still think about long after I’ve finished them.

Grit by Angela Duckworth reminds me that building a business is a marathon, not a sprint. Success isn’t usually about talent—it’s about perseverance.

Purple Cow by Seth Godin continually challenges me to ask an important question: “What makes my work remarkable?”

Those ideas influence how I approach my business even today.

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Reading doesn’t have to take hours.

One of the biggest excuses people give is that they don’t have time.

Jess’s reading habits reminded me that reading isn’t about finding extra hours in the day.

It’s about making use of the small moments you already have.

• Listen while you’re walking.

• Read a few pages with your morning coffee.

• Keep a Kindle nearby while you’re waiting for an appointment.

• Read ten pages before bed.

Those small moments add up surprisingly quickly.

One of the things I love most about entrepreneurship is that none of us has to learn alone.

Inside The Entrepreneurs Collab Circle, we’re building a community where women entrepreneurs share ideas, resources, set goals together and yes... book recommendations that have helped them grow.

Every great book someone recommends has the potential to change someone else’s business—or life.

If you’re looking for a place to connect with other entrepreneurs who love learning and growing together, I’d love to welcome you.

Why reading matters for entrepreneurs

As entrepreneurs, we’re constantly solving problems, making decisions, serving customers, and learning new skills.

Books expand our thinking. They introduce us to ideas we wouldn’t have considered. They challenge our assumptions. They spark creativity.

Sometimes the answer you’ve been searching for is sitting on a bookshelf waiting to be opened.

If you’re looking to build a simple reading habit, I’d love to invite you to watch my YouTube video:

10 Reading Rules for Entrepreneurs

In it, I share practical ways to read more consistently, remember what you learn, and actually apply those ideas to your business.

I’d also love to know...

What book has had the biggest impact on your entrepreneurial journey?

Leave a comment below—I may just add it to my ever-growing reading list.

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There are moments in life that stay with you forever. One of mine happened on the beautiful island of Bora Bora.

Our adventure began aboard the beautiful yacht, Paul Gauguin, sailing through the breathtaking islands of French Polynesia. We spent a night in an overwater bungalow in Moorea, where the morning began with crystal-clear water just steps below our room. It was one of those moments you never forget.

From there we sailed past Raiatea and Taha’a before arriving in Bora Bora where we climbed aboard restored World War II jeeps for an excursion into the mountains.

Our destination was a fascinating piece of history – riding to see the massive seven-inch naval guns that were installed during World War II to protect the island. Each weighed around fifteen tons and could fire shells nearly ten miles. Remarkably, they were never fired in combat, and today they quietly overlook one of the most beautiful lagoons in the world.

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However, getting there was half the adventure. The road was rough, deeply rutted and incredibly steep and I was hanging on for dear life.

We bounced our way up the mountain as the jeeps lurched around every corner. Along the way, my cheeky friends turned it into a game, spraying one another with water and we laughed like children. It wasn’t the smooth journey we expected but somehow that made it even more memorable.

And when we reached the top? The view was absolutely breathtaking.

It reminded me that entrepreneurship often feels exactly the same.

We all dream about reaching the summit – building a successful business, serving more people, creating financial freedom or simply doing work we love.

But very few entrepreneurial journeys are smooth. There are always unexpected bumps along the way. There are detours, and you often wonder if you’re even heading in the right direction.

Entrepreneurs who Work from Home Series.

During one of my interviews in my series, “Entrepreneurs who work from home,” entrepreneur, Maria Anoikhina shared a piece of advice that has stayed with me.

She said, it’s important to know where you are today and where you want to go – in her words, think of it “traveling from Point A to Point B.”

That sounds simple, but every successful journey begins with a map. You need to know what you’re taking with you, and you need to expect that there will be obstacles along the way. And you need to understand it’s important to keep moving forward.

Not every road will be smooth. Some days will feel like you’re bouncing around in the back of an old jeep, wondering if you’ll ever reach the top of the island.

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But if you stay focused on where you’re going, keep adjusting along the way and don’t let the obstacles stop you, you’ll eventually arrive.

And when you do, you’ll discover something many entrepreneurs eventually learn.

Looking back, I barely remember how rough the ride was. What I remember is the view.

Entrepreneurship is much the same.

One day you’ll look back and realize the obstacles weren’t what defined your journey.

You’ll remember, it was the view that was worth the bumpy road.

Come along for the Journey

Join me for deeper conversations, practical strategies, and exclusive insights to help you navigate your own entrepreneurial journey one step at a time.

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What’s ONE Obstacle you’ve overcome in your business, that looking back made you stronger?

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This is the second story in my Entrepreneurs Who Work From Home series — and I think it’s packed with lessons you’ll want to sit with.

It was a clear morning in Hawaii, and a starry night in Portugal when I sat down with Michelle Rohr.

Michelle shared with me that she didn’t set out to build an empire. She set out to build a life.

It’s easy to miss that distinction when you look at the numbers — over a million dollars in sales, a thriving digital business, a family relocated to Europe on her terms. But talk to Michelle for five minutes and you realize none of that was ever the point. The point was always freedom. The money was just proof she’d found it.

The Beginning of Michelle’s Journey

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When I first became an entrepreneur, I though the hardest part would be finding clients or customers.

I was wrong.

The hardest part wasn’t marketing. It wasn’t creating products. It wasn’t even making sales.

It was learning how to manage myself.

After more than 20 years in business, I’ve discovered there are a few things almost nobody talks about – and they have very little to do with business strategy.

When we start a business, everyone talks about the freedom. And setting your own hours, working from home, being your own boss.

What they don’t talk about are the moments when you’re sitting alone at your desk wondering If you’re making the right decision

Or, the days when you feel overwhelmed, because you’re trying to do the work of five different people. Or the fact that sometimes, no-one tells you you’re doing a good job.

The three things no one really tells you about being an entrepreneur are:

1. Decision fatigue

2. Wearing too many hats

3. And the third might surprise you because it has nothing to do with business skills.

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DECISION FATIGUE

A few weeks ago, I found myself staring at my notebook with pages full of ideas.

• I’ve been thinking about re-designing my website,

• I want to create a new YouTube series,

• I need to add courses in my Skool community,

• I’m designing new journals for Amazon kdp.

  None of those ideas were bad. The problem wasn’t a lack of ideas.

The problem was I had to make too many decisions.

As entrepreneurs we are making decisions every day – sometimes every hour We are constantly changing course (does that sound familiar?) and sometimes it’s all for the better and sometimes the decision we make takes us down a road, where we say to ourselves, STOP… this isn’t working.

Think about your week. How many decisions did you make and where did they lead you?

One of the most helpful questions I ask myself whenever I get into this decision fatigue mode is taking a deep breath and say to myself…

What’s my NEXT STEP?

Not the next ten steps. Not the entire plan. Just the next step.

When we focus on one small action, that’s when you get clarity. That’s how I stop spinning my wheels and move out of overwhelm and into momentum.

Another thing no one tells you is how easy it is to compare yourself to everyone else online.

· You see someone celebrating 100,000 subscribers.

· Someone else launches a new course.

· Someone shares their six-figure month.

And before you know it, you’re questioning whether you’re making any progress at all.

I’ve learned that comparison steals more joy from entrepreneurs than almost anything else. Instead of comparing myself to someone else’s journey, I ask one question:

Am I making progress compared to last month?

That’s the only comparison that really matters.”

WEARING TOO MANY HATS

I always think of a women spinning plates in the air when I’m going into overload with my business. That’s when I realize I need to stop – take a deep breath and focus on my systems

SYSTEMS have structure that keeps you grounded and one of my favorite systems is my “Weekly planning made simple” system. Over the years I realized I needed a simple system to keep me focused every week. It’s become such an important part of my business that I now share the same framework with members of my Entrepreneurs Collab Circle on Skool.

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So when I find myself on overload trying to do too much, and it’s not fitting into my weekly plan, I know it’s time to get help. Whether it’s hiring a V.A. or working with an accountability partner or joining a mastermind group. Being aware that you can’t do it alone and understanding that all it takes is partnering with others – that’s what keeps you from going into overwhelm and burnout.

THE ENCOURAGEMENT NOBODY GIVES YOU

And lastly, what nobody tells you about being an entrepreneur is –that someone is saying to you… you’re doing a great job!!

AND Yes, this is the one that requires no skill, it just requires reaching out and realizing you need friends or what I call business besties.

It’s important you have someone close to you to bounce ideas off. I have been meeting with a business bestie for the last 10 years – yes 10 years – we meet once a month and bounce ideas off each other and share our highs and our lows and most of all we tell each other we are doing a great job and I always come away from this meeting feeling warm and fuzzy inside because you know your bestie understands where you’re at and her words matter when she says, “Great job, Gale.”

Decision Fatigue

Wearing too many hats, and

Having nobody tell you if you’re doing a good job

are just three areas that nobody tells you about being an entrepreneur, but I want you to know this is normal.

After more than 20 years of entrepreneurship, what I know is this…

• I’ve made mistakes

• I’ve changed direction

• I’ve questioned myself

• I’ve celebrated victories I never imagined.

  And through it all, I’ve learned that success isn’t about having all the answers

It’s about continuing to take that next step

• One decision

• One conversation

• One client

• One week at a time

If you’re on this entrepreneur journey, you know it isn’t easy, but you don’t have to walk it alone.

Come back every week, and we’ll talk about these challenges that nobody talks about and explore practical ways to move forward together.

If you want to watch this on video click here.

Now: Share with me which of these 3 challenges do you relate to the most?

• Decision fatigue?

• Wearing too many hats? Or

• Feeling like no one notices the work you’re doing.

Let me know in the comments below.

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Next week in The Entrepreneur Journey, I’ll be talking about another challenge entrepreneurs rarely discuss: why staying motivated has nothing to do with motivation at all.

Are you on an entrepreneur’s journey? My paid subscribers get the full stories — the ups and downs — every Friday Fortnight (Every other Friday).

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Take a look around your workspace right now.

What do you see?

A desk piled with papers? A dining room table that doubles as your office? A cozy corner with a laptop and a cup of coffee? Or perhaps a dedicated office that helps you shift into work mode the moment you walk through the door.

Now ask yourself another question:

How does your workspace make you feel?

Does it make you feel focused?

• Inspired?

• Creative?

• Calm?

Or does it leave you feeling distracted, overwhelmed, and constantly behind?

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As entrepreneurs, we spend countless hours thinking about productivity systems, marketing strategies, and business growth. Yet many of us overlook one of the most powerful productivity tools we have:

The space where we work.

Your Workspace Shapes Your Day

Our workspace influences more than we realize.

A cluttered environment can create mental clutter.

An uncomfortable chair can drain our energy.

A room filled with distractions can make it difficult to focus on meaningful work.

On the other hand, a workspace that supports our goals can help us think clearly, stay organized, and feel motivated to take action.

Your workspace doesn’t need to be large.

It doesn’t need to be expensive.

It simply needs to support the way you work best.

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The Struggles Many Entrepreneurs Face

If you work from home, you’ve probably experienced at least one of these challenges:

• Working at the kitchen table

• Sharing space with family members

• Feeling distracted by household responsibilities

• Having piles of paperwork everywhere

• Constantly searching for supplies

• Not having a dedicated place to focus

• Feeling uninspired by your surroundings

The reality is that many entrepreneurs are building successful businesses in imperfect spaces.

The goal isn’t perfection.

The goal is creating an environment that helps you move forward.

What Entrepreneurs Have Taught Me About Their Workspaces

One of my favorite questions during my interviews in my series, Entrepreneurs who Work home is:

“Tell me about your workspace.”

The answers are always fascinating because there is no one-size-fits-all solution.

When I interviewed Anita Larsen, she talked about making the best use of the space you have. Whether you’re sharing space with family or working from a small corner of your home, the goal is creating an environment that supports your focus and efficiency.

For Dedee Cai, a dedicated room filled with natural light, a reading space, and a calm environment helps support both productivity and creativity. She emphasized the importance of knowing where everything is and keeping her workspace organized.

On the other hand, Grace Keohouhou can work virtually anywhere. Her business travels with her laptop, phone, and notebook. She values a free-flowing environment that allows her creativity to emerge wherever inspiration strikes.

When I spoke with Kathryn Imabayashi, she shared how much she loves her small office space overlooking a beautiful bay. The view inspires creativity while still giving her the focus she needs to get important work done.

LeeAnn Webster views her workspace as sacred. Everything she needs is within arm’s reach, and the space is reserved solely for business. One of her best tips? Protect your posture and occasionally change the energy of your workspace so you can fully disconnect when needed.

As a creative entrepreneur, Liisa Reiman uses a standing desk, multiple screens, visual planning tools, and even DIY whiteboards to help her brainstorm ideas, organize projects, and stay focused.

And Michelle Rohr reminded me that our workspace isn’t just where we work. It’s where we create, think, dream, and grow. Her focus is always on designing an environment that sets her up for success while honoring herself as a whole person.

What I found most interesting is that every entrepreneur approaches their workspace differently.

• Some need structure.

• Some need flexibility.

• Some need quiet.

• Some need creativity.

But they all have one thing in common:

They’ve intentionally created a space that supports their goals.

Is Clutter Holding You Back?

Let’s talk about clutter. Clutter isn’t just physical. It’s mental.

Every unfinished pile of papers, every sticky note, every item without a home quietly competes for your attention.

I’m not suggesting your workspace needs to look like it belongs in a magazine.

Mine certainly doesn’t.

But when I take a few minutes to clear my desk at the end of every day, put things away, and organize my priorities, I immediately feel more focused and more in control.

Sometimes the smallest changes create the biggest results.

A Few Questions to Consider

As you look at your workspace today, ask yourself:

• What do I love about this space?

• What frustrates me about this space?

• What helps me stay productive?

• What distracts me?

• What’s one small improvement I could make this week?

You don’t need a complete makeover.

You just need to make your workspace work better for you.

Want Some Workspace Inspiration?

I’ve interviewed entrepreneurs from around the world who have shared their workspace setups, productivity habits, and the systems that help them stay focused while working from home.

I’d love for you to check out the videos and see how other entrepreneurs have designed environments that support their success. You may discover an idea that transforms your own workspace.

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Let’s Continue the Conversation

Inside the Entrepreneurs Collab Circle, we talk about the spaces where we work and how they support our goals.

This week, I’m inviting members to share a photo of their workspace and tell us one thing that helps them stay productive. Because sometimes the best ideas come from seeing how someone else works.

So I’ll leave you with one final question:

How productive is YOUR workspace?

Every Tuesday I share what it takes to be productive along the journey of entrepreneurship

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Now every other Friday, I share what they know — real entrepreneurs, their own stories, showing you exactly how they work, what they struggle with, and what keeps them going. It's the kind of behind-the-scenes insight you can't Google. If you want in, upgrade to paid — it's $7 a month and worth every penny.

Welcome to the first “story” about the journey of “real” entrepreneurs. These are real, long-form narratives told in their own words. No highlight reels. Just the honest, behind-the-scenes truth of what it actually looks like to build something from home.

First up, let me introduce you to Brenda Rigney — entrepreneur, [what she does], and she hails all the way from Canada. 🍁

There’s a moment every morning when @BrendaRigney makes a decision most entrepreneurs would never allow themselves to make.

She doesn’t check her phone. She doesn’t open her laptop. She doesn’t answer emails or scroll through notifications. Instead, she makes herself a cup of tea, eases into her morning alongside her 12-year-old golden retriever, and lets the world wait.

Until 10 a.m., the world doesn’t get Brenda.

“I like my mornings to myself,” she’ll tell you, and the way she says it — matter-of-factly, without apology — tells you everything about who she is as an entrepreneur. She’s not lazy. She’s not disorganized. She’s just decided, after years of running IT teams and climbing corporate ladders and saying yes to everything, that the morning belongs to her.

Protein. Meal prep. A nice leisurely breakfast. The dog. The tea.

Then she works.

That’s the opening of my interview with Brenda Rigney and I love her confidence, her frankness, her “no apology” attitude.

Brenda tells me it didn’t always look like this.

She spent years in the corporate world doing COO-level work, executive operations, running teams, building systems.

She explains that she came from a family that understood what it meant to be in service to a community. When you hear her share how her grandparents owned apartment buildings in Vancouver. The other grandparents ran a grocery store through the Depression, letting neighbors run up tabs they couldn’t pay because keeping the community alive mattered more than the balance sheet you understand how much value she places on showing up, being consistent and having empathy for others.

That value – as Brenda puts it, “you rise when the people around you rise” — got woven into her before she ever knew what entrepreneurship was.

Brenda’s story continues when she explained how after university, she landed a position at the Gap when it was expanding across the U.S. She absorbed everything: customer service, operations, the mechanics of how a business actually runs. She still reaches back to those lessons today.

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The Reason Brenda Moved to Entrepreneurship

Somewhere along the way, something shifted for Brenda. Corporate life started asking for things she wasn’t willing to give anymore, and she made the pivot most people only dream about. She stepped out, stepped into entrepreneurship, and eventually found her way to building a Skool community — coaching members, helping them grow their businesses, watching her own grow as a result.

She’ll tell you it’s always been about service. The packaging just changed.

Let’s look at how Brenda fits in Work and Play

Brenda’s workspace is not what you’d expect from someone with her background.

No standing desk. No corner office. No elaborate setup.

Graph paper. A mug of tea. A laptop that fits in a backpack.

She’s an empty nester now, and that freedom shaped how she works. She might be home for a month or gone for two weeks — Paris to Antwerp on a train, working from a café somewhere in Europe.

Everything she needs fits in one bag. The graph paper, she says with a kind of quiet pride, is non-negotiable. Old school. She doesn’t apologize for it.

Want to hear Brenda tell her story in her own words? Watch the full interview here 👉

Brenda’s Unique Time Management

If you want to understand how Brenda manages her time, she’ll share with you how she starts at the end of December. She disappears. Somewhere warm, or somewhere with a fireplace — it changes year to year. But she goes somewhere intentional, and she sits with the year that just ended and the year that’s about to begin. She calls it masterminding. She plans her fiscal year, then she breaks it into quarters, and here’s the rule she lives by:

She never takes on anything that can’t be finished in three months.

• She makes a list of what she wants to accomplish in a quarter.

• She looks at that list hard.

• What can she delegate?

• What can she hand to an AI agent — she’s a Claude and AI tools user, works it into her workflow deliberately — and what actually belongs on her plate?

• She picks two or three. That’s it.

Her entire business runs on four words- Do less. Impact more.

One offer. One system. And instead of blowing it up and starting over, she asks herself how she can optimize it by 2%. Just 2%. Every quarter.

How Brenda gets Real!

Brenda will be the first to admit she didn’t always have this figured out. There was a client she took on. She knew, probably from the first conversation, that it wasn’t the right fit. But the money was real, and the cash flow mattered, and she said yes anyway.

Three months later, sitting with the truth of it, she had to be honest with herself. She’d taken it for the money. And she’d traded something — her time, her energy, her alignment — for a check.

“I had to decide how I wanted to move forward,” she says.

This really resonated with me. Has this happened to you? Have you had this experience?

That’s being honest. It’s easier to tell yourself you’re being flexible, being strategic, being smart. What I like is Brenda shares how she’s got good at calling herself out which is knowing when no is the actual answer — not a soft no, not a not yet, but a clean, clear “no” — because her vision, her values, and her goals already told her what fits and what doesn’t.

Brenda’s SIMPLE Success formula

I love how Brenda has such a simple formula for success. This is for you if you want to know exactly how to get through a day. It’s a method I talk about often in my own community and Brenda says it’s a gift she keeps trying to hand everyone who’ll listen:

It’s called - The Pomodoro Method.

• · Twenty-five minutes of focused work.

• · Timer goes off.

• · Walk away.

• · Come back.

• · Work Another 25 minutes.

• As she says, it sounds almost embarrassingly simple for someone with her operational background. But she’ll tell you this is the thing — the one thing — she recommends to every single member of her community. Because the brain fog is real. The hours that disappear into a single task are real. And the permission to stop, to breathe, to come back fresh — that’s not laziness. That’s how the work actually gets done.

Brenda says, “It’s not about maximizing my time,” she says. “It’s about knowing how to move a body of work forward.”

The story that changed everything for Brenda

Then she shares with me the story that changed everything for her. The one about the summit that you should pay attention to. She says, it started small. She was running a community focused on list building and lead generation — the whole ecosystem, lead magnets, tripwires, offers. She’d been involved in some summits off Skool and thought: why not run one inside Skool?

She reached out to her community members. Tested it. Brought in 1,000 people in two weeks.

And then she made the mistake that wasn’t actually a mistake. She didn’t think about what to do with those 1,000 people after the summit ended. Some joined her paid community. Some left. And then she thought, “What if the summit and the community aren’t two separate things? What if the summit builds the community”

So she ran another one, and this time she brought in 4,000 people. In one day. Monthly recurring revenue jumped to $10–15K. The business moved fully onto Skool. Everything changed.

Now she runs summits in her Skool community as a collaboration engine — not just with her own members as speakers, but with other Skool community owners. They speak in each other’s summits. They share warm audiences. Everyone grows.

And, here’s where you should pay attention. She did it again, but bigger —

This one was a 3-day AI summit with 65 speakers, open to anyone and everyone who wanted to talk about artificial intelligence and what it means for women in business.

She built it from what her people asked for. Listened to what they needed. Created the offer that answered the question in the room. Scrappy? A little. A game changer? Absolutely.

Brenda’s end of day

At the end of every day, Brenda asks herself three questions.

What did I love about today?
What did I learn today?
What made me strong today?

She does it at the end of every week too. Bookends. Little check-ins that keep her honest, keep her course-correcting before she drifts too far.

This is her self-care, she’ll tell you, and it might not be what you were expecting. It’s not a list of spa days and green smoothies — though she’s not opposed to a good pedicure. It’s time. Protected, defended, intentional time.

It’s the 10 a.m. boundary.

She’s learned that when she protects her schedule, she has time for everything. When she doesn’t, self-care becomes just another thing on the list she can’t get to.

I’ll leave you with this…

The last thing Brenda shares in my interview: the one piece of advice she’d give to every entrepreneur: She says,

Go back to your vision, your values, and your goals.

Not just when things are going sideways. Not just at year-end when she’s off somewhere with a fireplace. All the time. Every decision. Every yes, every no, every calendar block.

“When I feel tired,” she says, “I go back to my vision, values, and goals. And then I look at my calendar and ask — what did I say yes and no to, and is it in alignment?”

The golden retriever. The graph paper. The tea. The 25-minute timer. The summits, the community, the 4,000 people who showed up in a day.

It all comes from the same place.

She knows who she is. She knows where she’s going. And she doesn’t start until 10.

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What would you take from Brenda’s story and apply it to your entrepreneurial journey?

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This story is part of The Entrepreneurs Collab Circle interview series — real entrepreneurs, walking the walk.

One of the reasons I created The Entrepreneurs Collab Circle is simple: business is easier when you’re connected to the right people.

As entrepreneurs, we spend a lot of time focusing on goals, systems, marketing, productivity, and planning. All of those things matter. But one of the most overlooked ingredients of business growth is connection.

Whether it’s finding new clients, building referral partnerships, gaining encouragement, sharing ideas, or discovering unexpected opportunities, meaningful relationships can make a tremendous difference in your entrepreneurial journey.

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Your Personal “Advisory Board”

Years ago, I taught clients how to create a personal “Advisory Board”—simply, gather a small group of people who believed in them, supported their growth, and were willing to open doors when opportunities arose.

The process was simple. They were to reach out to people in their sphere of influence. Have conversations. Build deeper relationships. Stay connected.

When people understand who you are, what you do, and who you help, they’re much more likely to think of you when opportunities arise.

Referrals don’t usually come from strangers.

They come from relationships.

Connecting with Like-Minded Entrepreneurs

One of the ways I’ve embraced collaboration is through my YouTube interview series, Entrepreneurs Who Work From Home.

In each interview, we go behind the scenes with entrepreneurs to learn how they structure their days, manage distractions, make decisions, set goals, and navigate the unique challenges of building a business from home.

What I’ve discovered through these conversations is that successful entrepreneurs rarely grow in isolation.

They seek out relationships. They learn from others. They ask questions. They share experiences. They find communities that encourage them and help them move forward.

Sometimes the greatest value comes not from the answers, but from realizing you’re not alone in the journey.

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Learning Through Collaboration

Recently, I interviewed “Substack Queen” about how entrepreneurs can use Substack to grow their visibility, build an audience, and monetize their message.

Jill shared how she helps coaches and entrepreneurs leverage both Substack and Skool to simplify content creation, grow their email lists, and create systems that support business growth.

That conversation reminded me of an important lesson:

You don’t have to figure everything out on your own.

Often, the fastest way to learn is by connecting with someone who has already walked the path before you.

A single conversation can save months of trial and error. Watch here!

Connect in Our Circle

This spirit of connection is exactly what we’re building inside The Entrepreneurs Collab Circle.

This week, we’re participating in our “Collab Connection” activity, encouraging members to schedule conversations with a potential customer, past client, mentor, podcast host, or fellow entrepreneur.

The goal isn’t to sell.

The goal is to connect.

To listen.

To learn.

To discover ways you can support one another.

Because one conversation can lead to:

✨ A referral

✨ A friendship

✨ A mentor

✨ A collaboration

✨ A speaking opportunity

✨ A new client

The best opportunities often begin with a simple conversation.

If you’re looking for a supportive community of entrepreneurs who believe in collaboration, connection, and growing together, I’d love to invite you to join us inside The Entrepreneurs Collab Circle.

Now I’d love to hear from you:

What’s one connection that has been a game-changer in your business?

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Thanks for reading. If you're building a business, remember—you don't have to do it alone. Leave a “like” and subscribe for weekly insights, entrepreneur interviews, and stories that will help you connect, collaborate, and grow.

Everyone thinks I’m crazy when I suggest this until they try it.

Yes, I’m talking about time blocking. Good old-fashioned time blocking.

It’s not flashy. It isn’t powered by AI. There’s no expensive software required. Yet it remains one of the most effective productivity tools I’ve seen entrepreneurs use.

For years, productivity experts have recommended time blocking as a way to reduce overwhelm, stay focused, and avoid burnout. Yet many entrepreneurs resist it.

· Some think it’s too rigid.

· Others believe they don’t have enough time to plan.

· And many are convinced that because every day feels unpredictable, there’s no point creating a schedule.

I understand.

As entrepreneurs, we wear a lot of hats. New opportunities pop up. Clients need support. Family responsibilities pull us in different directions. It’s easy to feel like you’re constantly reacting instead of intentionally moving your business forward.

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Here’s what happens when entrepreneurs complete my Time Management Exercise.

They discover how many 3-hour focus blocks they actually have available during the week.

Instead of saying, “I don’t have time,” they begin to see where their time really goes. Suddenly, they have:

• A clear structure for their week.

• More focus and less wasted energy.

• Greater confidence in what needs to be done next.

• Less overwhelm because everything has a place.

• More momentum toward their goals.

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The exercise itself is simple.

Every Sunday, I encourage entrepreneurs to spend 30-60 minutes planning their week.

• First, review your quarterly and monthly goals.

• Next, identify your priorities for the week.

• Then look at your calendar and map out your available 3-hour focus blocks.

• Finally, assign your most important activities to those blocks.

This is not busy work. We are not working on random tasks. We are working on activities that move your business forward.

I encourage them to make a list of

- Revenue-generating conversations.

- Networking opportunities.

- Follow-up tasks

Then, schedule their content creation for the week.

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This is one of the exercises we work through inside The Entrepreneurs Collab Circle.

Members receive access to my free Purposeful Planner system, weekly planning resources, and accountability tools designed to help entrepreneurs create structure, stay focused, and build momentum.

Every Sunday, we use this planning process to align our week with our goals instead of hoping we’ll somehow find the time later.

Because successful entrepreneurs don’t leave their priorities to chance.

They make room for them.

I’ve watched entrepreneurs go from feeling scattered and overwhelmed to feeling calm, focused, and in control simply because they started planning their week with intention.

Entrepreneurs who Time Block

The entrepreneurs who time block are the ones who show up consistently.

The entrepreneurs who show up consistently are the ones who implement.

The entrepreneurs who implement are the ones who build successful businesses.

Time blocking isn’t really about managing your calendar. It’s about taking responsibility for your time. It’s about deciding what matters before the week begins.

Because if you don’t plan your week, someone else will gladly fill it for you.

My challenge for you this week:

- How many 3-hour focus blocks do you have available?

- And more importantly, what will you use them for?

Hit reply and tell me:

• What’s your biggest challenge with time blocking?

• Is it finding the time?

• Sticking to the schedule?

• Or knowing what to work on next?

I’d love to hear from you.

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And if you’d like support, accountability, and access to the free Purposeful Planner system, come join us inside The Entrepreneurs Collab Circle.

Because entrepreneurship is easier when you’re not building alone.

As entrepreneurs, we spend so much of our time doing - creating, planning, posting, selling, showing up - that we rarely make time for the one thing that makes all of it more effective:

And that’s thinking!

Thinking and writing those thoughts down on paper. Like Journaling. Journaling is where the noise settles and the clarity comes.

It’s where you catch that limiting belief before it quietly talks you out of launching or posting. It’s where you notice a pattern that’s been draining your energy for months. I like to think of it where your best ideas stop circling you head and finally land somewhere you can work with them.

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Journaling isn’t a luxury

For women entrepreneurs especially, who are often juggling more than anyone sees, a few minutes with a journal isn’t a luxury - it’s the most productive thing you can do all day. It doesn’t have to be long. It doesn’t have to be perfect. It just has to be honest. and that honesty? That’s where you might find your next breakthrough.

You - A Pen - and 5 minutes

Let me ask you something. When did you last sit down - just you, a pen, and five uninterrupted minutes - and actually check in with yourself?

Not your to-do list. Not your inbox. Not what you should be doing next.

Just you, asking yourself: “How am I really doing? What do I actually want right now?”

If you can’t remember, you’re not alone. Most entrepreneurs I know are so busy running their business that they forget to tend to the person running it.

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I’m Hosting a 7-day Journal Challenge

That’s why this week, inside my Skool Community, The Entrepreneurs Collab Circle, I’m hosting a 7-day Journaling challenge.

Seven days. One prompt a day. Five minutes of your time.

And I want you to be part of it.

Here’s Day 1 for you to do right now.

Grab a notebook, or open your notes app, or just start thinking. Set a timer for 5 minutes and write:

What does a successful, focused version of me look like 7 days from now?

That’s it! That’s the whole prompt. Feels small, right? But here’s what happens when do this consistently, with intention, and in community with other women entrepreneurs like you who are on the same journey as you - things start to shift. Clarity shows up. Focus follow. And suddenly you’re not just dreaming about your goals, you’re actually moving foward toward them.

Here’s what we’re cover over the next 7 days:

• Day 1: Set your Intention

• Day 2: Find your ONE focus for the week.

• Day 3: The confidence audit.

• Day 4: Clear the mental clutter.

• Day 5: The money mindset page.

• Day 6: Write your entrepreneur story.

• Day 7: A commitment letter to future you.

Each prompt builds on the last. By Day 7, you’ll have a clearer picture of where you’re headed, what’s been holding you back, and what you’re ready to commit to.

Where is the challenge happening?

Inside The Entrepreneurs Collab Circle on Skool - my free community for women entrepreneurs over 40 who want more focus, consistency and meaningful connection.

Every day I’ll post the prompt in the community feed. You write, you share as much or as little as you’d like, and you cheer on the other women doing the work alongside you.

We’re a small, close-knit group of right now - and that’s exactly what makes it special. Everyone is see. Everyone is heard.

If you’ve been building your business feeling a little isolated, a little like you’re figuring it all out alone - this is the antidote.

JOIN US HERE

The challenge is already underway - jump in wherever we are and catch up from Day 1 using the PRINTABLE PROMPT SHEET in the Classroom. It’s free to download, no strings attached.

I’ll look forward to seeing you inside the circle.

ps: If you’re looking for a simple path to daily clarity and calm, The Daily Journal is available on amazon. It’s a guided journal made for exactly this kind of intentional daily writing. Grab it here:

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Remember being a kid and the last day of school felt like the whole world just exhaled? Summer still has that magic. The difference now is you have a business to run — and nobody’s giving you the summer off.

Don’t you love the feeling of summer? The spontaneous road trips, lazy afternoons, family picnics, and that beautiful shift in energy when the pace of life just… changes.

But if you work from home, you already know what’s also coming: kids invading your office, your schedule, and your sanity — in the most wonderful way possible.

So the question isn’t whether summer will disrupt your business. It will. The real question is: do you have a plan?

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Because here’s the truth — as entrepreneurs, our businesses don’t take a summer vacation. Revenue doesn’t pause because school’s out. Clients don’t disappear because it’s beach season. Without a plan, things fall through the cracks, you lose momentum, and September arrives feeling scattered instead of strong.

The good news? You absolutely can enjoy every bit of the magic this summer — if you go in strategic.

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Here are my six tips to make it happen.

1. Set Your Summer Time Blocks

Start by asking yourself: What do I actually want my work life to look like this summer?

Time blocking is the secret weapon here. Identify your non-negotiables — the family days, the vacations, the school pickups — then build your work schedule around them. Pull up the next three months and map out which days are work days and which are play days. A clear Weekly Time Blocking system makes this so much easier, and it’s one of the first things we set up inside my Skool community, The Entrepreneurs Collab Circle.

2. Design Your Summer Schedule

Once you know your time blocks, get specific. How many hours a week will you dedicate to your business? When is your most productive time of day? What shifts when the kids are home?

Write it down. A schedule that lives only in your head is a wish, not a plan.

3. Decide How You’ll Show Up

This one is critical and often overlooked: if you go quiet, people notice.

Stop emailing, blogging, or showing up in communities for a few weeks, and potential clients will wonder if you’re even still in business. You don’t have to show up everywhere — but you do need to be intentional about where you’ll maintain your visibility and how you’ll do it with a lighter summer schedule.

4. Plan Your Weekly and Daily Tasks

Running a business means you still have monthly, weekly, and daily tasks — regardless of the season. Inside The Entrepreneurs Collab Circle, we plan each month with precision and follow a proven weekly planning system that keeps you focused without burning you out.

If you want a community of fellow entrepreneurs doing this work alongside you all summer long, join us here 👈

5. Set a 90-Day Summer Goal

I plan 90-day goals every season, and summer is no different. A clear 90-day goal gives you something to move toward — so when fall arrives (and it arrives fast), you’re stepping into it with momentum, not playing catch-up.

Ask yourself: What do I want to have built, launched, or grown by September?

6. Give Yourself Permission to Be Flexible

Stuff happens in summer. Spontaneous beach days. Unexpected guests. Kids who need you more than usual.

Build flexibility into your plan on purpose so that when life happens, you flow with it instead of fighting it.

The Bottom Line

Summer is a season to slow down, recharge, and be fully present — and keep your business thriving. The entrepreneurs who do both aren’t superhuman. They just have better systems.

✅ Enjoy the change of pace ✅ Find time to genuinely recharge ✅ Be present for the moments that matter ✅ Go into summer with a structure that supports your life

Ready to plan your summer business schedule alongside a community of driven entrepreneurs?

Come join us inside The Entrepreneurs Collab Circle on Skool — where we plan every season with intention, follow weekly systems that actually work, and support each other through every stage of business.

👉 [Join The Entrepreneurs Collab Circle here]

What’s your biggest challenge when it comes to running your business over the summer? Drop it in the comments — I’d love to hear!

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