stop listening to this advice

Hey ,

I’m currently writing to you from a hotel balcony in LA, we’re heading to Nashville tomorrow, and were in NYC last weekend!

To say this is a travel season would be an understatement, and as I was sitting thinking about what I wanted to share with you this week… it’s around exactly that.

Being able to travel, whether for work or personal, and feel like your business isn’t going to set on fire when you turn on your out of office. Or, that upon your return, you’ve got 394850 messages from team, clients, and everyone else demanding a response.

Ultimately: freedom to choose when and how you interact with your work.

Isn’t that a reason why we got into business in the first place?

Because we were sick of having a boss tell us how we should be interacting with work?

Yet, I see so many business owners being bossed around by their own business, even worse than when they were in corporate.

The truth is:

So many of you are working harder than you ever have, maybe even bringing in record-breaking top-line revenue. 

But when it comes to what you actually get to take home, how many of you are seeing the results you should or want to be seeing?

Here’s the thing: if you're running a freedom-based business (a lifestyle business), the only number that truly gives you freedom is your take-home pay.

That’s where your choices and flexibility live, not in that big revenue number that looks good on paper but doesn’t translate to your lifestyle.

I know some of you are bankrolling your businesses like it’s a Silicon Valley startup, grinding to chase revenue growth when what you really want is more freedom—not a bigger top line, but a more meaningful bottom line.

That was me, for so many years. In fact, yesterday on stage I was sharing about the changes we made in our membership exactly a year ago… and the biggest one being switching from a custom platform to Kajabi.

There were so many more limitations, but when I really looked at why I was running my business on a custom web platform (that required SO much time, money and headache to maintain) it was simply because I thought I should. I listened to so many people who hadn’t been where I wanted to go.

And that’s just one micro example of all the ways I’ve had to shed the shoulds in the last couple of years to change the way I run and interact with my business.

My expensively-earned opinion is that unless you’re venture-backed or preparing for a big exit, you shouldn’t be following that playbook. Why? Because the Silicon Valley approach is built around massive risk, long-term investment, and delayed rewards. For lifestyle entrepreneurs like us—especially those balancing business and family—the goal is different. You want to build something sustainable that aligns with your life, now. That means focusing on simplicity.

But let me be clear: simpler doesn’t mean smaller.

Simplifying your business doesn’t mean scaling down your ambitions or settling for less. It means being strategic about your efforts, choosing a streamlined approach to sales, automation, and revenue that not only grows your business but protects your freedom.

You can create a lean, efficient business that serves your customers, drives meaningful profit, and—most importantly—gives you the life you actually want.

Here’s how I look at it:

• Simplicity is about focus. Instead of spreading yourself thin across multiple offers and traffic sources, lock in on a single, high-impact revenue stream. You can still scale this to millions, but in a way that doesn’t require you to sacrifice your time and energy.

• Automation is your friend. It’s not about working more hours to make more money—it’s about letting systems work for you so you can focus on what really matters.

• Cut unnecessary costs. Take a hard look at your current expenses and trim the fat. Are you spending money on tools or team members that don’t directly contribute to the growth and profitability of your business? Simplifying means eliminating anything that’s not essential to your core strategy.

• Protect your time. The more you streamline your business, the more time you get back. Set boundaries around what you do versus what can be delegated or automated. Your time is your most valuable asset in a freedom-based business.

• Shift your focus from revenue to profit. Revenue is exciting, but profit is what sustains you. Keep a close eye on margins—growing a big revenue number means nothing if it doesn’t leave you with a healthy profit margin at the end of the day. Simplicity often leads to a healthier bottom line.

• Run your numbers like a CEO. Every month, take time to review your financials. Know exactly where your money is going and where it’s coming from. If your goal is a leaner, more efficient business, financial clarity is essential.

This isn’t about playing small. It’s about playing smart.

Choose simple. Choose freedom.

Your business should work for you, not the other way around.

XO,
Natalie

🤓 I swear, every single business owner needs to listen to this episode with Seth Godin. I went into it thinking I was going to get a masterclass on marketing, and walked away with my jaw on the floor, knowing I needed to make some business changes.

🍼 Soon, we’ll be sending out additional weekly newsletters for CEO Mamas. If you’re interested in receiving that email (it’s going to be special), click this link. It’ll take you to our Instagram but by clicking I’ll make note that you want to receive the email.

🐣 Okay another little Easter Egg… here’s the soft launch of my brand new website!! Last week we released Bossbabe’s, and this week: mine’s here too. I’m so excited. The first 5 people to find my site and then share their favorite episode from The Bossbabe Podcast, post it as a photo to their IG Story and tag me @iamnatalie will win a free Bossbabe sweatsuit!