When "Success" Nearly Broke Me: The Hidden Signs Your Business is Running You
You know what's wild about my own burnout story? When I got diagnosed with shingles back in the spring of 2017, I actually laughed. The doctor said it's often caused by stress. Me? Stressed? No way!
My business was "successful" - full schedule, great team, solid systems, steady revenue. But I was saying 'yes' to every opportunity that came my way without any real direction. I wasn't stressed about money or projects going sideways... I was just doing #AllTheThings because, well, why not?
(Spoiler alert: My body had other ideas about that "why not!" 😅)
The Success Trap That Catches Most Entrepreneurs
Here's what I've learned working with 6-figure business owners: success can be just as dangerous as failure - maybe more so. When things are "going well," we stop questioning our choices. We pile on more opportunities, more clients, more projects, thinking we're building momentum.
But we're actually building a house of cards.
Two Transformations That Changed Everything
Let me tell you about Rachel, a talented photographer who was drowning in budget weddings, missing her kids' soccer games, and working every weekend. She was technically successful - booked solid, making decent money. But she was miserable.
The breakthrough? Getting crystal clear on her vision of creating luxury wedding experiences. That clarity became her filter for every business decision, helping her confidently say 'no' to family portraits and other services that were diluting her brand. Now she's created the exact business she dreamed of (and makes it to most of her kids' soccer games).
Then there's Madison, a real estate powerhouse who wasn't just overwhelmed - she had completely fallen out of love with her business and was battling depression, though she didn't recognize it at first. She was still serving her clients well, but the fire was gone. She was "just going through the motions."
When we applied our Profits, Passion, and Progress Alignment Framework and gave her permission to rest and think, something magical happened. All these brilliant ideas that had been buried under layers of exhaustion started emerging - including an innovative continuing education training that could change her industry!
The Real Solution Isn't What You Think
Here's the thing - these transformations didn't happen by adding more to their plates (because hello, that's what got us here in the first place! 🙈).
Think about it like this - when your sink is overflowing, do you:
A) Turn on more faucets and hope it helps or
B) Find and fix the clog that's causing the overflow
Sure, logically you're saying B, but when it comes to our business, most entrepreneurs actually choose A! We add more systems, more team members, more marketing tactics. But successful CEOs choose B.
The Power of Strategic Subtraction
What Rachel and Madison both needed wasn't addition - it was strategic subtraction. This is where we identify what's actually causing the overwhelm, remove what's not serving your purpose-aligned vision (like Rachel letting go of those family portraits and corporate headshots), and strengthen your foundation before adding anything new.
You can't build the penthouse before your foundation is stable.
Are You Running Your Business, Or Is It Running You?
If you're reading this thinking "this sounds like me," you're not alone. Most entrepreneurs I work with are what I call "accidental CEOs" - passionate people who built businesses around what they love, but never learned how to run them sustainably.
The exhaustion you're feeling? The constant decision fatigue? The nagging feeling that your business should feel easier than this? Those aren't character flaws - they're symptoms of a business that's running you instead of the other way around.
Your Next Step
The choice is yours - keep trying to manage the chaos, or learn how to eliminate it (and maybe save yourself from a shingles diagnosis in the process! 😅).
Your business should energize you, not exhaust you. It should support your dreams, not consume them.
What's one thing you could subtract from your business this week to create more clarity and focus?
Not sure where to start? Take our free CEO Assessment to identify exactly where your business needs attention first. Most entrepreneurs are surprised to learn which areas are actually holding them back the most. In just 5 minutes, you'll get a clear picture of where you are on the Accidental CEO Growth Pyramid and what to focus on next.
Get your personalized results at AboutShaunaLynn.com/ceoquiz
If you feel like you’re doing everything right but still not getting the right clients, the right money, or the right momentum, check out our next free webinar!