3 Decisions I Wish I’d Made Sooner in My Slow-Living Business

I’m not someone who believes in regret. Sure, I could have done plenty of things differently, but every choice—mistakes included—has taught me something valuable. That said, there are definitely a few decisions I wish I’d made sooner, especially in my journey as a slow-living entrepreneur.

Building a business that prioritizes balance, well-being, and purpose wasn’t always how I operated. Like many entrepreneurs, I spent too much time stuck in hustle culture, overthinking every move, and trying to do it all myself.

But here’s the thing: I’ve learned to reframe those missteps as opportunities for growth, change, and learning. After all, failure—when followed by trying again in a new way—is how we build resilience, creativity, and problem-solving skills.

(And believe me, with nearly three decades of entrepreneurial experience, I’ve had plenty of chances to learn from my failures! 😂)

Today, I’m sharing three decisions I wish I’d made sooner—lessons that transformed how I work and live. I hope they’ll help you skip some of the missteps I made and build a business that feels aligned and fulfilling from the start.

Let’s dive in!

1. Simply Start

The number one decision I wish I would have made sooner in my slow-living business is to simply start. Have you heard of the phrase “progress over perfection”? Well, I spent way too long on way too many ideas that I wanted to be “perfect” rather than just beginning. 

Sometimes, we can get into our heads that our business or our offers must be “just so” before diving in and getting started. Maybe our fears or self-doubts begin creeping in and keeping us from moving forward, or maybe we get stuck trying to find that perfect niche.

Regardless of the reasons, I know I wasted way too much time in my business by thinking, over-thinking, planning, and over-planning… basically spinning my wheels… without actually getting anywhere. So, the first decision I wish I would have made sooner was simply to begin.

If you’re struggling with this, I suggest coming up with a single baby step you can do today to get started. It doesn’t have to be perfect; it doesn’t have to be the one thing you commit to doing for the rest of your life. (Yes, you can always change it later. That’s why you’re the boss!) But, choosing a single action that can help propel you toward your dream of a slow-living business is important. Simply start.

2. Invest In Myself

The second decision I wish I’d made sooner in my slow-living business is to invest in myself. Let me be clear: I don’t mean just monetary investment (although that can be useful, too, depending on your business model). I’m talking about putting in the work to believing in yourself.

I define investing in myself by holding true to the following beliefs:

• I am capable and worthy, and I have everything I need to succeed.

• My business is worth investing in—in both time and money.

• My goals are worth working toward.

If you don’t invest in yourself by believing in yourself, what you’re working toward, and how you will build your business, everything else will fall apart. 

Investing in yourself includes getting the appropriate training, education, technology, and equipment to make sure you’re prepared for what’s ahead, but it’s also about setting aside the time, energy, effort, and money you need to be successful. It means taking your entrepreneurial journey seriously (not just as some side hustle). And it means acknowledging that what you want is a goal worth pursuing.

This will help you both in the sense of building a successful business and also protecting your own mindset. Because if you are able to hold true to the above beliefs, then no amount of other people’s thoughts, opinions, questions, or comments (and believe me, there will be plenty of those!) will shake your progress toward building the business of your dreams.

Instead, when I was starting out, I focused solely on spending money on tools, technologies, equipment, etc., and got lost on the #1 investment that mattered the most: me. Yes, things like the technology you’ll use to set up your business are important, but it’s just as important to set aside regular time to work on your business, define and work toward your goals, and invest in your mindset so you can be successful in the long-term.

3. Ask for Help

The third decision that I wish I’d made sooner in my slow-living business is asking for help. 

I’ve gotta be honest: this one is still a work in progress. As an introvert and long-term solopreneur, I can still struggle with reaching out and asking others for help. But wow, it can make a huge difference in how quickly you grow your business.

I’ve stopped and started dozens of businesses over the past few decades, and the ones that have been the most successful are those where I reached out to others for help, inspiration, and collaboration.

Never be afraid to connect with others who have been there or are on a similar journey. Entrepreneurship is tough work, and it’s even tougher when you’re doing it 100% alone. Connecting with a few others who have been there can be immensely powerful in terms of your own learning experience and mental health.

This is maybe even truer when you’re a slow-living business owner, because we’re not out there hustling and working 24/7. If you’re a traditional entrepreneur, it might be easy to follow the advice from gurus who are all, “DO ALL THE THINGS!” but we slow-living entrepreneurs have other things going on (like our lives, families, hobbies, and letting our minds and bodies relax from overstimulation, stress, and overwhelm). We certainly don’t have the time (nor the interest) for that “Go, go, go!” hustle culture mentality.

But, slow-living entrepreneurship can be isolating and confusing if all we see are side hustlers who work 24/7. We can start to question our own worth and whether we’re working hard enough or doing the “right things” for our businesses. All businesses have periods of ebb and flow, but it can be particularly difficult to know when to pivot, what to change, and how to grow our businesses if we don’t have mentors, collaborators, or other slow-living business partners to give us feedback, acknowledgment, and support.

I wish I had asked for support and help earlier in my businesses. Now that I have it, I am continually driven toward providing programs, resources, support, and a community for other slow-living entrepreneurs looking for the same.

What About You?

Now that you’ve heard the three decisions I wish I’d made sooner with my slow-living business, I’d love to hear from you. What do you wish you’d done differently or decided to do earlier? What stage are you in in your business? And what lessons have you learned that you’d like to share with others? 

I’d love to hear all about it in the comments below.

What Is a Slow-Living Business?

When people hear the phrase "slow-living lifestyle," they often picture homesteading—living off the land, baking bread from scratch, and swearing off technology forever. And while that’s one version of slow living, it’s definitely not the whole story.

For starters, let me be clear: You’ll have to pry my technology out of my cold, dead, Gen X hands. (IYKYK.)

A slow-living business isn’t about giving everything up; it’s about creating something that works with your life, not against it. It’s about freedom, flexibility, and a pace that feels good for your body, mind, and soul. In this post, I’ll break down what a slow-living business looks like and how embracing this approach can help you find peace, balance, and the life you deserve.

Introducing… a Slow-Living Lifestyle

Slow living is about being present in every moment, learning to trust yourself when making decisions, and taking consistent actions.

When you adopt a slow-living lifestyle, you remove things that no longer serve you and add activities and routines that make you happy. It’s about finding what lights you up and adding more of it while removing the things that have bad vibes. 

It’s true for some that means less technology, social media, or screen time. For others (like me), it means cultivating joy, working and living intuitively, and leaving toxic relationships behind. I focus on making slow, careful decisions for myself and my businesses that are intuitive and intentional.

Life slows down when you learn to hone your intuition and live from a place of inner happiness. You’re no longer rushing to keep up with someone else’s schedule, comparing yourself to others, or racing to get to the finish line. You realize that life is a marathon, not a sprint, and it’s about enjoying the ride.

Creating a Slow-Living Business

A slow-living business, then, is one in which you always act mindfully, intuitively, and intentionally toward goals that you define. You don't compare yourself with others, and you don't worry about what others think. You define your strengths, set your goals, and share your light with the world. You do what feels best to you.

That means no more hustle culture, no more working 24/7, and no more stress over where your next dollar is coming from.

It also means that—particularly if you’re a business owner who is neurodivergent, lives with chronic illness, or is on a healing journey—you can use slow-living techniques to adapt your business to your energy and capabilities. You don’t have to compare your business or your progress to other people. Instead, you can simply move slowly and consistently at a pace that’s right for you.

If this sounds good, I encourage you to take a few minutes today to rest, meditate, journal, go for a stroll, sit outside and listen to nature, or do something else that helps you feel calmer and more connected. Set a timer if needed; five minutes is often enough for you to unwind.

Living mindfully and intentionally means being aware of what is working (and not working) in your business, relationships, finances, health, or anything else that you’re focusing on in your life. You take things one step at a time and move toward consistent progress toward any goal (which you then absolutely crush!).

Entrepreneurship on YOUR Terms

Everyone tells you to pick a niche, make a product, and boom! You have a business.

And while that sounds easy like Sunday morning in theory, in reality… 

It is super hard to start a business the way everyone tells you to, especially when your life, brain, body, and goals are simply not wired the same way. I don’t know about you, but I’m done working 60-hour workweeks and buying into hustle culture. I love my slow-living business, and I want that for you, too.

Like a Swiftie trying to get backstage at a concert—or a ticket at all, let’s be real—all those doubts about whether you can create a successful slow-living business start sneaking in. 

Can I keep up with everything all the experts say I have to do?

Will I really be able to make money by only working a few hours a day?

Is it possible to run a successful business on my own without feeling frazzled and overwhelmed?

Beautiful friend, that’s what I’m here for!

If you want to:

Run a slow-living business in complete confidence, so you can give your body and soul the room they need to grow (not to mention time to spend with your family, friends, and hobbies)... 

Then you are in the right place!

Presenting… The 7-Day Slow Living Challenge!

If you’re thinking, “Slow living sounds great, but how do I actually start?” Lucky for you, I’ve decided to make it easy with my free 7-Day Slow Living Challenge! 

I specially designed this challenge to support women entrepreneurs who want slow-living lifestyles.

Sign up today to get daily challenges sent to your inbox. You'll learn, step by step, the skills you need to build a slow-living lifestyle that rejuvenates your heart and soul.

No gatekeeping, either! I give you the secrets to slow living, including being present in every moment, trusting yourself when making decisions, and taking small steps toward your goals.

Learn the skills you need to build a slow-living lifestyle. 

Stop Stressing and Start Slow Living

Hopefully this post has helped clear up what a slow-living business is and how you can start incorporating a slow-living lifestyle into your routine. 

Once you start learning the skills for slow-living, you’ll start reaping the benefits, including less stress, less overwhelm, and more fulfillment in your life.

I love that for you!

If you have questions or comments about starting a slow-living business, let me know in the comments below. I’m here to help!

Embracing a Slow-Living Business: My Journey to Finding My “Why”

Sometimes, you start a business because you’re craving change. Other times, it’s because you’re left with no other option. For me, the most recent chapter of my entrepreneurial journey began when my health and lifestyle demanded something different—something slower, more intentional, and aligned with what truly mattered.

This shift toward a slow-living business didn’t just transform how I work—it helped me rediscover my purpose. Through this journey, I’ve gained clarity on my priorities, my values, and what makes me happiest in both my career and my life.

In this post, I’m sharing my story: how I embraced slow living, built a business that supports my well-being, and found the “why” that keeps me moving forward. If you’re ready to uncover your own purpose and design a life you love, keep reading—and let me know how I can support you on your journey.

Discovering My “Why”

When preparing to leave my corporate executive job in 2019, I ran across Simon Sinek's workbook Find Your Why.* To say it was life-changing would be an understatement.

In it, Sinek encourages corporate leaders to build a sense of “why” with their teams, which can help bring drive and purpose to their work. When I read it, though, I thought not just of my team but of my situation. I hated to admit it, but I was miserable in my job. I was completely burned out from working 60+ hours a week, never seeing my family, and berated with abuse from an absolutely toxic work environment.

It was time for a reckoning. It was time to figure out and embrace my "why."

I realized that while I was earning a large salary, buying my dream home, and climbing the corporate ladder (the American dream, right?!), it was at the expense of what mattered most to me: my mental health, my physical health, and time with my family. I originally thought that by bringing in more money and success, I was providing for my family, but the reality was I was missing out on spending time with them, particularly with my son, who was six at the time.

So, I got the courage to quit my corporate job and form my own educational consulting business. I was so proud to do something for me and my family finally. But I was also terrified of what this would mean for us financially and otherwise. I had to take a leap and take a chance on myself. I had to do it for my “why.”

Of course, life always throws us curveballs, and I was hit with a particularly brutal one.

It turns out I was also literally killing myself at that toxic job by burning the candle at both ends and not paying attention to my physical or mental health. Two weeks after my final day on the job (coincidentally, on the very day when I got my first call for a new client), I ended up in the ICU with a rare form of non-Hodgkins lymphoma that nearly ended my life.

Talk about a reckoning.

And that wasn’t all. Who could ever predict that after two weeks in the hospital, while finishing radiation and preparing to undergo chemotherapy treatments, COVID-19 would hit? There I was, fighting for my life while the world went into lockdown.

Suddenly, hospitals restricted access, and patients couldn’t have their loved ones with them for appointments. I went into treatments scared and alone, terrified that even if I could beat cancer, my immune system was shot, and I was at high risk for COVID.

Throughout the initial COVID scare, I wanted to just hole up in my house like the rest of the world, but I didn’t have the luxury of staying in lockdown; I had to leave my house to get my chemo infusions.

I remember another patient during that time yelling across the room to me, through masks and social distancing, while we had poisonous chemicals pumping through our veins, “I’ll be damned if I beat cancer just to have COVID take me out.” I yelled back, “No shit, right?”

Getting to chemo treatments was also a physical challenge I wasn’t fully prepared for. I’ve had a rare form of muscular dystrophy for more than 35 years, which got exacerbated during my time in the hospital, making it hard for me to walk unassisted. Complicating things even further, the lymphoma had collapsed one of my lungs and halfway collapsed the other, so I pulled around an oxygen tank for a while and had lasting lung damage that made COVID a higher risk than usual. It was surreal.

That’s just a long story to say that my big consulting business plans got put on hold.

The good news is that my cancer is now in remission, and I spent my time during post-treatment recovery working on new businesses and ventures that I could do within my limited physical and mental capacity.

Now, if I ever get overwhelmed with my workload, fall into old patterns of over-achieving and over-working, or recognize signs of impending burnout, I remember my “why,” and it gets me back on track.

Creating a Slow-Living Business

During the long months of cancer treatments, I needed something to do and had plenty of time to learn new things. I had brain fog from my treatments, though, so I had to find something that I could do on my own time and in my own way. I started slowly, then began building as I felt more capable of doing new things. And boy, did I do a lot of new things!

I taught myself how to day trade. I wrote and published a book. I started a print-on-demand business. I opened an Etsy shop with digital printables. I made low-content books and sold them on Amazon. I started a website where I could sell my products online. I learned about digital marketing and social media marketing and dCommerce and eCommerce… and all the associated buzzwords. I took classes and watched YouTube videos and joined communities and networked and learned from mentors and read as many books as I could get my hands on.

And I did all that because I knew exactly my “why.”

My "why" is my health. Without it, I can’t spend time with my family or participate in all the activities I love. Everything I do (which includes self-care and healthy living) is all for my family, so I can spend more time with them, provide for them, and travel with them. I want to live a long, happy, and healthy life—and spend it with my family.

I would never get that by working a 60+ hours a week job that left me feeling like a shell of myself. I had to make a change—and I’m so proud I did!

Now, I have a career that lets me earn money, take whatever time I want or need for my body and personal goals, leverage my unique skills and credentials, and (here’s the best part) help other people. One major thing I’ve missed since leaving my corporate leadership job (and, before that, my academic professor position) was mentoring and helping others. My coaching business helps me do that. It’s become another part of my “why.”

Another “why” for me is the freedom I get from being my own boss. I will never ever ever ever (did I say, ever?) again work for someone else. One of my favorite parts about having a slow-living business is I get to set my own goals and strategies however it works for me. I’m an achiever, so I have set up systems that help me be productive and hit my goals while working just a few hours a day. It doesn’t get any better than this.

As a lifelong learner, I get to light myself up from the inside out, learning new things and tackling new challenges every day—but it’s for me, not for anyone else. This is the first time in my life that I’ve done something just for myself, and I can barely put into words how good that feels. I hope you get to feel that, too. Truly.

Are You Ready To Start a Slow-Living Business?

I hope at least one person can learn from my story that it’s important that you value yourself, your health, and your priorities. Life is too short to work in a job that tears you down and destroys your self-worth, mental health, and physical health. A slow-living business can help you put your goals first without working for anyone else or on anyone else’s schedule.

Consider this your permission to say no to toxic workplace environments and do something for yourself for once.

Maybe this is your time for an awakening. Are you ready to make a change?

What is your “why”?

"Why do you do what you do?

Why do you get out of bed in the morning?

And why should anyone care?

It is one of life's greatest joys to wake up in the morning

  Every morning

with a clear sense of why the day matters

   Why every day matters.

This is what it means to find your Why.

It's the start of an inspiring journey

    Your inspiring journey."

—Simon Sinek, Find Your Why

*Find Your Why is the companion workbook to Simon Sinek’s book Start With Why, but for whatever reason, I skipped the book and headed straight to the workbook and thoroughly enjoyed it.

Looking to start your slow-living business journey? Download your FREE copy of my guide, 40+ Business Ideas for Slow-Living Entrepreneurs, and get started today!

How to Start Your Own Business Without Selling Your Soul

If you’re ready to leave behind the grind of the 9 to 5 (or, let’s be real, the 8 to 6) and start a business of your own, you might feel overwhelmed by all the possibilities.

Should you create an LLC? How do you design a website? What’s the deal with branding, marketing, and client onboarding? These are all important questions, but here’s the thing: too many people dive straight into operations without asking the most critical question—how do I build a business that works for me?

Far too often, people build businesses that look great on paper but leave them burned out, overwhelmed, and disconnected from their own needs. They forget to consider their “why” or design their business with long-term well-being in mind.

In this post, we’ll explore how to create a business that aligns with your values, protects your energy, and supports your soul. Because building a business that honors you isn’t just possible—it’s essential. Here’s how to make it happen.

A Slow-Living Approach to Building a Business

One of the myths I first bought into when starting my first business was that I had to do what everybody else told me to do. As a natural researcher and lifelong learner, I dove into the guides, how-tos, video tutorials, and classes to figure out how to start and market my business.

Much of the information said I had to do all the things. Get on all the social media channels, write all the emails, write all the blogs, be on all the podcasts, connect with all the influencers, work on all of the SEO, do all the keyword research… and that was aside from, you know, the actual work of running my business!

While many of these small business marketing techniques work, what these resources didn’t tell me was that these techniques were apparently made for superhumans who either could (or wanted to?!) work 60+ hours a week while doing everything themselves. (Or, they had a bunch of money to hire others to do the work for them, which wasn’t an option for me when I was first starting.)

Out of the necessity of health and self-care, not to mention my finances, I realized I had to find another way. I was in the process of healing from a near-death experience, as well as some mental health issues exacerbated by a toxic and abusive workplace I had recently left behind. Also, my son was young, and I wanted to create a slow-living business that would allow me to spend time with him while I could (and while he was still young enough to want to spend time with me!). This meant that I didn’t have the time nor the energy to, as so many “experts” said, do all the things.

I wanted to start my own business to get more flexibility and freedom, not less.

I had to figure out how to build a business that would a) make really good money, b) allow me to spend time with my family, and c) ensure I never had to work for anyone else again.

And that’s when it clicked for me. When I drilled down and got to the heart of what I really wanted and needed from my career, I discovered the magic of slow-living businesses. And then I made it happen.

It’s Not About the Money

Okay, well, it's not all about the money. Let’s be real: we all need to pay the bills. But in my experience, if you focus exclusively on making money, you won’t succeed. I’ve seen it (and tried it) again and again over the course of my 30+ year career. And the money only comes after you’ve truly found your heart’s path. Sounds crazy, but it’s not until you actually find your purpose that the money will follow.

My recipe for success is first not to compare myself to others. Social media is filled with entrepreneurs showing off their bank accounts and seven-digit annual returns. I’m more interested in replacing my former income (and then some!) so that I am earning my worth at an amount that feels good to me. To me, that’s the most important thing. 

By focusing not on what other people are doing but instead on what would make my family’s life happy and comfortable, I hit my financial targets. Instead of focusing on some arbitrary number I heard from someone who made a few viral TikToks, I focus on earning a number that covers my bills, extras, and everything I could want in the near-term future. I focus on my unique situation.

Also, I have found that when building a slow-living business, you can’t focus just on making money because then you’ll start making decisions that don’t feel right to you deep in your gut. You’ll start acting counter-intuitively to your intuition, and the results will be terrible. Once you start sliding down the path of doing things that don’t feel right, then the abundance will stop.

Instead of focusing on money, you have to focus on your values. What do you most desire, and what do you most hold as true in your heart? These principles will most guide you toward building and maintaining a successful business.

Trust me, if you do things just for the money, it will feel icky. It will get harder and harder for you to make any progress. You’ll start making decisions you wouldn’t otherwise make. You’ll start skimping on the business tools and technologies you need but then overspending in areas that don’t matter. You’ll spend more time watching your bank accounts than leading with your heart. And that’s just a recipe for disaster (one I’ve cooked up more than once if I’m honest). 

But I promise: you don’t have to sell your soul to build a successful business.

Leading with Your Purpose

In my experience, a successful business comes when you lead with your purpose, not your bank account. This is where you’ll become most closely aligned with your soul’s path, your heart’s purpose, however you think of having a meaningful career. 

It’s about starting to mend your relationship with money. If you do that, sales don’t feel “icky,” money becomes a tool and a blessing, not a weapon or a curse, and you start making decisions from both your brain and your heart.

Your business will flourish when you learn how to improve your intuition and make decisions from carefully planned research and heart-led instincts. It’s about the balance. And if done well, you’ll never have to sell your soul to make a sale again.

Starting a Slow-Living Business without Sacrificing Your Soul

Great, you’re thinking: how do I put this all together to build my slow-living business? That’s a great question you’ll need to explore through careful research, planning, and following your gut.

First, think about something that truly excites you and how to turn that passion into a sustainable business. What’s something you love and are good at that you can do every day for the foreseeable future?

Next, mix those passions and skills with viable business ideas that allow you the freedom to be flexible with your time and interests. 

Finally, build a plan with actionable steps you will take to hit those goals and milestones. Make business goals with specifics on what you’ll achieve and when.

I’m not gonna lie. Running a business is hard. This is why it’s absolutely crucial that you build a business from the start that is going to build you up, not tear you down. This means aligning your business with your unique lifestyle and goals and following your values and principles no matter what.

Need help with building your small business? Download your FREE copy of my guide, 40+ Business Ideas for Slow-Living Entrepreneurs, and get started today!

Of course, hop in the comments below and let me know how your business journey is going! I’d love to hear your story.