Why different is better than bigger
Every business journey has its challenges. The long weeks where energy runs low. The projects that don’t deliver what you hoped. The feeling of burnout that creeps in when you’ve stretched yourself too far.
These aren’t failures. They are signals. And if you listen, they can spark the kind of breakthrough that changes everything.
Too often, women in business are told that the solution to setbacks is to work harder, hire more people, or scale faster. But what if the real breakthrough is recognising that different is better than bigger?
Why setbacks happen
Setbacks often come from chasing a version of success that isn’t ours. Society tells us that the only way to prove ourselves is by growing: bigger teams, bigger turnover, bigger presence.
The truth is, growth for growth’s sake can leave you burnt out and disconnected from why you started in the first place. The cracks appear when your business no longer matches your values or the life you want. That’s when the pressure builds and that’s when it’s time to pause and reflect.
The breakthrough side
A breakthrough doesn’t always look like a surge in revenue or a new round of investment. Sometimes the most important breakthroughs happen when you decide to do things differently.
It might be choosing to stay small so your business supports your lifestyle instead of consuming it. It might be saying no to projects or clients that don’t align with your values. It might be rethinking what growth even means for you.
Those tough moments, (the exhaustion, the doubt, the pressure), can feel like the end of the road. But often, they’re the turning point. They’re the invitation to stop chasing someone else’s version of success and start building a path that feels right for you.
Three ways to shift from setback to breakthrough
1. Pause before pushing ahead
It’s easy to respond to challenges with more hustle, but that only deepens the exhaustion. Instead, give yourself permission to pause. Take time to ask whether the direction you’re pushing in is one you actually want. Pausing isn’t falling behind. It’s creating space to reset.
2. Redefine success on your terms
Success isn’t a single definition. It doesn’t have to be tied to turnover or headcount. For some, success is financial stability. For others, it’s flexibility or the ability to choose clients who align with their values.
When you hit a tipping point, use it as a chance to ask: what does success look like to me right now? That shift in perspective is often the breakthrough you need.
3. Create a business that fits you, not a formula
So much business advice is formula-driven. Follow this system, adopt this model, scale this way. But no two businesses, or business owners, are the same.
Instead of trying to squeeze yourself into someone else’s formula, build a business that fits you. That might mean staying intentionally small, focusing on impact over size, or designing your work around the life you want. Different doesn’t mean less successful. It means more aligned.
Why different is powerful
The narrative of “bigger is better” is deeply ingrained, but it doesn’t serve everyone. In fact, 97.2% of businesses in Australia are small businesses. That’s the reality most of us are living and working in. Success for the majority doesn’t come from scaling endlessly, it comes from building something sustainable, personal, and different.
When you accept that different is better than bigger, you free yourself from chasing someone else’s version of success.
Business breakdowns and breakthroughs don’t need to be dramatic. Sometimes the smallest shifts, choosing to pause, redefining what matters, or saying no to what doesn’t fit, are what bring the most lasting change.
Let’s continue this conversation
These are the conversations I bring into rooms of women in business: the honesty about setbacks, the permission to choose differently, and the freedom to define success on your own terms.
Through workshops and speaking, I help women understand that the path to sustainable success doesn’t always mean scaling up. Sometimes the strongest breakthrough is choosing a business model that’s smaller, purposeful, and right for you.
If your event, team, or community is ready for a conversation that shifts the narrative from bigger to different, let’s connect.
