February comes with a particular kind of noise.
By the time Valentine’s Day rolls past, we have been reminded, repeatedly, of what love is supposed to look like. Big gestures. Public declarations. Boxes ticked. Roses bought. Photos posted.
Business is not that different.
We are constantly told what a successful business should look like. Bigger teams. Bigger turnover. Bigger visibility. Bigger goals. Louder success.
Just like in relationships, that pressure can slowly disconnect you from what you actually want. And it then becomes time to ask yourself whether you still recognise the business you are in.
When success starts to feel heavy
Most women I work with did not start their business because they wanted to build an empire.
They started because they wanted autonomy. Flexibility. Impact. Work that mattered. A business that fits around their life, not the other way around.
Somewhere along the line, the rules creep in.
- You should be scaling by now.
- You should be outsourcing more.
- You should be aiming higher.
- You should want more.
None of these statements are wrong on their own. They just are not neutral. They come loaded with someone else’s definition of success.
When you follow those rules without questioning them, your business can start to feel like an obligation instead of a choice. Something you manage rather than something you care for.
That is usually the first sign that you have drifted away from doing it your way.
Doing business differently is not the risky option
There is a persistent belief that doing business differently is risky.
In reality, the bigger risk is building something that does not suit you and hoping you can tolerate it long term.
I learned this the hard way.
I followed the advice. I listened to the experts. I chased growth because I was told that was the responsible thing to do. The clever thing. The successful thing.
What I did not do was listen closely enough to myself.
On paper, things looked fine. Behind the scenes, it felt wrong. The business was growing, but my sense of ease was shrinking. I was making decisions that made sense externally but did not sit well internally.
The moment everything fell apart was also the moment everything became clearer.
When I rebuilt, I made a deliberate choice to stay small. To simplify. To stop chasing someone else’s version of success and start honouring my own.
That decision gave me my business back.
Freedom comes from alignment, not permission
One of the most common things I hear from women is this quiet waiting.
- Waiting until the business is bigger.
- Waiting until they feel more confident.
- Waiting until someone says they are allowed to do it differently.
That permission never arrives.
Freedom in business does not come from being validated by the market. It comes from alignment.
Alignment between how you work, why you work, and the life you want to live.
When those things line up, decisions become clearer. Boundaries become easier. Confidence becomes steadier.
You stop asking “is this what I should be doing” and start asking “does this make sense for me”.
That shift is subtle, but it changes everything.
Staying small can be a strategic decision
There is nothing accidental about staying small when it is done on purpose.
It can mean deeper client relationships. Better quality work. More energy for the parts of your business you actually enjoy.
It can mean fewer compromises. Less noise. More space to think.
It can also mean greater resilience. Smaller businesses often adapt faster because they are not weighed down by complexity that no longer serves them.
Staying small is not about playing it safe. It is about being intentional.
And intentional businesses tend to last.
The quiet power of collective support
One of the unexpected outcomes of choosing your own path is what it makes possible for others.
When women see another woman define success on her own terms, it gives them permission to question their own assumptions. Not because they are told to. Because they see it lived.
This is where the real magic sits.
Not in competition. Not in comparison. But in collaboration, shared courage, and collective momentum.
I have watched women grow more confident simply because they were surrounded by other women who refused to shrink themselves to fit a mould.
Support does not always look like cheering from the sidelines. Sometimes it looks like modelling a different way of doing business and trusting that others will find their own version of it.
When women support women, the impact ripples far beyond individual businesses.
A different kind of success story
The businesses that inspire me most are not the loudest ones.
They are the ones built with care. With boundaries. With values that are visible in how decisions are made.
They are run by women who know what enough looks like for them. Who measure success in sustainability, not just numbers. Who understand that satisfaction is a legitimate business outcome.
These businesses may never make headlines. But they create lives that feel whole. And that matters.
A question worth asking this month
If your business were a relationship, would you still choose it?
Would you choose the hours. The pressure. The pace. The expectations.
Or would you want to renegotiate the terms.
You are allowed to change how your business works. Even if it is working. Especially if it no longer feels right.
Doing it your way is not a rejection of ambition. It is a redefinition of it.
And that freedom is worth protecting.
Want to break free from the pressure to grow for growth’s sake and build a business that actually fits? Talk to me about holding a Your Business Your Rules Workshop.
What does it mean to do business differently?
Doing business differently means intentionally designing your business around your values, lifestyle and strengths rather than following standard growth models or external expectations.
Is staying small a good business strategy?
Yes. Staying small can be a deliberate and sustainable strategy that allows for better client relationships, clearer decision making and a business that supports your life rather than consuming it.
How do I know if my business is aligned with me?
If your decisions feel grounded, your boundaries are clear and your business supports your energy rather than draining it, alignment is usually present. Persistent discomfort is often a sign something needs to change.
