Too Many Hats, Not Enough Head – The Entrepreneur’s Crash Point

If you feel it’s time to stop doing everything, this one’s for you. Let me tell you about someone I once worked with (and let’s pretend this isn’t actually me wearing a wig and dark glasses). She was a textbook entrepreneur: creative, relentless, always building something new. If an idea wasn’t reaching its full potential, she’d stack another one on top to compensate. And another. And another. Before she knew it, she was running a multi-headed business hydra — all fuelled by the belief that “if I just try harder, it’ll work.” When Trying Harder Becomes a Trap Everything started to unravel when a family member became seriously unwell. It was like the final domino in a long, beautifully arranged line. She’d been juggling for years, but this wasn’t a ball she could keep in the air. And suddenly, all those businesses, projects, and responsibilities weren’t inspiring. They were crushing. She hit the wall. And instead of bouncing back like she always had, she did something radical. She stopped trying. “Sometimes, the smartest move is not to push through – but to step back and reassess what’s actually worth your energy.” Redesigning What You Built – Without Burning It All Down She didn’t give up. But she did extract herself. Gently, painfully, and intentionally. She looked at everything she’d created and asked: “How can this work without me at the centre of it?” That meant automating processes. Delegating roles. Closing down projects that no longer aligned with her values. Turning her mountain range into a focused, elegant hill. She redesigned her life around what really mattered – her family, her wellbeing, and yes, still her business – but from a place of sustainability, not survival. There’s a concept from Nietzsche that says we should only spend a third of our time working – and the rest of it living. Why This Lesson Is Baked Into Our Coaching Franchise In the People Building coaching franchise, this principle sits at the heart of everything we teach. We’re not here to sell hustle culture. We’re here to model conscious success – work that’s meaningful, structured, and profitable without it devouring your life. Our coaching franchise offers not just tools for transformation, but a business model that respects your time, your values, and your nervous system. We believe you can have a fulfilling coaching career and space to breathe. That you can help others without becoming their emotional packhorse. That you can grow a practice that sustains you – instead of draining you. And if you’re already a part of our franchise, this is your reminder: you’re allowed to stop. Not forever, but long enough to remember what actually matters. The Right Kind of Effort, the Right Kind of Life Sometimes it’s not about trying harder. It’s about trying differently. And sometimes, trying differently starts with not trying at all. So if you’re overwhelmed, stretched too thin, or quietly crashing beneath the surface — you’re not failing. You’re waking up. And that wake-up call might just be the beginning of something better. by Gemma Bailey (with the help of Ai) https://www.peoplebuilding.co.uk/franchise