I stepped away for longer—and more extensively—than intended when I had a health scare after the holiday (more on this at the end of today's email).

What I discovered during those weeks didn't feel great: a major chunk of my business systems are actually me-systems, not yet real systems.

And I'm willing to bet you might have a few of these too.

Here's what I mean:

Without my constant presence, my social media marketing was the first thing to completely collapse.

No backup content, no scheduling buffer, no way to maintain presence without me actively creating and posting.

It revealed itself as a me-system masquerading as a marketing strategy.

But here's what held strong:

My client calls continued as normal because they were truly systematized with boundaries.

My booking calendar automatically blocked off my unavailable days, preventing impossible scheduling.

My weekly finance review could be pushed and caught up later without breaking anything.

The difference? Some systems were built to pause gracefully when life happens. Others were built to demand my constant presence.

Most entrepreneur advice tells you to "automate everything" and build systems that "run without you."

But let's be honest about what that actually requires:

Teams, outsourcing, and months of upfront setup that most solopreneurs don't have access to. The "effortless" systems you see marketed everywhere have invisible infrastructure behind them and take time to stand up (and then still require some oversight whether by you or a hired teammate.) 

The goal isn't to become unnecessary... it's to build resilient me-systems that can flex instead of break when you need to step away.

My project management system is a great example of this.

Yes, it's still a me-system because I had to actively shuffle workloads and reassign priorities. But it was flexible enough that I could reorganize everything without losing track of commitments.

That's not automation, but it's infinitely better than rigid systems that crumble the moment you're not available.

This applies to personal systems too, when I couldn't do my usual grocery shopping routine, meal planning, etc., but that's a whole other conversation.

This is important because if your business can't survive you being unavailable for 48 hours, you don't have a sustainable business... you have an expensive job that follows you everywhere (and a future burnout problem waiting to happen.)

And when real life happens (health scares, family emergencies, or just needing actual rest), those brittle systems end up cracking under pressure.

The entrepreneurs I work with who've built truly sustainable businesses didn't eliminate themselves from their systems, but they did intentionally build breathing room into them.

Focus this audit on your business systems first, but you can absolutely apply the same thinking to your personal life systems later, or hit reply on this email if you want to brainstorm how to build more resilient systems without overextending yourself.

The bridge between "I want a business that doesn't trap me" and "Here's how to build systems that breathe when you need them to" isn't about becoming superhuman. It's about designing infrastructure that honors the fact that you're human.

And sometimes humans need to step away—planned or not.

[Content note: Brief mention of medical symptoms and chronic illness]

I woke up early last week thinking it was just another Tuesday. Work calls, client sessions, maybe a quick workout... you know, the usual.

By evening, I was dealing with sudden, severe pain and concerning symptoms that had me weighing whether to head to the ER. Thankfully, I didn't need to, but the last week has been a balance of managing medical uncertainty while trying to keep my nervous system calm.

I might get answers over the next couple weeks that mean "back to normal," or I might be looking at more tests, specialist appointments, and potentially surgery. As someone managing multiple chronic conditions (Hashimoto's, PCOS, and unknown hormone stuff), I know that health can change on a dime, and damn, does the medical trauma amplify EVERYTHING.

If you're also building a business around chronic illness, disability, or unpredictable health—you get it. The "what if" spiral is real. The way sudden changes can derail not just your day, but your entire sense of stability.

I'm still waiting on concrete answers, but once I have them and have been able to process whatever comes from it, I'll share the full story. What's helped me most right now is remembering I'm not alone in this, and finding other people's stories of navigating similar health scares.

The systems audit in today's newsletter? It wasn't just theoretical. It was born from lying in bed thinking "I know my marketing system is failing, but what else is going to collapse if I'm out for much longer than I expect?"

Sometimes the most important business strategy is designing a life that can hold you when your body needs different things than you planned.

If your systems audit revealed that you're the single point of failure in too many places, you're not alone. Most of my clients discover they've been running on willpower instead of working with their natural energy patterns.

The solution isn't just building better systems—it's building systems that work with how you're actually wired.

That's what my Energy Alignment Intensives are designed for. In this 90-minute session, we'll map your natural daily energy cycle, review your calendar together to make alignments, and dig into wherever you're feeling most stuck. It's like getting a mini personalized energy blueprint plus clarity on your next right step. Book here.

Here's a few ways you can let me know:

Option 1: 💌 Share with a fellow creative or business owner. Community starts with each of us and friends don't let friends chase their dreams at the expense of their mental health! If you know someone seeking more sustainability and harmony in their life and/or business, send this their way.

Option 2: 👋 Say hi! Hit reply and share a sentence or two about anything you enjoyed or hit home for you. I always hope these words find the right people at the right time, but it's always makes my day to hear from you!