In this vulnerable episode, I share the untold story behind hitting £50,000 months and how success nearly broke me mentally, emotionally, and physically. Rather than celebrating these income milestones, I reveal the shame, overwhelm, and toxicity that comes with scaling without boundaries - and the complete business transformation that saved my sanity.

The Moment That Changed Everything - Summer 2023

• How my mum discovering my £50K bank statement triggered intense money shame

• The guilt of making money "easily" when others, including my mum, had to struggle

• My immediate response: dismissing it as a "one-off" rather than owning my success

• The realisation that my nervous system was rejecting wealth because it felt dangerous to have more than people I love

The Reality Behind the Success - What Nobody Talks About

• Running 15 different courses and offerings simultaneously: mini courses, evergreen programmes, books, podcast, workshops, membership, certification, mastermind, pensions course, investing course, budgeting course

• The overwhelming complexity of multiple revenue streams running at once

• How my two biggest profit generators (12-month mastermind and signature money programme) required constant client acquisition

• The crushing responsibility of paying team wages on top of my own income

The Neurodivergent Entrepreneur's Dilemma

• How my 2023 ADHD diagnosis explained my love of creating and my overwhelm with complexity

• The creativity trap: what was joyful and easy became my kryptonite

• Why neurodivergent brains struggle with "more" - the million pieces of information running simultaneously

• The toxic scaling trap fuelled by online business gurus pushing "make more, hire bigger teams, create more products"

My Great Simplification Journey - What I Actually Did

• Taking August 2024 completely off (with a separate episode on how to do this)

• Pausing my podcast for five months - the first break in five years

• Closing my mastermind (biggest income generator) and stopping launches for my second biggest programme

• Letting go of a key team member and hibernating whilst travelling Canada with my family

• The breakthrough conversation with Richard Branson on Necker Island about his circle analogy

The Rule of Five Framework for Overwhelmed Entrepreneurs

1. One target market - you can't serve everybody without serving nobody

2. One problem solved - going deep rather than wide, partnering with others for different solutions

3. One offer - mastering one thing completely rather than multiple offerings

4. One platform - I chose LinkedIn and became top 30 money content creator in UK within 90 days

5. One year - committing to this focus for 12 months without wavering

My Personal Implementation Story

• Returning to my core: financial coach training for professionals wanting to help clients with money

• Focusing on my Money Narrative Clearing Framework as the one thing with biggest impact

• Investing in LinkedIn mastery course and achieving top 30 UK money creator status

• Four speaking opportunities in 90 days, including one at the O2

• Stripping back to part-time PA and couple of VAs only

The Financial Permission I Gave Myself

• Living off investments and savings for a year to remove financial pressure

• Paying myself from savings pots rather than staying in constant launch mode

• Overcoming stories about "wealth experts should be making loads of money consistently"

• Understanding my numerology: coming out of year 9 (completions/letting go) into year 1 (new beginnings) and now year 11 (spiritual teacher/volatile emotions)

The Success Lessons Nobody Teaches You

Success Can Be Lonely:

• How entrepreneurship isolates you from meaningful connections

• Making 2025 my "year of relationships" - every decision based on improving relationships with self, others, and business collaborations

Success Trauma Is Real:

• How your nervous system can interpret success as danger

• Generational money patterns affecting permission to hold wealth

• The need to heal success trauma before scaling

Complexity Is the Enemy of Clarity:

• More offers don't equal more money - confused minds don't buy

• Confused CEOs don't lead well

• The power of saying "not right now" to ideas and opportunities

Creativity Needs Boundaries:

• Visionaries need creative outlets outside their business

• The danger of relying solely on business for fulfilment and joy

• What happens when you want to sell or retire - preparation for life beyond business

Neurodivergent Entrepreneurs Have Different Rules:

• Traditional business models can be harmful to neurodivergent brains

• Building business around family priorities and personal energy patterns

• Working 9-3, no evening webinars, extended wind-down time for nervous system regulation

Where I Am Now - The Results of Simplification

• Significantly more space in my calendar and less stress

• Lower revenue but exponentially more joy and fulfilment

• Two focused businesses: UK financial coach training, Jersey personal brand with one container (Energy of Selling mini-mastermind)

• Smaller, happier, more focused team with better time freedom

• Dramatically improved mental health and expanded relationships

• Recognition that wealth is built on focus, not complexity

Practical Action Steps for Overwhelmed Entrepreneurs

1. Audit your offerings - what can you cut that's not bringing joy or revenue?

2. Check your nervous system - is success feeling safe? Address money stories holding you back

3. Apply the Rule of Five - where can you simplify across all five areas?

4. Honour your neurodivergence - what actually works for your brain and energy?

Redefine success - give yourself permission to prioritise wellbeing over revenue

Final Thought

This episode emphasises that real wealth isn't just about the money you make - it's about the life you get to live whilst making it. If your success is costing you your sanity, it's time to redefine what success looks like and feels like. My £50K months didn't make me happier; they just made me busier.

Chapters

00:00 - Introduction: The Reality of Financial Milestones

03:30 - The Shame of Success

08:00 - The Toxicity of Scaling

14:00 - The Great Simplification

20:00 - The Rule of Five Framework

26:00 - Honoring Neurodivergent Needs

32:00 - Redefining Success

Resources:

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