The world teaches us to accumulate more responsibilities, more achievements, and, honestly, more of everything.

But excess isn’t always good.

Leslie Bailey, entrepreneur, writer, and mom, knows what it’s like to carry too much. After building a successful business, she made the bold decision to walk away, just as her husband was diagnosed with cancer and financial stress was mounting. In this episode, Leslie shares how subtracting things from her career and personal life gave her back a sense of control, clarity, and peace. She calls it soft business, a mindset shift rooted in doing less to make room for what matters most.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

• How to know when it’s time to walk away
• The mental load of debt and how to manage it
• Setting boundaries around unpaid labor

Highlights:

(00:00) Meet Leslie Bailey

(03:08) The value of rest

(06:17) Redefine success on your terms

(08:08) Excess is not always better

(14:36) Managing debt and stress

(18:06) Recognizing your worth as an entrepreneur

(21:02) Saying no and protecting your time

(23:03) Leslie’s approach to simplicity and subtraction

(26:37) Advice for starting a business

Resources:
Leslie's list of things to subtract: https://www.canva.com/design/DAGqwACe_EQ/yiBoqRDrKVV3zNhMaF-gRA/edit

Leslie’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lesalina

Leslie’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/leslieabailey/

Leslie’s Website: https://www.lesliebailey.com/
Indy Maven’s website: https://indymaven.com/

Gayle’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gaylekalvert/