Reader —

That choice you're second-guessing? The one keeping you up at night? It's probably not the disaster you think it is.

Too many entrepreneurs get paralyzed thinking every business decision is permanent. They agonize over choices, convinced that picking the wrong path will doom them to failure. But that’s a myth.

Fact: You can always make a different choice.

For example, I decided this week to push pause on our Small Biz Book Club. A year ago, monthly conversations focused on business books made perfect sense.

But today, the women I know are thirsting for frank business conversations and true accountability.

So this summer, I’m hosting Business Reality Check – Real Accountability for Successful-But-Stressed Entrepreneurs — live Q&A calls where we stop pretending everything is fine and start dealing with what's real.

Is your business actually working for you, or are you just working harder to keep it running?

(And if that sentence just made your stomach drop a little bit, you probably have your answer...)

We'll look under the hood at the behind-the-scenes engine everyone else misses, identify what's draining your energy, find small shifts that could create big improvements, and provide you with the true accountability needed to make those changes.

(No shame. No checklists. That’s not what accountability is really about, especially at your level)

You’ll note that there’s no drama about making this business decision. No second-guessing. No “ohhh the book club must have been a failure!”

The book club accomplished what we needed it to: building community and testing ideas. Now we're redirecting that energy toward something that better serves our current goals.

Businesses that thrive are built on a series of course corrections, not perfect initial decisions. Give yourself permission to change direction when it makes sense.

Tune In: The Business You Really Want Podcast

Ready for business advice that actually fits your life? Join Tonya Kubo and I every week as we cut through the cookie-cutter solutions and one-size-fits-all frameworks that leave you feeling more frustrated than fulfilled.

Each episode tackles the real challenges of building a sustainable business — from identifying what's actually broken to aligning your work with your values.

We don’t do fluff — nor do we act like overnight successes are the holy grail of business success. Instead, we focus on practical strategies for entrepreneurs who want to build something meaningful without burning out in the process.

You can check out our most recent episodes here:

• ​Building Your Company Around Your Natural Strengths​
• ​Are High-Touch Services Making A Comeback?​
• ​Books That Changed How We Do Business​
• ​Breaking The Burnout Cycle In Your Business​

New episodes drop every Tuesday on all podcast players and YouTube.

Worth Noting…

→ Business Reality Check (mentioned above) takes place from 10 to 11 a.m. Pacific on July 23 and Aug. 20. Come ready to be honest about what's not working and leave with specific next steps to make your business more sustainable. You can register here.

→ Know a successful-but-stressed business owner in need of a burnout intervention? Send her this guide — It’s a strategic tool to assess burnout risk, identify the root cause and create an action plan based on your specific situation.

→ The Business You Really Want turns 1 on Aug. 13. If you have ideas of how Tonya and I should celebrate, share them here.​

→ WCA is waitlisted, but if you need some true accountability right now, we can do that. Access my calendar here to find time to chat.

→ My book writing continues. At this stage, I think I’ll have a complete draft by Q4. Following AJ Harper’s framework for writing a book that matters, I’m dedicating time each week to focus on my ideal reader. If we’re connected on LinkedIn, you’ll see updates there every week or so.

—Gwen