Reader —

There’s a stage of business where expanding your world is exactly the right move.

You say yes to introductions.

You take the coffee chats.

You show up in rooms just to see who’s there.

That phase is useful — even necessary.

But if you’ve been in business for more than a few years, you’ve likely crossed an invisible line.

The point where more connections no longer equal more opportunity.

What I’m seeing now — in my own business and in my clients’ — is often mistaken for overwhelm or burnout.

But it’s actually more subtle than that.

It shows up as a low-grade fatigue.

Not exhaustion or resentment.

It’s a quiet sense of being stretched thin.

Here’s why:

Everything you actively maintain draws from the same limited pool — your attention, your energy, your time, and your mental bandwidth.

At a certain level of scale, even good things come with a cost.

Conversations. Check-ins. Follow-ups.

Constant context-switching between very different worlds.

Individually, none of it is overwhelming.

Collectively, though, it’s too much.

When your field of focus gets too wide, a few patterns emerge:

• You spend time “staying connected” without being clear on why
• You carry low-level guilt about not showing up as thoughtfully as you’d like
• You say yes to conversations that don’t really move anything forward
• You feel busy — but not necessarily effective

A business can’t grow by addition forever.

At some point, growth requires concentration.

So as you settle into the new year, here’s a question worth sitting with:

If I had to reduce the number of relationships I actively maintain by 25%, which ones would I protect — and why??

The relationships you’d protect reveal where your real leverage lives. And that’s where clarity, momentum, and progress actually come from.

My sense is that the next phase of growth for many business owners won’t come from knowing more people.

It will come from having the right people close enough to think well (and act decisively) together.

That kind of focus takes intention.

And just as importantly, it takes restraint.

Gwen Bortner
Founder & CEO, Everyday Effectiveness

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On that note, here’s what’s been happening in my world…

→ Performance Accelerator Update: I’m in the midst of delivering the second cohort of my signature team accountability training program and noting adjustments to make before enrolling business owners and department heads in our spring cohort.

→ Offer Update: There are now two ways to work with me and BOTH include live support on top of true accountability and quarterly planning! The new-and-improved Velocity Generator includes the Weekly Review and Action Plan + 2 live Q&A group calls per month at half the price of our prior program. Private Consulting now has greater flexibility with clients choosing how often we meet 1:1 each month.

→ Speaking Update: I’m looking forward to presenting my new talk on accountability to the members of Genius Network later this week. Then in May, you’ll find me in Houston for h+h americas, where I’ll be teaching an h+h university class on team productivity, participating in an afternoon think tank session, and teaching my frequently requested Open-to-Buy workshop. Registration for h+h americas opens Feb. 1. Details here.

→ Retreat Update: Our sixth Savvy Syndicate retreat is coming up in February. This retreat will bring together three service providers to discuss the nitty-gritty of business in the context of life, so they can each reach their individual goals within the next 6 to 12 months.

→ Appearances Update: I’ve been on a number of podcasts recently that I think you’d enjoy. Karen Spies had me on the Second Wind Women podcast to discuss uncovering blind spots in business. I also enjoyed talking about why doing all the right things isn’t working with Shayna Davis on the Influence Economy podcast. More interviews will be circulating in the coming weeks. Make sure we’re connected on LinkedIn if you want to be the first to know.

Tune In: The Business You Really Want

And while I love being a podcast guest, nothing compares to how much I enjoy hosting my own show with Tonya Kubo. Here are our latest episodes:

• ​Sustainable Success as a Maker with Abigail McMurray​
• ​Sustainable Success as a Consultant with Ashlee Berghoff​
• ​When You Do Everything “Right”… and It Still Flops​
• ​Strategy or Sparkly Tactics? How to Tell the Difference​

We’re up to 13 five-star ratings on Apple Podcasts. If you’re enjoying the show, please leave a review. It makes a difference. And, as always, reply here if there is a topic you want us to cover in a future episode, Tonya and I both love listener feedback.