Lately, I’ve seen an uptick in the same narrative: If you want more impact, more money, and better work-life balance, you have to scale.
Maybe it was just my Monster kicking in, but honestly? I got fired up over how much BS that is.
For years, I worked behind the scenes with clients as they built bigger teams, turned their businesses into agencies, and chased the version of success we’ve all been told is the only way to level up.
And for some? That worked.
But the older my son gets (and let’s be real, the older I get), the more I realize just how much I don’t want to be part of that hustle-first, never actually take a day off mentality. And I love working with creatives who feel the same way.
Because what if you don’t want a giant team? What if you don’t want to spend your days managing people instead of doing the creative work you love? What if your version of success has nothing to do with scaling — and everything to do with living?
That’s who this is for.
This is for the ones who've been told their dreams aren't big enough.
The ones burning the midnight oil, squeezing in emails between bedtime stories and first cups of coffee, tying up loose ends before finally closing the laptop — because you know this isn’t forever. You’re building something intentional. Something that fits you.
For the ones who’ve been told that staying small means staying stuck. That if you’re not scaling, you’re not succeeding. That more always means better. (You know better.)
This is for everyone who's ever had to smile politely through another "but don't you want to scale?" conversation.
You're not playing small. You're playing smart.
One that lets you close the laptop at 3pm for school pickup without apology. One that funds the life you actually want, not the one coaches and the Big Names insist you should chase.
You don't need a team of 20. You don't need seven figures if six will do. You don't need to be booked 8 months out if 2 pays the bills and keeps you sane.
They glorify the hustlers building empires while overlooking those crafting sustainable lives. The ones who measure success not by team size or revenue, but by Tuesday afternoons spent painting or hiking or doing absolutely nothing without checking their inbox.
Your business isn't small — it's right-sized.
It's built to sustain, not drain. To fund experiences, not just expenses. To complement the messy, beautiful, complicated life you're already living.
So keep turning down the "opportunities" that would steal your freedom. Keep protecting your time like it's the most valuable asset you have (because it is). Keep building systems that work for you, not against you.
Your version of success doesn't need anyone else's validation.
This is your permission slip to stay as small as you damn well please — and make as much money as you damn well want.
Small business. Big life. Zero apologies.
Your business is yours to run. Your life is yours to live. And that’s the real flex.