It’s official: People are mad at me.

Okay, maybe “mad” is a stretch, but lately, I’ve been hearing a lot of feelings about how “busy” I am. Friends keep dropping lines like, “I miss when you had more flexibility during the workday,” or, “You’re always so tied up these days.” One even said, “I liked your schedule better when you owned Purple Monkey.”

Oh, did you now?

I had to pause and laugh at that one. This friend didn’t know me when I was in build-mode for that business. If she had, she’d remember me tethered to the front desk every day for years, frantically balancing a million hats, and still working into the evening from home. In the early days of Purple Monkey, the glamorous “entrepreneurial flexibility” we all dream about was nowhere to be found. It was hustle. Grind. Rinse. Repeat.

By the time I sold it, I had systems, staff, and a marketing machine that let me step back from the chaos. But trust me, that flexibility wasn’t an accident. It was the result of years of grinding, hustling, and building something sustainable.

And now I’m back in the thick of it, scaling my third business. This is the work that makes the flexibility possible later on.

But let me be clear—I’m not overwhelmed. And on the rare occasion that I am, it’s not because I lack a strategy; it’s because I have capital-B BIG goals for myself, and I can’t work my strategy as fast as I’d like to. I can see five years down the road, and honestly I’d love to have it all by next week.

But I’m headed in an intentional direction and I’m determined to get to where I’m going. I’ve planned my work, and I’m working my plan—diligently, intentionally, and without distraction. I’m not picking my head up until I have it all sustainably in motion.

"Where's All My Free Time?"

This reminds me of a client I recently worked with. This client made an offhanded comment that really stuck with me: “Sorry I’ve been so absent. Things have been nonstop. What happened to all the free time I was supposed to have?”

I had to gently break it the news: That’s not how it works. You don’t start with the free time. You sweat for it. You hustle for it. You build systems and strategies and foundations for it. The free time doesn’t show up on day one like a complimentary welcome gift. It’s something you earn through intentional effort.

It’s like the entrepreneurial version of “pay now, play later.”

A Note to My Friends

To my friends who’ve shared how much they miss me: It means the world that you want to spend time with me, and trust me—the feeling is mutual. I miss you, too. And I miss free time in general!

But here’s the thing: It’s going to take me a minute (okay, many minutes) of hard work to get back to that place. I’m in the trenches of build-mode right now, and it’s intense. But I promise, when this phase passes, I’ll be able to show up for you with the same energy and flexibility you remember.

The Bottom Line

If you’re frustrated that your business isn’t giving you the freedom you imagined, here’s the hard truth: You’re still in the build phase, and that’s okay. Flexibility doesn’t happen overnight—it happens when you invest the time and energy now to build something that works for you in the future.

It’s not magic. It’s not luck. It’s strategy and effort. Put in the work now, and you’ll reap the rewards later.

But. There’s a difference between hard work and spinning your wheels.

If you’re feeling the latter and you’re ready to build a business that gives you freedom and fulfillment, let’s talk. Whether you’re just starting out or looking to scale, I can help you create a strategy that works—without the overwhelm.

Click here to schedule a call today. Because the flexibility you want? It’s waiting for you—on the other side of a strong, intentional plan.