You’re Not Running One Business. You’re Running Two.
There’s something I wish more small business owners and solopreneurs realized earlier — ideally in year one, but honestly, it’s never too late to shift:
You’re not running one business.
You’re running two.
- The business of serving your clients — delivering your coaching, consulting, or services with Extreme Client Care™ and excellence.
- The business of running your business — managing finances, marketing, systems, planning, and strategy like a true CEO… even if it’s “just” you.
The first one tends to come naturally. It’s your passion, your gift, your zone of genius. It’s why you started your business in the first place. You love helping your clients, creating transformation, solving problems. You feel useful. Productive. Aligned.
But the second one? That’s where things get slippery.
Most solopreneurs — especially those who deeply care about their work — pour their time, heart, and energy into doing the work. Meanwhile, the actual business — the marketing strategy, cash flow management, system-building, team development (even if that team is just you and a part-time VA) — becomes an afterthought.
It gets squeezed into late nights and “when I have time.”
Which, let’s be honest, never really happens.
This Is Why So Many Burn Out
When the “business of the business” is ignored, we end up stuck in reactive mode — chasing leads, scrambling for consistency, exhausted by the hustle.
You might even be nodding along, thinking, Yes, I’m booked solid… but I’m still not where I want to be financially. And I feel like I’m always one emergency away from it all falling apart.
This isn’t because you’re not good at what you do.
It’s because doing the work is only half the business.
The other half is what gives you stability, peace, and sustainability.
It’s what turns a talented service provider into a smart business owner.
I’ve Been There — and I Made a Key Decision
When I started my business in 2004, I made a choice that changed everything:
I treated my business as its own client.
Seriously.
As a business strategist and consultant, I decided that The Martini Way was going to hire me to run it.
That one mindset shift turned the “back-end” business work — the systems, the marketing, the strategy — from a draining to-do list into a priority client project. One I took as seriously as any paying client.
Because the truth is: if I didn’t take care of my business, it couldn’t take care of me — or my clients.
That shift is what allowed me to build a business that’s been profitable since year one.
Not just in revenue — but in sustainability, sanity, and satisfaction.
It gave me the freedom to be there — fully present — for every one of my late sister’s chemo appointments when she was battling breast cancer.
It gave me the time to be with my Mum during the last nine months of her life as she fought lung cancer.
And it’s given me the spaciousness to live a life that feels meaningful, not just busy.
You Don’t Need 80-Hour Weeks
Let’s get this part clear too: balancing your two businesses doesn’t mean working around the clock, becoming some sort of productivity machine, or sacrificing your health and relationships.
It requires intentional systems.
It requires clear boundaries.
It requires respecting your role as both service provider and CEO.
And if the word “CEO” makes you cringe a little — that’s a great place to start. What title feels empowering to you? Founder? Owner? Steward? Visionary?
Whatever the title, the job is the same: ensure the business is set up to thrive long-term, not just survive day-to-day.
A Simple Challenge to Start
Here’s a small action step you can take right now:
Block off 10 minutes today.
Grab your favorite notebook or open a fresh doc.
Answer this question:
What does my business need from me this week — beyond serving my clients?
Maybe it’s revisiting your pricing.
Maybe it’s checking in on your cash flow.
Maybe it’s writing the nurture sequence you’ve been putting off for 6 months.
Maybe it’s finally reviewing your website analytics.
You don’t need to do it all today.
You just need to start acknowledging that second business exists — and deserves your attention.
Because the moment you do?
That’s when things shift.
That’s when you stop feeling like you’re “always behind” and start building momentum that actually sustains itself.
That’s how you Get It Done Right™.
Want Support With Your Two Businesses?
Inside the Get It Done Right Community, we help service-based solopreneurs build both businesses — the one that serves clients and the one that sustains their life.
You’ll get actionable tools, strategic trainings, and a like-minded community that understands the real work of being a solopreneur.
Because the business you’re building deserves to support your life — not consume it.