I recently watched the Victoria Beckham documentary — and what struck me most wasn’t the glamour, or the clothes, or the behind-the-scenes look at the fashion world.
It was her honesty.
She was completely candid about throwing herself into the vision of her brand… but not knowing how to run a business. That blind spot led her into financial difficulty, and she had to face the painful reality of how to turn it around.
And I’ve been there — and let me tell you, it hurts. A lot.
For the first seven years of running my original brick & mortar business, I had all the surface-level support. I worked with mentors. I hired accountants. I set budgets. On paper, I was doing all the right things.
But no one ever handed me the book on how to actually run a business. No one told me how to manage cash flow or juggle supplier payments without sacrificing my own sustainability (or sanity!). And certainly, no one showed me how to feel in control of money instead of constantly chasing it.
Sales were good. I was ‘making’ money. But where was it?!
My advisors were happy and were saying I must be too.
So I thought: maybe this is just what business ownership feels like…
Stressful. Overwhelming. Constantly ‘robbing Peter to pay Paul’.
See-sawing between cash-rich in one moment, and lying on the floor in the next wondering when it would ever get easier.
But spoiler alert: it shouldn’t feel like any of that at all.
The Book That Changed Everything
Enter: Profit First by Mike Michalowicz.
I picked it up one weekend, devoured it cover to cover, and it just clicked.
Within days, I had reformatted the entire financial model of my business. I implemented the core principles of the system immediately — and just like that, my business became profitable.
Not six months later. Not after some big launch. Instantly.
It completely shifted not just how I managed my business finances, but how I handled money in my personal life too.
Over the next eighteen months, that shift allowed me to completely eradicate debt, build a profitable business, and step into a level of calm confidence I’d never experienced before.
Redefining What Success Really Means
We’re told that success in business is about more sales, more growth, more people on your list. And yes, growth matters. But if it’s not underpinned by a profitable, sustainable foundation, it’s like building a house on sand.
For me, success wasn’t just the extra revenue. It was waking up without that knot of financial anxiety. It was being able to reinvest in my business with intention. It was knowing I wasn’t just surviving month-to-month — I was building something that could last.
I had learned something invaluable — something real — by trying, failing, tweaking, and trying again.
And coming back stronger.
That is success.
The Ripple Effect
One of the best parts? I got to pass this knowledge on.
I worked with one fledgling business right from their very first sale. We implemented solid financial practices from day one — and they’ve been profitable ever since.
Watching them thrive, knowing they never had to go through the financial struggle I did? That lights me up more than any spreadsheet ever could. ✨
“Having such a good road-map helped me survive and grow, and enabled me to continually invest in myself with training and buy into new lines to keep my customers engaged. I can’t think of a better blessing for a start-up business than having you by their side.” – Lisa
Because success isn’t just about what you achieve. It’s about who else gets to rise because you shared what you’ve learned along the way.
Success is yours to create
Something else I recognised recently is that the clients I work with make the biggest breakthroughs in the areas I struggled the most with when I was starting out.
And nothing lights me up more than taking the painful, messy lessons I’ve learned and alchemising them into something that makes life easier, smoother, and more successful for my clients.
That’s what 17+ years cutting my teeth in small business entrepreneurship gave me — and that’s what I get to pass on.
Your Turn
So let me ask you:
👉🏼 Are your finances supporting your vision, or quietly sabotaging it?
👉🏼 Are you chasing “growth” at the expense of profitability and peace of mind?
👉🏼 Do you know what success actually looks and feels like for you?
If any of that hits home, you’re not alone. I’ve been in the trenches. I know how painful it is. And I also know how transformative it is to finally take control.
This is the work I now do with my clients — whether it’s strategy mapping, business transformation, or simply sharing the shortcuts I wish I’d had sooner.
Because you deserve a business that shines. And you deserve to get there without repeating every hard lesson yourself.
If you’re a small business owner with big ambition — but find yourself repeating the same painful lessons without progress to show for it — let’s talk.
Begin with a complimentary Breakthrough Session to help you cut through the noise, identify your next best steps, and map out a plan that moves you forward with clarity and momentum.
✨ Book your Breakthrough Session here.
Your personal Reinventress.
– Sarah C
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Thank you so much for reading!