Sustainability First
Creating a business ecosystem that honors both your soul and your bank account
I didn't think about sustainability when I started my business, and that's why I'm sharing this with you today.
I was pretty much following what I would call my essence. It's interesting to look back now and see my own path unfold. I went from a very structured, rational mind that led me for years, to feeling stuck in that way of being and not very fulfilled—just making things happen—to then abandoning that way of being entirely and deciding I would be free and tap more into my essence.
I had a goal of how many clients I wanted to see per week. I had a goal about how much money I wanted to make to support the life I desired. But the math never really closed. With how much I was charging and how much I wanted to see clients, I wouldn't be able to reach my revenue goals. I knew that wasn't the end—that I was just at the very beginning of my journey—but I needed to amplify the way I was serving if I wanted to reach all my goals.
I had to rethink the structure of my business if I really wanted it to be sustainable and, more than that, to support the lifestyle I was trying to create.
I remember thinking about my mom, a very successful psychologist whom I admired so much.
But at the same time, I didn't admire her lifestyle much. She would leave the house early in the morning and come back home probably around 8:30 or 9 PM.
She would see clients back to back. It's a form of success, but not necessarily what I was trying to create for myself.
I don't know you, but my desire to serve was so big that I wasn't really thinking about sustainability or what Phil would call creating an ecosystem.
I wasn't really thinking about how my business would serve ME.
Eventually, I started teaching embodiment classes online, but I didn't have any system in place. I found myself teaching twelve classes—private and group—a week, plus energy work with clients.
What I realized was that my busy way of being was filling up my schedule with serving clients but not allowing me to create space for creative thinking or simply for being. I couldn’t even be creative in between sessions. My day was all broken.
I wasn't really thinking about sustainability in any way—not financially, not energetically.
I love that saying: "What brought you here won't take you there."
This truth hit me hard. I had to go back to my more structured way of being to actually pause, feel, and then think through what I was trying to create for myself.
Because here's what I discovered: we often ignore time to create, time to dream. We take it for granted and skip it at the first opportunity.
You have an empty morning—you book a client. Your Friday is clear—you go solve household stuff.
We are missing out. Big time.
Having a business is a great opportunity to rethink your whole life.
I couldn't really think that creatively when I gave 40 to 50 hours of my week to someone else (even though now I see it’s totally possible)
But when that amount of time opened up in my schedule, I had the chance to do it differently. But no—I kept the same busy patterns. I did not pause to create, and I just replicated my old way of being.
We don't realize how much we are identified with the doer in us.
It requires courage to pause. You might ask why. In the real pause, we feel, and then we face the truth that if we want something different, we need to change ourselves. And that threatens our ego, our idea of who we are.
When Phil and I started Sacred Business Flow, we implemented a wonder walk every week—it was on our calendar. This was precious time to pause and talk about possibilities, to reevaluate how we would like our schedules to look, what would be necessary to sustain the amount of time we needed to create, to read, to learn, to pause, to connect with the higher version of ourselves that doesn't show up when we are just doing.
But here's the thing: the wonder walks were just the beginning. We had to get strategic.
We started by thinking about high-level clients we would like to serve, the values and transformation we provided. That was the base. We had the desire to have a community, but based on our commitment to building something sustainable, this wasn't the first step.
Now we do have a community. We also have a network. Everything feeds everything. All is connected. But it wasn't luck—it was strategic thinking that honored both our souls and our sustainability.
And this is exactly what I want to share with you: you hold the power to create differently too. But first, you need to be clear and identify where you are.
Maybe you have zero clients and have a job or many jobs you don't like. You need to pause and see what you want to offer your first client, what is the value of your service. Still implement a wonder walk in your life, but think strategically about what is necessary right now.
If it's money, then find ways to make money. If you can connect that with your passion, great. If not, find a job that will allow you to have a bit of time to be creative in how to serve clients.
Don't go for another certification—is that bringing you money? Another course isn't building anything sustainable for you.
Or maybe you're extremely busy already, seeing many clients at once with a price point that is not sustainable in the long run or doesn't allow you to have time to create and expand. Look at the value of what you offer. Maybe change the structure. Maybe raise your prices.
Maybe you are happy with your pricing, but you don’t have enough clients.
What is it that will bring sustainability to where you are now? What is it that will help you build an ecosystem that doesn't keep you trapped in trading time for money or seeking things that are not helping you expand?
What is in front of you? Not enough time? Not enough money? Not enough clients? Not enough organization? Lack of long-term thinking? Lack of planning? Not enough of your soul? Not enough joy in your service?
I often see people aware of what is in front of them, what is not working. But knowing is just the first step—we now need to take different actions.
Think of your business as a way to support you, your growth, your lifestyle. It has to be sustainable. It has to be inspiring. Acknowledge what you need the most now and follow through.
This type of thinking that I'm inviting you to do—this is the behind-the-scenes work, the work that nobody sees.
It's the part of the iceberg that is under the water. This work is the root of a tree.
Yeah, you can go with the flow, as I did, and it can take you somewhere.
But if you don't choose to think strategically for yourself and your business at some point, life will force you to do it.
Here's what I know to be true: you hold the power to create differently. But it starts with brutal honesty about where you are right now and crystal clarity about where you want to go. Then comes the most important part—deciding that there won't be distractions in the way, that you will do what's necessary.
Not what's comfortable. Not what's familiar. What's necessary.
The path to sustainable success isn't about more courses, more certifications, or more hustle. It's about pausing long enough to design a business that serves your life, not the other way around. It's about honoring both your soul and your bank account. And it's about having the courage to choose strategy over chaos, intention over reaction.
Your business can be the vehicle for the life you actually want. But first, you have to get clear on what that life looks like—and then be willing to build it, one strategic decision at a time.
With Love,
Carolina
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What’s next?
Phil and I are ready to support you in creating a business that aligns with your heart's calling. Here's how we can help:
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Sacred Growth Club: A complete support system with weekly embodiment classes, live coaching calls, writing circles, and expert workshops. Designed for entrepreneurs ready to build sustainable success through proven practices while staying connected to their purpose. Includes full access to the Network and all challenges.
Be The Flow Coaching (1:1): Personal guidance combining strategic business planning with energy alignment work. Weekly coaching sessions plus full access to Sacred Growth Club benefits. Ideal for entrepreneurs seeking deep transformation and sustainable growth in their business.
Wait so you are telling me I shouldn't start a secret side project 😆
Great essay as always ❤️