Part II: The Fragmented Path
(The Sacred Business Manifesto Part II)
Coming in sideways?
Long before the headaches, Carolina had no clear direction. She wasn’t in touch with what actually mattered to her.
She played it safe. Other people’s expectations. Other people’s definitions of success. Without much inner guidance, she studied business administration.
She told me once, "It's sort of a running joke in Brazil that if you don't know what to do with your life, you choose business administration."
I’ve met countless entrepreneurs who started the same way. The practical path. The safe choice. While something else waited.
On the outside, life looked solid. She moved from Brazil to Canada. Started climbing the corporate ladder. By most measures, she was succeeding.
She was living on autopilot. Nice apartment near the Saint Lawrence River. Travel. Dining. Comfort. All the external markers of success.
Without clarity on what actually matters, you drift.
Despite the success, something was missing. She was disconnected from any sense of purpose. Aimless despite the achievements.
She buried it for a while. But her body was sending signals she couldn’t ignore.
She didn’t know it yet, but the headaches were a symptom of disconnection. From herself. From what she actually wanted.
On the outside, her life seemed "practical." On the inside, it was deeply misaligned.
She was choosing strategy over alignment. The outer game without the inner work. A fragmented approach.
My version of the same mistake
I was living the same duality.
People called it a Midas touch.
It started young. My father worked for IBM. I was sitting on his lap in front of a PC before most kids had ever seen one. I fell in love with that computer.
That fascination with technology and what you could build with it shaped everything that came after.
No matter what industry I stepped into, I could create results. Financial success. It looked like mastery. But something was missing
I fell in love with what I could do. And I worked myself into the ground doing it.
I lost sight of everything else.
My body started breaking down. Autoimmune issues. Days I couldn’t get out of bed.
It wasn’t just physical.
I had low confidence despite the success. Always comparing myself to other entrepreneurs at events and masterminds.
Success, I learned, doesn't automatically translate to self-worth—no matter how many zeros are in your bank account.
There was a hole I couldn’t fill. I kept thinking the next business win would finally close it. It never did.
It took years to see how much damage I’d created.
I was taking a fragmented approach. All outer strategy. No inner work. Just like Carolina.
Despite the Midas touch, I was sick, burned out, and empty.
We were both taking the same fragmented path. Compartmentalizing. Ignoring what was happening inside. Sacrificing everything for external success.
Outer success doesn’t fix inner patterns. It just makes them harder to ignore.
We were both disconnected. From purpose. From clarity. From the life that was actually possible. We just couldn’t see it yet.
Continue to Part 3 ↑P.S. You can read all previous editions of the newsletter here, and you can upgrade your subscription here.
What’s next?
Carolina and I are ready to support you in creating a business that aligns with your heart's calling. Here's how we can help:
Click to Find Your Hidden Business Pattern (Free): The Harmony Map Assessment reveals which inner pattern is blocking your next level - and why strategy alone hasn't fixed it. For entrepreneurs ready to address both the inner patterns AND outer strategies for breakthrough results.
