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Reverse-Engineer a Business That Fits Your Life
(Spoiler: It Doesn’t Require Those Soul-Crushing, Energy-Sucking, 18-Hour Days)

Let me tell you about the time I tried to “hustle” my way to peace.
Spoiler alert: I ended up burnt out, binge-watching cat videos, and considering a career as a full-time napper.
It all started when I read one too many threads that said:
“If you're not working 18 hours a day, are you even serious about success?”
So I built a business... that didn’t fit my life at all. I had client calls during lunch, email marathons at midnight, and the only "me time" I got was when the WiFi cut out.
Sound familiar?
Eventually, I flipped the script—and today, I want to help you do the same.
What if, instead of squeezing your life around your business…
you built a business that fit your life like your favorite hoodie?
Let’s talk Ideal Weeks, Etsy Notion hacks, and building with YOUR rhythm in mind.
Let’s Bust a Big Myth First
(Spoiler: It Doesn’t Require Those Soul-Crushing, Energy-Sucking, 18-Hour Days)
Let’s be honest: You didn’t start your business to become your own worst boss.
Once upon a hustle, working 18-hour days felt like a badge of honor.
✨ “Look at me go, I’m up before the sun and grinding till midnight!”
But here’s what no one tells you:
That level of grind will eat your creativity, wreck your nervous system, and leave your Google Calendar looking like a murder scene.
Let’s break the myth:
🚫 Myth | ✅ Truth |
---|---|
More hours = more money | Better systems = more money without burnout |
Rest = laziness | Rest = fuel for vision, clarity, and leadership |
You have to do it all | You need to do what matters—and delegate the rest |
Why the 18-Hour Day Model Is Broken:
It’s not scalable. You’ll max out your time and still feel behind.
It’s not sustainable. Sleep deprivation is not a business strategy.
It’s not the goal. Most of us started this so we could live, not just work.
“If your business can’t run without you being everywhere, every day, all the time… you don’t have a business. You have a very needy job.”
What to Do Instead:
Design smarter offers. Think digital products, evergreen funnels, client retainers.
Use time-blocking based on your energy, not just your schedule.
Automate and outsource. Yes, even if it feels early. Buy back your hours.
Honor your limits. Because honoring your health is honoring your business.
How to Build a Business That Serves Your Season of Life
You know what’s wild?
We spend all this time crafting the perfect business model...
but forget to ask if it actually works for the season of life we’re in.
Your business shouldn’t be a one-size-fits-all turtleneck.
It should be stretchy, seasonally adjusted, and made for your real life—kids, chronic illness, creative slumps, and all.
Step 1: Identify Your Season (And Be Honest About It)
Are you in:
Hustle Era
You're in launch mode, stacking offers, batching content like a machine, and your coffee is on auto-refill. You’re building like crazy, and you’re okay with a little chaos.
Healing Season
You’re slowing down, protecting your peace, and saying “no” with your chest. Your schedule’s lighter, your sleep’s deeper, and you're rebuilding from the inside out.
Harmony Zone
You’ve found your flow. Your business supports your lifestyle. Systems are clicking, offers are aligned, and you’re finally taking lunch breaks that don’t involve Slack.
“You can’t scale if your soul is screaming for rest.”
— probably your higher self
Your first job isn’t to match the pace of your peers.
It’s to match your business to the pace of your life.
Step 2: Restructure Your Offers for Flexibility
Your business model needs to flex as much as your yoga pants.
Here’s how to adapt based on your season:
Hustle Era?
Launch intensives or limited-time offers.
Batch content, automate marketing, ride the momentum.
Healing Season?
Lean on evergreen funnels, low-maintenance offers.
Raise prices on 1:1 to protect your energy.
Delay that big launch—you’re not late, you’re human.
Harmony Zone?
Focus on client retention, gentle growth, and refinement.
Introduce SOPs or hire help to protect your peace.
Test systems without overhauling everything.
Step 3: Design Your Ideal Week Around Your Life, Not Just Your Tasks
Instead of shoving your life around your work calendar, flip it:
Plug in your non-negotiables first (therapy, family time, rest).
Block out income-generating activities second.
Sprinkle in CEO time, admin, and creative space last.
💡 Pro Tip: Create a Ideal Week to map it out—and actually see where your time and energy want to go.
![]() | Amber’s Ideal Week Here’s a peek into how I redesigned my life:
The result? |
Step 4: Revisit and Rework Every Quarter
What served you in January might drain you in July.
Your energy, bandwidth, and vision will evolve—and your business should evolve with it.
Use these check-ins:
“Does this still serve the life I’m living now?”
“What would this look like if it felt 10% easier?”
“Where am I forcing something that could be flowing?”
Real Talk
I used to build offers based on what I thought a “real entrepreneur” would do.
Turns out, the best thing I ever did was delete 3 products, shorten my calendar, and stop trying to prove I was “doing enough.”
Now? I work from alignment, not anxiety.
And I make more because my business fits me.
“Burnout is a business model problem, not a personal failure.”
Strategy You Can Try Today:
Create your Ideal Week.
Block out your personal time first.
Add in your income-generating activities next.
Use the Etsy Notion planner to sync it all beautifully.
This isn’t about doing less. It’s about doing what matters—on your terms.
Etsy Notion Hacks to Make Your Business (& Brain) Click
Whether you're juggling clients, content, or candle orders, these hacks will help you streamline your systems and make your Notion workspace feel like your virtual HQ.
1. Create a “CEO Dashboard”
Think of this as your business control panel. Set it up with:
🗓️ Weekly overview (sync your Ideal Week!)
📈 Income goals & revenue tracker
🧾 Quick links to offers, invoices, and SOPs
💡Idea dump zone (a.k.a. your creative playground)
🔗 Pro tip: Sell this as a template on Etsy and use your own dashboard as the demo!
2. Use a “Product Hub” to Track Etsy Listings
Build a database with properties like:
Product Name
Price
Listing URL
Delivery Format (digital/physical)
Sold
Notes/Updates
✅ Bonus: Use gallery view with cover images—it turns your Notion into an online boutique.
3. Launch Calendar with Built-in Content Planner
Plan out:
Product drops
Promo campaigns
Social posts
Email blasts
Color code each task by platform or priority to stay focused and visually inspired.
📆 Use calendar view + filters for “This Week,” “Upcoming,” and “Completed” for clarity.
4. Set Up a Customer Follow-Up System
After a sale, use Notion to:
Track who you’ve followed up with
Drop in thank-you email templates
Add notes on special requests or repeat customers
🔁 This helps build loyalty AND gather testimonials that sell your products for you.
5. Brand Your Template Before Selling It
If you’re selling Notion templates on Etsy:
Add a branded header to every page
Use callouts for style + usability
Include a Welcome Page that guides users (with embedded Loom video if possible!)
💡 Make it feel like an experience, not just a file.
BONUS HACK: Link Your Etsy in Your Template
At the bottom of every template page, drop this:
Love this system? Find more at Your Shop Name!
It creates a loop where users go back to buy your next product
👉 Take the poll — and let us know where you’re vibin’.
What Season Are You In? |
Watch This: How to Design a Life-Aligned Business Model
Looking for a deeper dive on how to build a business that fits your season of life?
🎥 “How to Design a Life-Aligned Business Model” — premiering May 29, 2025.
In this episode, I break down the exact steps to rewire your business around your real-life needs—with zero shame and all the strategy.
If you take one thing from this—let it be this: You don’t have to earn your rest. You don’t need permission to build slower. You’re allowed to create a business that feels like freedom, not another 9-to-5 in disguise.
Give yourself grace in the building. Give yourself flexibility in the doing. And give yourself credit for choosing alignment over exhaustion.
So now what?
➡️ Create your Ideal Week. DM me your version—I want to see it!
➡️ Vote in the poll and tell us your season.
Let’s stop glorifying burnout and start normalizing balance with bank deposits.
Here’s to building smarter—not harder.
With you always,

Amber
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