Showing Up When It’s Hard: Balancing Business, Health, and Self-Compassion

Being a business owner means wearing a lot of hats and balancing a lot of plates.  But sometimes, life throws something at you that you didn’t schedule for — like an emergency surgery.

Yesterday, that’s exactly what happened to me.

I’ve always tried to build my business around the knowns. I plan ahead for things, especially things  like surgeries I can anticipate (and yes, there are more on the horizon). But what do you do when the plan gets derailed? When your body demands your full attention, but your brain is still juggling to-do lists and client deadlines?

This week, I’m learning — again — what it means to hold space for both recovery and responsibility.

Today, I’m one day post-op… and I’m also sitting at the Women of Web Summit, something I’ve been looking forward to for ages. It’s a space I craved, a chance to connect, be inspired, and feel creatively refuelled. I promised myself I’d show up, and I have — even if it’s with a little less energy and a lot more discomfort than I imagined.

This isn’t a post about pushing through at all costs. It’s not about pretending everything is fine when it isn’t. It’s about acknowledging that being a business owner with health challenges is a constant dance between passion and boundaries. Between guilt and grace.

Yes, I worry about letting people down. I worry about emails I haven’t answered or timelines that might shift. But I also know that healing — truly healing — requires presence and patience. And I can’t do my best work for anyone if I’m not first taking care of myself.

So here’s what I’m learning in real-time:

• It’s okay to hit pause.

• It’s okay to let your clients see your humanness.

• It’s okay to shine a little less brightly some days — the sparkle is still there.

If you’re also navigating the messy middle of work and wellness, I see you. You’re not alone. Let’s keep showing up in whatever way we can — even if that means doing it in tracksuit pants, with a cup of tea, a tactical ice pack and our eyes half closed.

Because this — this kind of honest, heart-first showing up — is what running a business can look like too.

A little P.S to my amazing clients through all of this – you have been incredibly understanding and supportive and I appreciated each and every one of you.