✨ Embracing the Mess: How Imperfection Can Fuel a Life-First Business.
Discover how in embracing my own imperfections it ignited a path to creativity, turned chaos into clarity, and fuelled a soulful, authentic business, and how you can too.
I. Introduction
It’s been a while since I’ve sat down and written a newsletter for myself, despite writing them for clients daily. Over the last few years since becoming a mama, I’ve fallen in and out of love with my business, burnt it to the ground and re-built it multiple times, deleted my social media, podcast, and website all in a frenzy of anxiety of not wanting to be seen or show up online. Switching between seeing the magic that comes from the very work I do in clients businesses by implementing marketing automations and tailored customer journey’s, and convincing myself that working through word of mouth could just be my “thing”.
It’s been quite the rollercoaster of emotions, back and forth and quite literally up and down. Learning how to balance motherhood, navigating mental and physical health obstacles, and setting myself up in this new season of life in what I’ve come to call creating a life-first business.
In many ways, over the last four years, I’ve made my world incredibly small as I’ve transitioned into matrescence. (If you’re not familiar with this term, then I highly recommend watching this Ted Talk).
I listened to a podcast the other day on Motherkind, and it highlighted the fact that in our society, we’re so quick to try and get back to who we were before we became mothers, to “bounce” back and quickly resume life as we knew it, but no matter how hard I tried I just couldn’t put the pieces back to together the way they once were. That version of me and my life as I knew it, was gone.
The podcast goes on to say, that instead of trying to go backwards, it’s time to turn forwards and create a new sense of self, grieve what was if you feel called to, and begin to lay the foundation for who you want to be with the resources and information that you have available today.
Which made me think, what if your unique challenges could become your greatest business strength?
What if I could turn the resources (or lack of…where my village at yo 👀?!) and information I have about myself and this season of life to create a life and business that really nurtured me and my family, instead of trying to keep putting on that old pair of jeans that don’t metaphorically and literally fit anymore. What would that look like to me? What could be possible?
And well, I’ve been down a rabbit hole of inner enquiry ever since.
Perhaps you can relate?
What is a life-first business?
A life-first business may be a term you’ve heard before, or perhaps it’s an entirely new one for you and as you’re reading it, you’re thinking, “yeah, that’s exactly what I want or need to create”.
A life-first business is deeply personal, and I don’t think it can follow a one-size-fits-all formula or step-by-step framework. It’s about building a business that aligns with your values, your energy, and the life you want to live. So, I think the important thing to consider with this way of describing your work, is to truly reflect and honour what that means to you as an individual and the loved ones in your life.
To me, it’s about creating a life that deeply honours mine and my family’s needs whilst also feeling sated, purposeful and connected to something larger than myself. To be able to create and express myself through words and imagery. And to help others do the same.
What might this look like for you?
Here are 10 reflective questions to help you define your own life-first business:
1. What does success look like for me beyond financial goals?
Is it flexibility, creativity, impact, freedom? What truly matters in the bigger picture of my life?
2. How do I want my business to support my life - not the other way around?
Do I want more time with family, space for personal growth, or a slower, more intentional pace?
3. What would my ideal workweek feel like?
If I could design my days freely, how many hours would I work? What kind of tasks would energise me?
4. What non-negotiables do I need in place to protect my wellbeing and that of my loved ones?
Think about boundaries, rest, creative space, mental health care, or the ability to say no.
5. Where am I currently overcomplicating things in my business?
Are there tasks I’m obsessing over that don’t actually move the needle? What could I automate or simplify?
6. How can I create more ease in the way I work and market my business?
Am I making things harder than they need to be? Where could I implement systems, automation, or better boundaries?
7. What parts of my business feel the most aligned, and what feels heavy?
What lights me up vs. what drains me? How can I do more of what feels good and less of what doesn’t?
8. Am I building a business based on what I think I should do - or what I actually want to do?
Where am I following external expectations or other people’s versions of success, instead of trusting my own intuition?
9. How do I want my business to evolve with me over time?
What needs to be in place for my business to grow alongside my life, rather than consume it?
10. What would I change about my business today if I fully trusted that things would still work out?
If fear, self-doubt, or “what-ifs” weren’t holding me back, what would I do differently right now?
II. Embracing Your Unique Strengths:
A. The Gift of Perspective:
If you’re a mother, navigating mental health challenges, or living with a beautifully wired neurodivergent brain, you’ve likely been told, whether directly or indirectly, that you need to "fix" the way you work or show up. That you need to be more structured, more predictable, basically more like everyone else. 😴 But what if the very things that make you feel different or stops you from showing up how you’d truly like, are the same things that could make your business extraordinary? And I’m not talking about toxic positivity and slapping a “you’re a superhero” narrative on your struggles here either.
Motherhood teaches you adaptability in the face of chaos, you’re constantly problem-solving on the fly. Mental health struggles give you depth, empathy, and an innate understanding of what people truly need, a skillset that simply can’t be learned in a marketing course. Neurodivergence fuels creativity, hyper-focus, and an ability to see connections where others don’t, the perfect recipe for innovation.
And yes, of course, there’s the invariable flip side to all of the positives, like the bone deep exhaustion that comes with constantly adapting, the emotional weight of feeling everything so deeply, and the overwhelm of a brain that never quite knows how to switch off. The tendency to overthink, to get stuck in perfection loops, to feel like you’re always a step behind because your mind is running a marathon while the world expects a sprint.
But here’s the thing, you have to remember that these challenges don’t cancel out your strengths. They are part of the same equation. Learning to work with them instead of against them is where the magic (and automation 😉) happens. Because when you stop trying to fit into a system that wasn’t designed for you and instead build one that works for you, that’s when I believe everything shifts.
Take a moment to think about it:
That deep attention to detail? It’s what makes your brand feel intentional.
Your ability to anticipate every possible outcome? It helps you design seamless customer experiences.
The fact that you feel everything so deeply? That’s what allows you to create work that resonates and has someone reading your copy thinking and feeling as though you wrote that piece solely for them.
Your perspective isn’t a limitation, it’s what the marketing kids call your competitive edge.
B. Reframing Challenges as Assets:
Yes, unpredictability, perfectionism, and overthinking can feel like roadblocks. (And when I say roadblocks, I mean bottomless sinkholes that appear out of nowhere, swallowing you, your to-do list, and your entire sense of self into an existential freefall where time ceases to exist, emails go unanswered, and suddenly it's three days later and you’re questioning everything… not to be dramatic or anything. 😗)
But they also bring a conversation equally as powerful to the table.
🔹 Perfectionism? It means you care. It means you create work that is thoughtful, polished, and deeply considered. The key is learning when something is good enough to let it go. (Easier said than done, I knowwwww!)
🔹 Unpredictability? It forces you to build a business with flexibility, one that can evolve, support you on the days (weeks or months) in between, and grow with you instead of boxing you in.
🔹 Overthinking? It means you anticipate problems before they happen, which makes for seamless user experiences, beautifully thought-out offers, and marketing that feels different.
Notice how I say, feels not thinks?
Instead of fighting these traits, ask yourself: How can I use them to my advantage?
The more you lean into who you actually are - messiness, emotions, nonlinear thinking and all - the more you will attract people who feel seen by your work. That’s what makes people trust you. That’s what makes them buy from you. Not because you followed some business blueprint perfectly, but because you built something that felt real.
So what if your brain works differently? So what if your path is messier than most? That’s not something to fix. I want you to believe that can be your magic to creating a life-first business. 💛
Let’s take a minute to reflect, and to consider how you currently feel about imperfection in your business:
III. Creating Flexible Systems & Structures:
A. The Importance of Systems: Finding Stability in the Chaos:
Let’s be real; when life, motherhood, mental health, and neurodivergence collide, consistency is often a myth. Some days, you’re firing on all cylinders. Other days, your brain feels like a browser with 57 tabs open, none of which are responding. And that’s okay. The key isn’t forcing yourself into rigid structures that crumble at the first sign of unpredictability, it’s creating flexible systems that move with you, not against you.
Think of it as structured flexibility; a way of working that honours both the high-energy, hyper-focused days and the slower, more foggy (can’t deal with life) ones. A system that keeps the business running even when you need to step back for a breath, a day away from the screen, a day in bed or anything else that you’re needing and able to identify in that moment. I know it’s not always easy to identify and execute on what will even bring you back to baseline on those days, but with the right support systems in place it’s a starting point to being able to ask yourself those questions and sit with the space in between.
To me, systems aren’t about control or a lack of flexibility. They’ve become freedom. 🕊️
B. Strategies for System Building: Small Shifts, Big Impact:
So how do you build a system that protects your time and income, instead of trapping you into a cycle where you’ve essentially swapped a consistent income for working longer hours, for less pay, with none of the benefits? (It’s a real thing shared from personal experience 😮💨!) When clients expect you to be on-call like a full-time employee, without the salary, pension, or paid leave - let’s be honest, it’s a fast track to resentment, burnout and calling quits on your business.
Start here instead:
🔹 Time Blocking That Prioritises You:
Traditional time blocking often feels and operates like a prison or torture for those who operate or see the world differently, back-to-back slots that assume you have zero interruptions, fluctuating energy, or, you know, a life. The amount of LinkedIn posts where I see a screenshot of someone’s calendar where they’ve scheduled in time to pee, stating “if I don’t schedule it, it doesn’t happen.” 😳 Those are not your peeps.
Instead, try the concept of adaptive time blocking:
🔹 Find Your Natural Focus Windows – Instead of rigid time slots, take some time to notice when your brain naturally flows best. Is it early mornings before the house wakes up? Mid-afternoon when the kids are at school? Late nights when it’s finally quiet? Lean into those moments instead of forcing productivity when it doesn’t come naturally. You can ACTUALLY do that when you run your own set up, you know! (I know, dreamy, right?!) Give yourself permission to lean into this as I know it’s something that has taken me YEARS to fully embrace.
🔹 Build in Breathing Room - Life with kids, fluctuating energy, or a wandering mind means interruptions are inevitable. Leave open space between tasks so you’re not constantly playing catch-up when things don’t go to plan. And when things don’t go to plan, how can you re-frame or reduce the guilt, shame or fragmentation that comes from feeling as though you’ve failed in someway in that moment or on that day entirely?
🔹 Re-frame Rest as a Business Task – We all know that our energy is our most valuable commodity. Block out time for naps, movement, quiet time, or simply staring at the ceiling, whatever your brain and body needs (if you’re able to access that in a moment of fragmentation, desolation and lack of decision making ability!) If even that feels like too much, strip it all back and start with a hug in a mug cup of tea, sit on the sofa and go from there.
And if that’s none of that is possible with small humans around, then try as best you can to allow yourself even just a few short minutes with the TV on or a game that might occupy them, (although if they’re anything like mine, then I’m definitely needing to play or be involved in said game, so totally get that’s not always possible either 🤪!) If that’s the case, then try and allow yourself that time after the kids have gone down…staring into space in the silent void is definitely a post-bedtime luxury for me! 😂)
Remember, the goal isn’t to fit your life into a strict schedule, it’s to try and create a rhythm that can adapt and ebb and flow with your ever changing, day to day reality. Some days, no matter how hard we try, things just don’t go to plan, and I think often, it’s more about being okay and coming to terms with that in itself, then the original activity or plan we were aiming for. 💛
C. The Role of Automation: Let the Robots Help You: 🤖
There are things you should absolutely be doing in your business. And then there are things you absolutely should not be wasting your time on. The key is deciphering which! 🤯
✨ Automation isn’t about replacing the human touch - it’s about creating space for the things that actually need your time, energy, and creativity.
🔹 Manually chasing unpaid invoices? No thanks.
→ Set up automated invoice reminders so you never have to awkwardly follow up (or forget to follow up altogether).
🔹 Spending hours writing custom proposals for every new client? Hard pass.
→ Use a proposal template with plug-and-play sections, so you can send polished proposals in minutes instead of overthinking every word.
🔹 Forgetting to follow up with potential clients because life gets busy? Been there.
→ Create an automated follow-up sequence that nurtures leads while you focus on actual work (or, let’s be honest, a much-needed break).
🔹 Trying to keep up with email marketing but always running out of time? Over it.
→ Batch and schedule newsletters in advance, so you’re not stuck writing at the last minute when energy is low.
🔹 Spending too much time onboarding new clients manually? Exhausting.
→ Set up an automated onboarding system with a welcome email, next steps, and FAQ, so clients feel taken care of without you being glued to your inbox.
It is possible to build simple, flexible, and human-first systems that keep you and your business thriving - all without draining you in the process.
Pinky promise!
IV. Leveraging Automation, UX, and CX for Growth
Okay, real talk: when you’re a mum running a business, time is never truly yours. The nursery and school runs, the sensory overload, the last-minute snack demands (because obviously, we need that specific oat bar, right now!) If you’re also juggling mental health challenges, OCD, or neurodivergence, the sheer mental load of running a business can feel overwhelming - until you build a system that works with you, not against you.
This is where automation, UX, and CX become your business allies. Instead of feeling like you have to be “on” all the time - you can create a business that supports you, even on the days when your brain isn’t being a friend and you need to take a step back.
💌 A. Email Automation as Your Business Ally:
I used to think automation was cold and impersonal. Like, I don’t want my audience to feel like they’re just getting auto-responses while I’m drowning in the chaos of life. But what I realised is:
🚀 Good automation = more authentic connection, not less.
Instead of constantly chasing leads, customers, or subscribers, email automation lets you build a community, nurture relationships, and keep your business moving - even when you need to step back.
✨ Real-Life Example: The Email That Saved My Sanity
Recently, I had a period where my OCD was in overdrive. My brain would not switch off, my anxiety was through the roof, I was second-guessing everything I did and wrote, and before I knew it, I had spent hours tweaking one single email for a client. (Perfectionism, my old frenemy. 🙃)
The irony? This client was feeling the exact same way about their business. They were spending so much time manually responding to every inquiry, trying to nurture every lead one by one, constantly tweaking their messaging because it never quite felt good enough.
They were stuck in a loop - burning time and energy on tasks that could have been automated, yet afraid that automation would make things feel too robotic. (Sound familiar?)
So, after a tearful chat on both our sides, we built a simple, human-first email sequence that took all that mental clutter off their plate. Now, when someone signs up for their list, they automatically get:
✅ A warm, personal welcome email that feels like them, not like a soulless autoresponder.
✅ A short, engaging story that builds connection without over-explaining.
✅ A free resource that immediately helps their audience take action.
✅ A gentle CTA that invites people into their world without feeling salesy.
The result? More time, energy, and headspace for the parts of their business they actually love - without the anxiety of manually keeping up with every new subscriber.
Because the truth is, perfectionism and people-pleasing can trick us into thinking we need to do it all manually - but if you’re running a business with limited time and energy, email automation isn’t just a tool; it’s a lifeline.
🎯 B. Optimising Customer Experience (CX) and User Experience (UX):
Customer experience (how people feel when interacting with your brand) and user experience (how easy it is for them to navigate & take action) should reflect the way you actually want to run your business.
For example:
If you want a life-first business, your onboarding process should be clear, effortless, and self-serve-friendly.
If you struggle with decision fatigue, your website should guide your audience exactly where they need to go - without making them or you overthink.
If your brain likes structure (but also freedom), a well-mapped customer journey will create a consistent flow without locking you into overwhelming day-to-day tasks.
V. Conclusion: You Don’t Have to Do It All, You Just Have to Do It Your Way
A. Recap:
Building a life-first business isn’t about hustling harder, getting it perfect, or doing everything manually. It’s about recognising your unique strengths, designing systems that work with you, and giving yourself the grace to grow without burnout.
Automation, UX, and CX aren’t just fancy marketing buzzwords - they’re your support system. They free up your mental space, protect your energy, and allow you to show up in a way that feels authentic, sustainable, and human.
B. 🚀 Next Steps: Where to Go from Here:
✨ Want more real-time support? Become a paid member to access real-time advice, exclusive content, and a community that gets it.
📌 Coming Soon: Plug & Play Frameworks! I’m currently building out done-for-you, psychology-driven templates for lead magnets, customer journeys, and email automation - so you can spend less time overthinking and more time growing.
💬 Let’s Chat: Have questions? Drop a comment below or hit reply - I love hearing from you.
💛 A Final Note (aka, your hug in a mug this week):
You’re not alone in this. If you’re juggling motherhood, mental health, neurodivergence, or just trying to build a business that actually fits your life, I see you.
There’s no one way to do this - just your way. And that’s enough.
I’ll be back next week, with a newsletter on Overcoming Perfectionism: How to Post Without Obsessing Over Every Word.
If this week’s newsletter topic or what’s coming sounds up your street, then I’d love you to hit subscribe and join the community.
Until next we meet,
Here’s to building a business that feels like home; imperfect, evolving, and fully yours.
Trust the mess, trust the process, and make space for what truly matters to you in this season of life, my friend. So, pour yourself something warm, take a breath, and let it be enough for today. ☕💛
Yours in service,
Francesca xo
Email Marketing & Experience Strategist
PS: I don’t know about you, but I can’t stand those newsletters that dangle the carrot of a really great piece of writing to only shove the pay wall on before you even get a chance to experience that person’s unique magic and writing style.
I’m left thinking, “that’s great, but why would I pay you when I don’t know anything about you?!” So, I’ve intentionally set up my community and pay wall to be something entirely different. A eco-system and heartbeat of it’s own.
If you’re a curious human like I am, (I’d probably just want to have a good ol’ nosey at how someone has set up their newsletter structure and see if they have any good ideas I might adopt and implement myself 🤣…truth serum!) then read on below to see if this community is your jam or feel free to just poke your nose out of curiosity of how I’m running my life-first business. ⬇️ ⬇️ ⬇️
Why become a paid member?
Simply put, because I’m calling in all the awesome souls who want and need to create an income and life that deeply resonates with them and just hits differently.
If you’ve ever felt like traditional business advice wasn’t made for you... if you’re juggling motherhood, mental health, or just the relentless overthinking that comes with wanting to get it right; this is for you.
💛 Here, we create structure that bends, not breaks.
💡 We design systems that hold us, not confine us.
☕ And we do it all with a warm, human-first approach; like a hug in your inbox, every week.
As a paid member, you get deep-dive access to the kind of support that actually moves the needle:
📌📚 Exclusive Resource Library: Swipe files, templates, and step-by-step frameworks - no fluff, just what works.
📌📧 Priority Email Q&A (2 a month): No more endless Googling - ask me directly and get clear, actionable answers within 48-72 hours.
📌💻 Monthly Office Hours (Pre-Recorded Q&A): Real questions, real solutions - answered in depth so you can watch on your time.
📌 💡 The Saturday Shift: A weekly nudge to think differently about business; because growth isn’t always about doing more. Let’s redefine what’s possible when we work with who we are, not against it.
✨ All designed to help you work smarter, not harder - without the overwhelm. 🚀