I Walked Away from a Business That Was "Working"

Why I Walked Away from a Business That Looked Successful

In 2023, I made a decision that surprised a lot of people: I walked away from a business that was technically working.

From the outside, things looked solid—revenue was coming in, clients were happy, the business had momentum.

But behind the scenes, I was anxious, exhausted, and completely dysregulated.

What My Body Was Trying to Tell Me

I’d wake up with back pain so intense I couldn’t get out of bed.
I was seeing a chiropractor 3x/week just to function.
I dreaded going into my office in my house—even though I loved the work I was doing.

It didn’t make sense.
I was healthy, active, and successful on paper.
But something deep in my body was waving a red flag.

And when I left for a girls’ trip?
The pain disappeared. Completely.

I hiked, laughed, adventured—without a single flare-up.
It was like my body exhaled the second I left the environment that had become so taxing.

When I came back?
The pain returned as soon as I stepped back into my office. It was crazy!

The Turning Point

That’s when it clicked:

It wasn’t the work that was the problem.
It was how I was doing it.
From pressure. Perfection. Performance. Fear.

So I walked away.

The Shift That Changed Everything

I took a job at a nonprofit.
I started doing and teaching restorative yoga regularly.
I learned to actually regulate my nervous system—not just talk about it.

And for the first time in years, I could breathe.
I felt like me again.

That break is what brought me back to entrepreneurship—with new tools, deeper capacity, and a way of working that honors my nervous system instead of overriding it.

If You’re in This Place Too…

If you’re doing “everything right” but still feel anxious, scattered, or disconnected from your work—it’s not a character flaw.
It’s a capacity issue.

Your body isn’t trying to sabotage your success—it’s trying to save you from strategies that aren’t sustainable.

Start Here

✨ Ready to build from peace instead of pressure?

Start with The Self-Trust Jumpstart—my $27 mini course that helps you regulate your system, rebuild trust, and move forward with clarity and calm.

All my best,
xo Janeen