When It’s Not Either-Or in Business (It’s Also-And)
When It’s Not Either-Or in Business (It’s Also-And)
Something I learned from a coach mentor years ago has never left me:
Everything doesn’t have to be either-or.
It can be also—and.
At the time, this felt radical. I had internalized this subconscious rule that if something wasn’t 100% good, it had to be framed as bad. If it didn’t feel fully aligned, it had to be wrong. If I said something positive but acknowledged something harder underneath, I’d cancel out the good.
That limiting language turned every reflection into a kind of low-vibration disclaimer:
“The launch went well… but I didn’t hit my stretch goal.”
“I love the freedom of entrepreneurship… but sometimes I miss the simplicity of a 9–5.”
“I’m grateful for my clients… but I’m exhausted.”
Each “but” eroded the power of what came before it.
And more importantly?
It disconnected me from my full truth.
In business(and life), two things can be true at once.
You can feel both:
Deeply grateful for the client who stretched you and completely ready to raise your standards
Proud of your growth and overwhelmed by what it took to get here
Excited about your next offer and terrified of being more visible
Aligned with your purpose and unsure how to scale it in a way that doesn’t burn you out
It’s not weakness to feel both.
It’s wisdom.
It’s embodiment.
It’s leadership.
Entrepreneurship isn’t black-and-white.
It’s full of nuance, contradiction, emotional texture, and truth that doesn’t always fit in tidy social media captions.
And when we try to oversimplify what we’re experiencing, we risk:
❌ Ignoring our own needs
❌ Pushing away support
❌ Minimizing how hard it really is
❌ Staying stuck in perfectionism, polarity, and “shoulds”
“Also–and” thinking lets you lead with your whole heart.
It lets you say:
“This launch didn’t hit my goal, and I’m so proud I showed up anyway.”
“This client dynamic is hard, and I’m grateful for what it’s teaching me.”
“I’m tired, and I’m allowed to love this and still need a break.”
It’s not about bypassing the hard with toxic positivity.
It’s about holding space for the truth that lives in the middle.
Try this:
Take one area of your business that feels messy or hard right now.
Ask yourself:
✨ What’s the story I’ve been telling myself?
✨ Where am I limiting it to one “right” interpretation?
✨ What else might be true, alongside that story?
Then give yourself permission to rewrite the “but” into an “and.”
Because you’re not here to run a business that’s either-or.
You’re here to lead one that’s fully yours.
One that’s honest, human, and evolving.
You get to hold the success and the stretch.
The gratitude and the grief.
The clarity and the confusion.
You’re not behind. You’re not broken.
You’re just feeling it all—and that’s what growth looks like.
🧭 If you’re in a season of duality and nuance in your business and want a quiet space to reconnect with your truth…
The Human Design Perspective Shift™ Call is a free 30-minute space to explore how you’re feeling—and where your inner child and inner CEO might both need a seat at the table.
It’s not a coaching session.
It’s not strategy.
It’s not about picking a side.
It’s about reconnecting with yourself—and feeling what’s ready to shift.
If Lead From Within™ feels aligned, I’ll share more at the end.
You don’t have to choose clarity or complexity.
You can hold both.
You already are.
