"Whatever you do, don't ask to work from home."
I caught a look at Lake Michigan through the window as my former manager and I maneuvered the winding staircase down from her third floor attic, arms loaded with baby gear and third trimester maternity clothes...
"They'll send you through this HR approval process, you might not even get a yes, and people will assume you aren't committed to the work.
"Just get your work done and work from home when you need to."
I've realized recently how lucky I was in my early career.
Not only a mentor's advice on navigating early parenthood and a career, but also...
Thanks to some influential and supportive people in my corporate career, I learned early on that it was acceptable to set boundaries in my professional life. That by doing doing so, I could have a life and live the values that were fulfilling to me.
And in the process, I came to realize that setting those boundaries didn't need to mean a loss in career momentum or money.
Setting Boundaries as a Small Business Owner
Society loves to gripe about the corporate grind and extol the virtues of small business.
But my experience tells me that too many small business owners hold themselves to a far more grinding, and often unnecessary, standard. And it has way more to do with boundaries and beliefs than it does about the size or resources of the business.
Maybe you're blowing off networking opportunities because a client called and you didn't want to make them wait.
Or shaving off a chunk of the bill because you don't want to seem mercenary or have to have the tough conversation about getting the estimate wrong.
Or you're answering emails on vacation, during your kid's birthday party, or at 11 pm on a Saturday night.
I can help you with systems and processes and even the change management of getting people onboard and excited to contribute their value and effort to your goals.
And that may be exactly what's happening for you.
But if you've got some OWĒS going on (Own Worst Enemy Situations), we have to tackle more than just the process and the pieces.
Beware Your Brain Working Against You
Your frontal cortex (the reasoning, logical part of your brain) wants the solid business foundation, the scalability, and the opportunities on the horizon.
But your amygdala (the reptilian-like protector part of your brain) wants to feel safe, sheltered, and needed.
I love what we can do for your business by building out foundational infrastructure (aka systems and processes) and getting you onboard with a business operating system that helps you set and stick to your top tier priorities.
It might mean though, approaching ways in which you can build confidence around your next steps, particularly when you have to let go of certain ways of doing things to succeed.
Things your brain screams at you are what your clients (or others in your life) want, need, and will hate you for if you make them live without.
Navigating Boundaries With Clients
I can tell you with certainty, clients won't reject you because you didn't personally respond to their non-urgent email at 11 pm.
In fact, they might appreciate you having boundaries because it gives them implicit (or even explicit) permission to have the same.
And if they do push back, are they really the client for you?
Boundaries as a Strategic Advantage
I realize most people didn't have the supportive bosses, colleagues, and culture I did. But I will help pass along that attitude and perspective when you need it.
Remember...
You have far more control over, and value to bring to, your business and your life when you allow solid boundaries and empowering beliefs to be a part of your systems.
For professional service firm leaders, the discipline to set and maintain boundaries is not a luxury, it’s a strategic lever. Research shows that organizations led by executives who model healthy boundaries experience higher retention, greater client satisfaction, and more sustainable growth.
The real competitive advantage comes not from relentless availability, but from the clarity and confidence to prioritize what matters most for the business and its people.
In the end, setting boundaries may be as much a work in progress as organizing and building your business' scalability and operational foundations, but just as worthy of working on.
If you're ready to build a business that works on your terms, let's talk.
