Hiring feels like a milestone.

It means you’ve grown. It means you’re serious. It means you're finally stepping into that CEO role… right?

Not always.

Because the truth is: hiring too soon can drain your profits, tank your clarity, and create more stress—not less.

More revenue doesn’t always mean more money in your pocket. Here’s why staying small could be your most profitable strategy.

Everyone’s telling you to scale.

Build the team. Grow the offer suite. Make more money. But what if you don’t actually need to go bigger?

What if the real money move is staying small—and running lean?

If the current economy has you side-eyeing every expense, you're not alone. Maybe you’ve paused on hiring. Maybe that big investment you were eyeing is now a “someday.” Maybe you skipped the small business finance tools you saw online and now you’re telling yourself, “I’ll just DIY a little longer.”

I get it. Cash flow is tighter. Uncertainty is real. And sometimes, the smartest move is to hold off on big expenses.

But let me be real with you:

There’s a difference between being lean… and flying blind.

Let’s get real: I’m not a 5 AM club kind of gal. I don’t do cold plunges before breakfast or romanticize hustle culture. I run a thriving, multi six-figure consulting business on my own terms—and my daily routine reflects that.

Spoiler: success isn’t about how early you wake up. It’s about knowing how you work best and building systems that help you show up as your sharpest, most focused self.

You’ve probably heard it before:

“Just write off your whole vacation, you’ll be working!”
“If you post from the beach, it counts as a business expense, right?”

Sounds great in theory. But let’s pump the brakes.

I love a good deduction. But there’s a difference between being strategic—and just crossing your fingers and hoping the IRS is too busy to notice.

Let’s talk about what actually counts, what definitely doesn’t, and how to make your business trips legit and tax-smart.