Back in my corporate engineering days in St. Louis, one of my early bosses told me something I’ll never forget:

“There are two kinds of people—those who live to work, and those who work to live.”

At the time, that way of thinking made perfect sense. I was firmly in the work-to-live camp: put in your hours, earn your paycheck, and then go enjoy your real life outside of work.

But when you build a coaching business—especially one that feels like your life’s work—that line gets blurrier.

Most of us didn’t start coaching just to make money.

We started because it feels meaningful.

It lights us up.

It’s the work we want to be doing even if money weren’t involved.

For me, helping life coaches build businesses they love?

This is it. I’ll be doing this for the rest of my life. It’s not just work anymore. It’s purpose.

But Even Purposeful Work Needs Boundaries

If you’re going to build a business that lasts, you have to make it sustainable.

You can’t pour from an empty cup. And you can’t keep sprinting without ever taking a breath.

That’s why my family and I recently took a three-week trip through Norway, Denmark, and Iceland.

There were 12 of us total—our family of five, both sets of grandparents, and a few extended family members.

Yes, there was jet lag.

Yes, the kids (and my wife and I) got cranky.

Yes, the travel days were long.

But there were also unforgettable moments:

✅ Seeing the Black Eyed Peas live in Copenhagen

✅ Exploring an ice cave in Iceland

✅ Jumping into freezing Norwegian waters after a sauna

These are the experiences that remind me why I built this business in the first place:

So it could support my life, not take it over.

What I Set Up Before I Left

Now, don’t get me wrong—my business didn’t just magically run itself.

But with the right systems in place, it looked to the outside world like business as usual.

Here’s what I put in place before I left:

✅ I blocked my calendar and set clear expectations with my clients.

✅ I double-checked that my lead magnet and email nurture sequences were running.

✅ I scheduled three podcast episodes (two were replays—totally fine).

✅ I pre-wrote and scheduled emails to go out each week.

✅ I left my Meta ads running in the background.

And then I stepped away. Completely.

What I Didn’t Do

I didn’t check my DMs.

I didn’t hop on last-minute lives.

I didn’t try to squeeze in a product launch from the hotel room.

And I promise you—the world kept spinning.

My audience didn’t forget about me.

My clients didn’t suddenly disappear.

And when I came back, I was more energized, focused, and creative than before I left.

Your Business Should Support Your Life

This is why we build systems in the first place.

So your business can keep showing up, even when you’re not at your desk.

It’s easy to fall into the trap of thinking that stepping away will break everything you’ve built.

But the real risk?

Burning yourself out.

Or losing your passion for the work that once lit you up.

Your business should support your life—not consume it.

When you take time away, you come back stronger.

You come back with fresh energy and ideas.

And you come back remembering why you started this business in the first place.

If this resonates with where you are right now, think about what you could put in place to take your own break—whether it’s a long weekend or three weeks abroad.

Because your business should give you freedom, not just work.