The Roles You Took On That Were Never Yours

The Roles You Took On That Were Never Yours

Welcome back to Before the World Told You Who to Be — the podcast for those of us who are done trying to fit into roles we never signed up for and are ready to remember who we actually are.

I’m Stefanie, Human Design guide, coach, and woman who has lived this path of unlearning, unbecoming, and returning to my true self. And today we are talking about something that touches every single one of us...

The roles we took OR the way we use those roles in a way that was never actually US.

SECTION 1: What Roles Are You Performing?

Let me ask you this:

• Are you the one who keeps everything running?

• The emotional glue in your family?

• The one who never says no?

• The achiever, the fixer, the strong one?

We’re handed these roles from such a young age — not through a contract, but through patterns, praise, and pressure.

And after a while, they start to feel like identity. But they’re not. They’re performance. Survival. Conditioned habits. And they keep us from actually meeting ourselves.

SECTION 2: My Story — When the Mask Cracked

I used to believe I had to do it all. The business, the motherhood, the marriage, the showing up for everyone, the proving.

But one day, I woke up and realized I couldn’t feel myself in any of it.

It was after I lost my dad and my business in the same month. Two huge identity anchors. And without them?

I didn’t know who I was. Because I had built myself around the roles I thought I had to play.

That breaking was also my beginning.

SECTION 3: How Human Design Helped Me See the Real Me

When I found Human Design, it was like holding a mirror up to my soul.

I learned that my energy type, my profile, my decision-making authority — they weren’t wrong. They were just never supported.

HD didn’t tell me who to be. It helped me let go of who I wasn’t.

When I saw my chart for the first time, I cried. Because for the first time in a long time, I felt seen.

And now, I help others do the same.

SECTION 4: The Invitation

So I want to ask you today:

• What roles are you still performing?

• What identities are you still holding because you think they keep you safe?

• What parts of you have gone quiet just to keep the peace?

I want to offer this reframe:

Your Human Design doesn’t tell you what to do. It reflects who you are here to be.

And you don’t need to earn that. It’s already who you are.

CLOSING:

Thank you for being here. This work isn’t easy — but it is sacred.

If today’s episode resonated, come tell me what role you’re ready to release. Post it in the Facebook group or DM me privately. I would love to hold space for it.

You don’t have to keep performing. You don’t have to keep pretending. You get to return.

I’ll see you next time.

xo,
Stefanie

What if you were never broken - Just Misdirected??

| Welcome to Before the World Told You Who to Be

A New Era, A New Name

Welcome back. I’m so glad you’re here. I have some exciting news — this podcast has a new name and an even deeper mission.

What was once Business Beyond Strategy is now Before the World Told You Who to Be.

Why? Because I’ve evolved. My clients have evolved. And I’m no longer here just to help women build epic businesses. I’m here to help you come home to yourself. In every part of your life.

Human Design has been a life-changing tool in my journey, and it’s become the key I use to support women like you in parenting, relationships, business, marriage, and most importantly — your connection to yourself.

You’re Not Broken. You’ve Just Been Living Someone Else’s Blueprint.

So many of us are burned out, overwhelmed, anxious, or frustrated — not because we’re doing life wrong, but because we’re living a life we were never designed for.

We’re operating by societal standards. Performing roles we never chose. Checking boxes that were never ours.

This podcast is for the woman who is ready to remember who she really is. To unlearn the patterns of performing, perfecting, and proving. To stop chasing every version of herself that never truly fit.

This Isn’t Strategy. This Is Self-Returning.

You won’t find fluff here.
This isn’t about "just trust the process" pep talks.
This is about real-life alignment. The messy kind.

We’re going to go deep — into identity, into Human Design, into the structures and stories that have shaped us.

If you’ve ever thought, "There has to be more than this," then you’re in the right place.

My Story: From Misalignment to Mission

After I lost my father and my business of 10 years all in the same month, something shifted.

I woke up and realized I didn’t even recognize myself.

I had followed every external blueprint. Built the business I was told to build. Played all the roles I was praised for.

And I was done.

I didn’t want to be her anymore.

That unraveling led me to Human Design — the first tool that truly mirrored back who I am. Not who I thought I had to be. Not who I was trained to be. But who I was designed to be.

Why Human Design Is Different

You may have done the Enneagram, StrengthsFinder, or other personality tools — they’re helpful, yes.

But most are based on how you answer questions — from a conditioned mind, shaped by trauma, upbringing, and social expectation.

Human Design is different. It’s not based on who you think you are. It’s mapped from birth. It’s written in the stars. It reflects your energetic blueprint.

And every single client I’ve walked through their chart? They cry. They exhale. They finally feel seen.

Including me.

This Is a New Era: The Era of Self-Return

We are entering a time where the deepest transformation doesn’t come from external strategy — it comes from remembering.

Your design holds the key to:

• How you’re meant to make decisions

• What environments support your growth

• Your energy flow, communication, and core purpose

• How you relate to your kids, your partner, your work, and yourself

You Are Not Behind. You Are Not Failing.

You are not broken. You are simply buried.

And this podcast? It’s here to help you unearth what’s always been there.

We’ll talk motherhood, marriage, business, environment, identity. All of it. Because alignment isn’t one category of life. It touches everything.

Take the Next Step

✨ Join my free Facebook group HERE, where we continue these conversations and apply this work to real life.

✨ Grab your free Human Design chart + 17-page PDF at [insert link]. It’s the perfect first step.

✨ DM me on Instagram or email me with your thoughts on this new direction — I’d love to connect.

This is Before the World Told You Who to Be. And I’m so glad you’re here.

Discovering My Soul-Led Path with Human Design

Episode: The Alignment: Discovering My Soul-Led Business Path

Welcome back to Business Beyond Strategy. I'm Stefanie, and this is the fifth episode in my journey from hustle culture to aligned success.

So far, I've shared how I built a business following everyone else's rules, watched it crumble, awakened to hustle culture's hold, and began the unlearning process. Today, we're exploring what emerged in that newly created space - my soul-led business path.

SEGMENT 1: The Empty Canvas

After unlearning so many conditioned beliefs about business, I found myself in an unfamiliar place - a space of possibility.

It was both liberating and terrifying. Without the rigid frameworks and blueprints I'd relied on, I faced questions like:

• How do I know what to create next?

• How do I make decisions without strategies?

• How do I know if I'm on the right path?

• What does success even look like now?

I had cleared away what wasn't mine, but I wasn't yet sure what was.

SEGMENT 2: The First Steps into Alignment

My journey into alignment didn't start with big, bold moves. It began with small, quiet practices:

Practice #1: Energy check-ins I started each day by tuning into my energy. Not forcing a particular state, but simply noticing what was present and honoring it.

Practice #2: Listening to body wisdom Before making decisions, I paused to feel them in my body. Did they create expansion or contraction? Lightness or heaviness?

Practice #3: Following curiosity Instead of strategic planning, I began following what genuinely sparked my interest. This felt almost rebellious after years of calculated moves.

Practice #4: Sacred business space I created physical and energetic containers for my work that felt aligned with my natural rhythm, not someone else's productivity hacks.

These practices seemed simple, almost too simple. But they became the foundation for everything that followed.

SEGMENT 3: The Resistance (Again)

I'd love to tell you that the path to alignment was smooth, but the truth is - resistance showed up in new forms.

As I began building from alignment rather than strategy, I encountered:

The doubt spiral: "Is this just making things up as I go? Shouldn't I have a clearer plan? What if this is just self-indulgence?"

The comparison trap: "Everyone else seems to know exactly what they're doing. Look at their strategic launches and clear messaging. Maybe I should just..."

The urgency pull: "I need to figure this out faster. I need to make money now. I don't have time for this alignment exploration."

Each form of resistance was really just my conditioning trying to pull me back to the familiar, even though the familiar hadn't worked.

SEGMENT 4: The Alignment Indicators

Gradually, I began to recognize what alignment actually felt like in my business:

Indicator #1: Flow state When I was in alignment, time seemed to disappear. Work didn't feel like work. Ideas came naturally.

Indicator #2: Energetic expansion Aligned activities left me feeling energized rather than depleted, even when they required significant effort.

Indicator #3: Synchronicities The right resources, connections, and opportunities began appearing at just the right time.

Indicator #4: Client resonance The clients who found me seemed to arrive exactly when I had something they needed, and they responded to my authentic voice.

Indicator #5: Intuitive knowing I began experiencing clear inner guidance about next steps, often in unexpected moments of quiet.

These indicators became my new navigation system - more reliable than any strategy I'd followed before.

SEGMENT 5: The Emerging Business Vision

As I continued following alignment, something remarkable began to take shape - a business vision that actually felt like mine.

This vision was different from my previous business in fundamental ways:

• It was built around my natural energy rhythms, not forced productivity

• It valued depth of impact over breadth of reach

• It prioritized alignment in every decision, from pricing to partnerships

• It allowed for evolution and organic growth

• It measured success by how it felt, not just by external metrics

The most surprising part? This aligned approach didn't mean sacrificing success. In fact, it created results more sustainable than anything I'd built through hustle.

SEGMENT 6: The Permission to Trust

Perhaps the most significant shift was giving myself permission to trust:

• Trust my intuition over expert advice

• Trust my body wisdom over strategic formulas

• Trust my natural rhythm over arbitrary timelines

• Trust that alignment would lead to abundance

This trust didn't come easily. It was a daily choice, especially when fear or conditioning would resurface.

But each time I chose alignment over strategy, the evidence built: This path not only felt better - it worked better.

CLOSING

The journey into alignment isn't a destination - it's an ongoing exploration. There are still days when I slip back into old patterns or question this path.

The difference is that now I have tools to recognize when I'm out of alignment and practices to find my way back.

In our final episode, I'll share how I've rebuilt my business through alignment, the surprising results of this approach, and what success looks like when it's created on your terms.

If you're in that empty canvas stage, feeling both liberated and uncertain after releasing what isn't yours, know this: Your aligned path is already within you. Your job isn't to create it - it's to uncover it.

Until next time, this is Stefanie with Business Beyond Strategy, where we're discovering that the most powerful business model is the one that's aligned with your soul.

The Unlearning : Breaking Free From The Success Conditioning

Welcome back to Business Beyond Strategy. I'm Stefanie , and this is the fourth episode in my journey from hustle culture to aligned success.

So far, I've shared how I built a business following everyone else's rules, watched it crumble, and awakened to hustle culture's hold on me. Today, we're diving into the most challenging part of the journey - the active unlearning process.

SEGMENT 1: The Invisible Prison

After recognizing hustle culture's influence, I faced an uncomfortable truth: my mind had been conditioned in ways I couldn't even see.

My definition of success wasn't actually mine. It had been installed through:

• Business gurus I followed religiously

• Social media algorithms showing constant "success" stories

• Industry norms I never questioned

• Family patterns around work and worth

• Cultural messages about productivity and value

This conditioning wasn't just affecting my business strategies. It had shaped my entire relationship with success, worth, and identity.

SEGMENT 2: The Beliefs I Had to Confront

The unlearning process began with identifying the specific beliefs that were driving my decisions:

Belief #1: "My worth is tied to my productivity." I had internalized the idea that my value as a person was directly connected to how much I accomplished. Rest wasn't just difficult - it triggered actual guilt and anxiety.

Belief #2: "If it's not hard, it's not valuable." I had been programmed to believe that anything that came easily wasn't worth offering. I was actively making things more complicated because I thought that's what made them valuable.

Belief #3: "More is always better." More clients, more revenue, more followers, more offerings. I had never questioned whether expansion was always the right direction.

Belief #4: "Success looks a certain way." I had a rigid image of what "making it" looked like, and it wasn't actually based on what I wanted - it was based on what I thought would gain approval.

Belief #5: "Other people know better than I do." Perhaps the most damaging belief was that experts, gurus, and mentors always knew better than my own intuition.

SEGMENT 3: The Unlearning Process

Identifying these beliefs was just the beginning. Unlearning them was the real work.

Here's what this looked like in practice:

Step 1: Awareness through contrast I began to notice when a decision or action felt heavy versus light. This contrast became my first clue about alignment.

Step 2: Pattern interruption When I caught myself falling into old patterns, I created a pause. Sometimes literally saying "stop" out loud to break the pattern.

Step 3: Belief questioning For each conditioned belief, I asked:

• Where did this come from?

• Is this actually true for me?

• What evidence do I have that contradicts this?

• What would I believe if no one had taught me what to think?

Step 4: Embodied experiments I began testing new ways of working and making decisions:

• Working when I felt naturally energized

• Pricing based on energy exchange, not market rates

• Creating offers that felt aligned, not "strategic"

• Making decisions from body wisdom, not pro/con lists

SEGMENT 4: The Hardest Habits to Break

Some patterns were especially challenging to release:

The validation addiction: I had become accustomed to external validation. Making decisions without seeking approval felt terrifying at first.

The scarcity response: When opportunities arose, my conditioned response was to grab them, whether they felt aligned or not. Learning to pause and check alignment was uncomfortable.

The complexity habit: I had been trained to believe that value comes from complexity. Creating simple, aligned solutions triggered impostor syndrome.

The certainty seeking: I wanted guarantees before moving forward. Learning to trust the unfolding process without certainty was a daily practice.

SEGMENT 5: Finding My Authentic Voice

As I unlearned these conditioned patterns, something unexpected emerged - my authentic voice.

I started to recognize the difference between:

• My conditioned business voice (strategic, certain, authoritative)

• My authentic business voice (intuitive, curious, flowing)

I began to notice when I was speaking or writing from conditioning versus authenticity. The difference was palpable - not just to me, but to those I was connecting with.

My authentic voice:

• Used different language

• Had different rhythms

• Attracted different responses

• Created connection, not just conversion

This voice had been there all along, just buried under layers of "should" and strategic positioning.

CLOSING

The unlearning process wasn't a one-time event. It continues to be a daily practice of noticing when I slip into conditioning and gently returning to alignment.

But with each layer I release, business becomes more natural, more energizing, and more authentically mine.

In our next episode, I'll share how this unlearning created space for true alignment - and how I began discovering my soul-led business path.

If you're feeling the weight of success conditioning in your own business, know that unlearning is possible. It happens one belief, one pattern, one decision at a time.

Until next time, this is Stefanie with Business Beyond Strategy, where we're discovering that sometimes the most powerful thing you can do is unlearn what you thought was true.

Designed to Succeeed In Business With Human Design

The Human Design Secret to Breaking Through Business Plateaus

Opening:

Hey there, welcome back to the podcast! I'm so excited you're here today because we're diving into something that has completely transformed my business and the businesses of so many of my clients.

Have you ever noticed how some entrepreneurs seem to attract clients effortlessly while you're working twice as hard with half the results? Or how certain business owners can post something seemingly simple and get an incredible response, while your carefully crafted content barely gets a like?

What if I told you it's not about working harder or even smarter—but about working in alignment with your energetic blueprint?

Today, I'm revealing why your Human Design holds the key to breaking through your business plateau and why following generic business advice might be the very thing keeping you stuck.

If you've been trying all the 'proven' strategies, creating content consistently, showing up on all the platforms, and still feeling invisible to your dream clients, this episode is specifically for you.

Section 1: The Misalignment Epidemic

Let me ask you something: Have you ever purchased a course or program that promised amazing results, followed it to the letter, and still didn't see the transformation you were hoping for?

You're not alone. I call this the misalignment epidemic, and it's rampant in the business world.

I remember working with a client named Jessica. She had invested in three different high-ticket programs, each time convinced that THIS would be the solution that finally helped her break through. She followed every step, created the content, built the funnels, showed up on social media—everything the experts told her to do.

And yet, crickets. Very few clients, minimal engagement, and a growing sense that maybe she just wasn't cut out for business.

Another client, Michael, was constantly told to 'be more visible' and 'post every day.' He forced himself to create daily content, even though it left him feeling completely drained. Despite his consistency, his audience barely grew, and he started to resent his business.

Here's what's really happening: These entrepreneurs aren't failing because they lack discipline or skills. They're struggling because they're following strategies designed for completely different energy types.

It's like trying to force a square peg into a round hole and then blaming the peg when it doesn't fit.

The truth is, there's no one-size-fits-all approach to business success. What works brilliantly for one person might be energetically depleting for another. And when you're constantly operating against your natural energy, you're not just making business harder—you're making it nearly impossible to succeed in a way that feels good.

This is where Human Design comes in as the missing piece of the puzzle.

Section 2: The Human Design Advantage

Human Design is essentially your energetic blueprint—a map that shows how you're naturally designed to make decisions, interact with others, and create success in the world.

When I first discovered Human Design, I was skeptical. But as I began to understand my own design and implement aligned strategies in my business, everything changed. Suddenly, marketing didn't feel like pulling teeth. Client attraction became more effortless. And most importantly, I stopped feeling like I was constantly swimming upstream.

Let me share a few brief examples of how this has transformed businesses:

Sidney was a 3/5 profile in Human Design, which means she's designed to learn through experimentation—through trial and error. But she was following rigid formulas and beating herself up when they didn't work. Once she understood her design, she embraced her natural experimental approach, started sharing her journey including the ups and downs, and her audience connection exploded. Her content went from crickets to conversations, and she filled her program within weeks.

Then there's David, who has a completely different design. He's a Projector type, which means he's energetically designed to be invited and recognized, not to chase or initiate. He was exhausting himself with aggressive outreach strategies because that's what the business gurus told him to do. When he shifted to creating deep, insightful content that showcased his wisdom and waited for the right invitations, everything changed. He now has a waitlist of clients who specifically seek out his unique perspective.

And finally, there's my own story. For years, I tried to follow the conventional wisdom about growing a business. I created elaborate funnels, posted on a rigid schedule, and followed launch formulas down to the letter. The result? Burnout, frustration, and mediocre results at best.

It wasn't until I discovered my Human Design that I realized why. As a 3/5 Innovative Leader, I'm designed to learn through experience, to try things and see what works. I'm naturally built to provide practical solutions based on my own trial and error. But I was trying to skip that experimental phase by following someone else's proven system.

When I finally embraced my design and built my business around it, everything shifted. My content resonated more deeply, my offers filled more easily, and most importantly—I stopped feeling like there was something wrong with me because I couldn't make those other strategies work.

Section 3: The Three Business Energy Types

Now, Human Design is wonderfully complex and nuanced, but for today's episode, I want to simplify it into three primary business energy types so you can start to recognize where you might fit.

The first is what I call the Action-Driven Entrepreneur. If this is you, you're designed to initiate, to make things happen, and to learn through doing. The frustration you experience when misaligned is feeling like you're constantly hitting walls or not seeing results despite your efforts.

When you're aligned with this energy type, you naturally attract clients through your momentum and your willingness to share both successes and failures. Your authentic journey becomes magnetic to others who want similar results.

One strategy that works particularly well for this type is documenting your process rather than just sharing polished results. Your audience is drawn to your willingness to take action and figure things out along the way.

The second type is the Waiting-for-Recognition Entrepreneur. If this is you, you're designed to be seen, recognized, and invited rather than pushing or initiating. Your frustration when misaligned comes from feeling exhausted by constant outreach or feeling invisible despite your expertise.

When you're aligned, you attract clients through your depth of insight and your ability to see what others miss. People come to you for your wisdom and your unique perspective.

A strategy that works well for this type is creating content that demonstrates your insight rather than directly selling your services. Focus on being recognized for your expertise, and the invitations will follow naturally.

The third type is the Responsive Entrepreneur. If this is you, you're designed to respond to what's happening around you rather than forcing initiatives or waiting for recognition. Your frustration when misaligned is feeling either too passive or too forceful in your business approach.

When you're aligned, you attract clients through your authentic responses to real needs and opportunities in your market. Your timing and responsiveness become your superpower.

A strategy that works for this type is creating responsive content based on what you're seeing in your audience or market rather than following a rigid content plan. Your ability to meet people where they are becomes your greatest client attraction tool.

As you're listening, you might be starting to recognize yourself in one of these types. And that recognition alone can be incredibly freeing—to understand that there's nothing wrong with you or your business approach. You've simply been trying to operate in a way that's not aligned with your natural energy.

Section 4: The Alignment Breakthrough

Let me share more specifically about my own alignment breakthrough, because it illustrates exactly how transformative this understanding can be.

Before discovering Human Design, I was constantly comparing myself to other business owners. I'd see someone post daily content and get amazing engagement, while my carefully planned weekly posts barely got noticed. I'd watch others launch with seemingly minimal effort and fill their programs, while I'd pour my heart and soul into a launch only to hear crickets.

I tried everything—hiring coaches, taking courses, joining masterminds. And while I'd get temporary results, nothing seemed to stick. I was exhausted, frustrated, and seriously considering whether I was cut out for entrepreneurship at all.

Then I discovered Human Design, and specifically my 3/5 Innovative Leader profile. I learned that I'm literally designed to learn through trial and error, to experiment and discover what works through direct experience. I'm built to be a practical problem-solver who provides solutions based on what I've personally tested and refined.

This was a complete game-changer. Instead of forcing myself to follow someone else's blueprint, I embraced my experimental nature. I started sharing my process, including the ups and downs. I became transparent about what I was learning along the way.

And something amazing happened. My audience grew. My content started resonating deeply. People began reaching out to work with me specifically because of my unique approach. I went from struggling to fill a program to having a waitlist.

But the most profound change was internal. I no longer felt like there was something wrong with me because I couldn't make those other strategies work. I understood that I was simply designed differently, and that my design was actually perfect for the type of business I wanted to build.

This is the transformation I now help my clients achieve—that alignment between who they naturally are and how they operate their business. And the results are consistently remarkable.

Call to Action:

If you're resonating with what I've shared today, you might be wondering how your specific Human Design is affecting your business results. What aspects of your natural energy have you been fighting against? What strengths have you been overlooking?

That's why I've created the Aligned Business Blueprint call, where we'll uncover exactly why you've been stuck despite your best efforts and identify the specific shifts needed to transform your results.

Realizing Hustle Culture’s Hold On Me

Episode: The Awakening: Recognizing Hustle Culture's Hold On Me

Welcome back to Business Beyond Strategy. I'm Stefanie, and this is the third episode in my journey from hustle culture to aligned success.

In our first two episodes, I shared how I built a business following everyone else's rules, and then watched it crumble. Today, I'm taking you into what came next - the awakening that changed everything.

SEGMENT 1: The Aftermath

After my business collapsed, I went through a period of 2-3 months where I was simply processing what had happened.

I was exhausted - not just physically, but soul-tired. The kind of exhaustion that sleep doesn't fix.

At first, I tried to make sense of it all through the same lens I'd always used:

• Maybe I hadn't implemented the strategies correctly

• Maybe I needed a different business model

• Maybe I just hadn't found the right mentor or program

I was still looking outward for answers, because that's all I knew how to do.

SEGMENT 2: The Pattern Recognition

Then came a moment I'll never forget.

I woke up one day after I lost my dad and realized I’m not who I want to be. I’m living for external validation and trying to fit in when I was born to stand out.

Suddenly, I could see the pattern I'd been caught in:

• Feeling inadequate or stuck

• Looking outside myself for solutions

• Following someone else's blueprint

• Initial excitement and results

• Eventual burnout and disconnect

• Rinse and repeat

I realized I had been caught in hustle culture's web without even knowing it. I had unconsciously bought into beliefs like:

• Success requires sacrifice and struggle

• More is always better

• If it feels hard, you're doing it right

• Rest is a reward, not a necessity

• Your worth is tied to your productivity

SEGMENT 3: The Body Wisdom

What's fascinating is that my body had been trying to tell me this all along.

I started to recognize how hustle culture had affected me physically:

• The tension I carried in my back. constant back pain, even though I went to doctors and chiropractors

• The sleep problems that became normal. i relied on melatonin every night to fall asleep

• The way my energy would crash at certain points

• The anxiety that became my constant companion

My body had been sending signals, but I had been trained to override them, to push through, to hustle harder.

In the stillness that followed my business collapse, I finally started listening to these signals instead of silencing them.

SEGMENT 4: The Question That Changed Everything

In this period of reflection, I asked myself a question I had never dared to ask before:

"What if success could feel good?"

It sounds so simple, but it was revolutionary for me. I had been conditioned to believe that:

• Success requires sacrifice

• Growth must be painful

• Discomfort is always the path to expansion

But what if that wasn't true? What if success could feel aligned, energizing, and natural?

This question cracked open everything I thought I knew about business.

SEGMENT 5: The First Steps Toward Alignment

Once I recognized hustle culture's hold on me, I began to make different choices:

I started with small acts of reclamation:

• Allowing myself to work when I felt naturally energized, not when the "productivity experts" said I should

• Giving myself permission to rest without guilt

• Checking in with my body before making business decisions

• Questioning business advice instead of automatically accepting it

• Noticing what actually felt good, not just what looked good

None of this was easy. Years of conditioning don't disappear overnight. But each small choice to honor my inner wisdom over external rules felt like coming home to myself.

SEGMENT 6: The Resistance

I'd be lying if I said there wasn't resistance.

When you've built your entire identity around hustle culture, choosing alignment can feel terrifying:

• What if I fall behind?

• What if I'm not doing enough?

• What if everyone else succeeds while I prioritize alignment?

• What if this is just an excuse for being lazy?

These fears were loud. Sometimes deafening.

But underneath them, there was something else emerging - a quiet knowing that there was another way. A way that honored my energy, my wisdom, and my unique path.

CLOSING

The awakening wasn't a single moment, but a series of small recognitions that eventually changed everything.

Recognizing hustle culture's hold was just the beginning. In our next episode, I'll share the active unlearning process - how I began to break free from success conditioning and reclaim my authentic voice.

If you're feeling the weight of hustle culture in your own business, I invite you to ask yourself that same powerful question: "What if success could feel good?"

Your awakening might be closer than you think.

Until next time, this is Stefanie with Business Beyond Strategy, where we're discovering that true success comes not from hustle, but from alignment.

The Fall : When my business crumbled overnight

Episode: The Fall: When My Business Empire Crumbled Overnight

Welcome back to Business Beyond Strategy. I'm Stefanie, and this is the second episode in my series about my journey from hustle culture to aligned success.

Last time, I shared how I built a seemingly successful business by following everyone else's rules. Today, I'm going to share something much harder - what happened when it all came crashing down.

SEGMENT 1: The Breaking Point

It didn't happen overnight, even though it felt that way. Looking back, the foundation had been cracking for months.

I had began to feel stressed, anxious, and like if I stopped hustling, it would all fall apart

For me, it started with watching so many others quit. At first, I did what I had always done - I looked for a strategy to fix it. I doubled down on what had worked before. I pushed harder. I hustled more.

But this time, something was different. The formulas weren't working anymore.

SEGMENT 2: The Collapse

Then came the moment that changed everything.

I was sitting with my dad as he was dying and my income was completely gone and i realized that life is too short to do things that do not bring us pure joy and fulfillment. Too short to chase external validation.

Within months, I watched as:

• income slowly disappeared

• clients and teammates left

• I began to resent my business

The business I had built so carefully, following all the "right" strategies, was crumbling before my eyes.

And the worst part? I had no idea why. I had followed the blueprint. I had done everything "right." So how could this be happening?

SEGMENT 3: The Identity Crisis

The hardest part wasn't losing the business itself. It was losing my identity.

For years, I had defined myself by this version of success. I was the person who had "made it" by following the formulas. My worth was tied to my achievements, my client list, my revenue.

And suddenly, all of that was gone.

I found myself asking questions I had never allowed myself to ask:

• Who am I without this business?

• Was any of it ever really mine to begin with?

• If the strategies work for everyone, why did they stop working for me?

• What if everything I believed about success was wrong?

This wasn't just a business crisis. It was an existential one.

SEGMENT 4: The Hidden Gift

It took me [timeframe] to recognize it, but the collapse of my business was actually the best thing that could have happened to me.

Because in that painful space, I finally had to confront the truth:

I had built a business that wasn't truly mine.

I had been:

• Creating from someone else's vision

• Working against my natural energy

• Ignoring my intuition

• Chasing external validation

The collapse forced me to stop running on the hamster wheel long enough to ask: "Is this even the direction I want to be going?"

And in that question was the beginning of my real journey.

[TRANSITION SOUND]

SEGMENT 5: The First Glimpse of Light

In the midst of this dark period, something unexpected began to happen.

For the first time in years, I had space. Space to breathe. Space to feel. Space to listen to the voice that had been trying to guide me all along.

I started to notice subtle shifts:

• Ideas coming to me in moments of stillness, not striving

• A gentle pull toward certain actions that didn't "make sense" strategically

• Physical sensations when I considered different paths forward

• A growing discomfort with the business advice I used to follow religiously

I didn't have a name for it yet, but I was experiencing my first taste of alignment.

CLOSING

The collapse of my business wasn't the end of my story. It was the beginning of a much more authentic one.

In our next episode, I'll share the awakening that followed - how I began to recognize hustle culture's hold on me and took my first steps toward a different way of creating success.

If you're in a place where things are falling apart, I want you to know that sometimes things need to break down before they can be rebuilt in alignment. Sometimes the collapse is actually the universe's way of creating space for what's truly yours.

Until next time, this is Stefanie with Business Beyond Strategy, where we're discovering that sometimes losing everything is the path to finding yourself.

The Unlearning : Rebuilding My Business On My Own Terms

Episode: The Rise: How I Built a 6-Figure Business Following Everyone Else's Rules

Welcome to Business Beyond Strategy. I'm [Your Name], and today I'm starting something different - a raw, honest series about my journey from hustle culture to aligned success.

If you've ever followed all the "right" strategies but still felt something was missing... this series is for you.

SEGMENT 1: The Beginning

Let me take you back to where it all started.

When my dad was diagnosed with Early Onset Alzheimers, I knew I wanted to figure out this online business thing and create a life where I can be with him and help during his decline.

I was determined to build a successful business. I did what we're all told to do - I studied the "experts." I followed their blueprints. I implemented their strategies.

And honestly? It seemed to be working.

Within [timeframe], I had built a 6-figure business. From the outside, I was living the entrepreneur dream. I had the client roster, the income, the social proof.

I was doing all the "right" things:

• Waking up at 5am because that's what successful people do

• Following the perfect launch formula down to the letter

• Creating content on a rigid schedule

• Networking in all the right places

• Investing in high-ticket programs and masterminds

And I became really good at following these external strategies. So good that I built a business that looked successful by everyone else's standards.

SEGMENT 2: The Success Facade

Here's what my "successful" business looked like on paper:

• 6 figures in annual revenue

• hundreds of clients

• Top .01% in my industry

• Hit all the ranks, trips, etc.

I had followed the blueprint perfectly. I had done everything right.

But what no one saw was what was happening behind the scenes:

• The constant exhaustion

• The disconnection from my own intuition

• The nagging feeling that something wasn't aligned

• The fear that if I stopped hustling, everything would fall apart

I was caught in what I now call the "external validation loop" - constantly looking outside myself for the next strategy, the next tactic, the next blueprint that would keep the success going.

SEGMENT 3: The Warning Signs

Looking back, the warning signs were there all along. I just didn't recognize them.

Sign #1: Success felt heavy, not light. Every achievement came with exhaustion rather than energy. I'd hit a goal and instead of celebration, I'd feel relief... quickly followed by anxiety about the next goal.

Sign #2: My business was built on someone else's rhythm. I was forcing myself into systems and schedules that weren't natural to me.

Sign #3: Decision fatigue was constant. I couldn't trust my own instincts because I was so programmed to look for external validation. Every decision required research, comparison, and overthinking.

Sign #4: My definition of success kept shifting. As soon as I'd reach a milestone, it somehow wasn't enough. The goalposts kept moving because I was measuring success by external standards, not internal alignment.

SEGMENT 4: What I Know Now

What I didn't understand then - but see so clearly now - is that I was building on a foundation that wasn't mine.

I was:

• Using someone else's strategy

• Following someone else's timeline

• Copying someone else's offers

• Chasing someone else's definition of success

The business I built looked like success on the outside. But it wasn't sustainable because it wasn't aligned with my energy, my values, or my natural way of working.

This isn't to say those strategies don't work - they clearly did, at least for a while. But they worked at a cost that was higher than I realized.

CLOSING

Next episode, I'll share what happened when this carefully constructed business began to crumble - and the painful but necessary awakening that followed.

If any of this resonates with you - if you've built success but it doesn't feel like yours - I want you to know you're not alone. And there is another way.

Until next time, this is [Your Name] with Business Beyond Strategy, where we're discovering that the path to true success isn't in another strategy - it's in alignment with your soul.

Why your morning routine isn’t working (and what to do instead)

The Morning Routine Trap

If you spend any time learning about business success, you've heard the advice: "Win your morning, win your day." And suddenly it feels like you need to:

• Wake up at 5am

• Drink lemon water

• Journal for 20 minutes

• Meditate for 30

• Exercise for 45

• Read for an hour

• And plan your day to perfection

All before opening your inbox.

Here's the truth: If you're trying to force someone else's morning routine, you're actually setting yourself up for failure.

Why Traditional Routines Fail

The problem isn't morning routines themselves. It's that most routines focus on actions without addressing energy.

Let me ask you:

• Have you tried multiple morning routines that worked for a while then fizzled out?

• Do you feel guilty when you can't stick to your planned routine?

• Does your "perfect morning" feel like another thing on your to-do list?

If so, you're not alone. And it's not your fault.

Here's what's really happening: You're trying to apply someone else's energy pattern to your unique system.

It's like trying to run Mac software on a Windows computer. It's not going to work, no matter how determined you are.

Understanding Your Energy Blueprint

Every entrepreneur has a unique energy blueprint. Some of us:

• Are naturally night owls but force morning routines

• Have creative energy that fluctuates with moon cycles

• Need spaciousness rather than structure

• Thrive on variety rather than consistency

The key isn't finding the "perfect" routine. It's discovering YOUR aligned morning flow.

The Aligned Morning Method

Let's transform your morning from forced to flowing:

Step 1: Energy First, Actions Second

• Before planning what to DO, decide how you want to FEEL

• Set your energetic intention for the day

• Clear yesterday's energy before creating today's

Step 2: Honor Your Natural Rhythm

• Notice when you naturally feel most clear and focused

• Build your business day around YOUR energy peaks

• Release guilt about not fitting the "5am club" mold

Step 3: Create Your Energy Container

• Establish energetic boundaries for your day

• Protect your energy from external demands

• Set an intention for how you'll show up

Here's a quick practice you can try tomorrow morning:

Before reaching for your phone or jumping into your to-do list, take 3 minutes to:

1. Place your hands on your heart

2. Take three deep breaths

3. Ask yourself: "What energy do I choose to create from today?"

4. Feel that energy in your body

5. Set an intention to maintain this energy throughout your day

This simple practice takes just 3 minutes but can transform your entire day's flow.

The Results of Aligned Mornings

When you start your day with energy alignment rather than forced routines:

• Decisions become clearer

• Creative ideas flow more easily

• Client interactions feel more aligned

• You accomplish more with less effort

• Your entire business feels more in flow

Let me share a quick client story:

Sarah had tried countless morning routines - from elaborate hour-long rituals to quick productivity hacks. Nothing stuck, and she always ended up feeling like she was failing.

When she began using the Aligned Morning Method, everything shifted. Instead of forcing herself to journal for 20 minutes (which she dreaded), she discovered that a 5-minute energy clearing practice followed by a short dance to raise her vibration completely transformed her day.

Within weeks, she noticed not just improved energy, but tangible business results. Her sales calls converted better. Her content creation flowed more easily. And she started attracting clients who energetically aligned with her work.

The difference? She stopped following someone else's prescription and started honoring her own energy blueprint.

CLOSING

Your invitation this week: Try the 3-minute Aligned Morning Practice I shared. Notice how different your day feels when you set your energy first, before jumping into action.

If you're ready to dive deeper into creating business success through alignment, I have something special for you.

My "Strategy Detox Your 7-day Day Inner Alignment Experience" will help you discover your unique energy blueprint and create success that feels natural, not forced. We'll dive much deeper into morning alignment rituals, decision-making from your highest self, and creating a business that works WITH your energy instead of against it.

To learn more, visit stefcarlstedt.com

Until next time, remember - alignment before action, always.

Your coach,

Stef

Working against yourself?? Identify the hidden blocks in your business

SECTION 1: WHAT ARE BUSINESS BLOCKS?

Let's start by understanding what business blocks really are, because they're often misunderstood.

Business blocks aren't just mindset issues or lack of knowledge. They're energetic patterns that create resistance between you and your goals. Think of them as invisible barriers that stop you from taking aligned action, even when you know what to do.

I recently worked with a client who knew intuitively she needed to raise her prices. She'd done the market research, she knew her worth, but she kept putting it off week after week. It wasn't lack of strategy holding her back - it was a deeper block around her worth.

These blocks show up in three main ways:

First, through procrastination and avoidance. You might notice yourself constantly putting off specific tasks in your business - maybe it's sending that proposal, creating content, or having sales conversations. This isn't just about being busy; it's often a sign of a deeper block.

Second, through knowing but not doing. This is when you have all the knowledge, you've taken the courses, you know what steps to take next, but something stops you from implementing. My client David knew exactly what content he needed to create but found himself reorganizing his desk instead of hitting record.

Third, through self-sabotage. This might look like creating unnecessary complications, experiencing conflict right before success, or somehow undermining your progress just as things start going well.

SECTION 2: THE THREE CORE BLOCKS

Through my work with countless entrepreneurs, I've identified three core blocks that show up most frequently. Understanding which one is holding you back is the first step to breaking through.

The first is Trust Blocks. These show up as:

• Constant strategy-hopping

• Excessive research before action

• Decision paralysis

• Looking for external validation

• Discounting your intuitive hits

If you find yourself constantly seeking more information before you feel ready to act, this might be your primary block. Trust blocks stem from a disconnection from your intuition and an overreliance on external guidance.

My client was a perfect example. She couldn't make a single business decision without consulting multiple people, researching for hours, and still feeling uncertain. Her business was stuck in analysis paralysis. Once we addressed her trust block, she started making decisions quickly and confidently - and her business finally gained momentum.

The second is Worth Blocks. These manifest as:

• Undercharging for your services

• Over-delivering beyond scope

• Hesitation to launch or promote

• Waiting to be "ready enough"

• Difficulty receiving praise or payment

If you find yourself struggling with pricing, visibility, or receiving, this is likely your core block. Worth blocks typically stem from tying your value to external achievements or comparing yourself to others in your field.

The third is Visibility Blocks. These appear as:

• Perfectionism before sharing

• Content procrastination

• Hiding your true message

• Playing smaller than you know you could

• Fear of judgment or criticism

If you've been holding back your voice or playing small, this is probably your primary block. Visibility blocks often stem from past criticism or a fear of outgrowing relationships.

Most entrepreneurs I work with have one primary block that affects multiple areas of their business. Identifying which one is yours is the first step to freedom.

MAKE SURE TO GRAB MY COURSE BELOW TO REMOVE THESE BLOCKS AND CREATE CONTENT AND OFFERS THAT ARE ALIGNED!

Your Energy As Your Business Oracle

Episode 4: Your Environment as Your Business Oracle

SEGMENT 1: Space as Energy

Everything in your environment carries a frequency. That cluttered desk? It's blocking abundance. Those inspirational quotes? They're raising your vibration. Your space tells the story of where your business is heading.

SEGMENT 2: Creating Sacred Business Space

Let's transform your workspace into a manifestation portal:

Physical Space:

• Clear the clutter (physical blocks = energetic blocks)

• Face your desk toward success (feng shui principles)

• Create an inspiration corner

• Add elements that raise your frequency (crystals, plants, art)

Digital Space:

• Clean up your desktop

• Organize your files

• Clear your inbox

• Curate your social media feed

SEGMENT 3: Success Rituals

Your environment supports your rituals. Let's create powerful ones:

Morning Success Ritual:

• Sacred space clearing

• Intention setting

• Energy alignment

• Success visualization

Closing Business Day Ritual:

• Gratitude practice

• Energy clearing

• Tomorrow's intention setting

• Sacred space reset

SEGMENT 4: Reading Your Environment

Your space speaks. Listen when:

• Technology keeps failing (resistance to scaling?)

• Plants won't grow (nurturing needed?)

• Constant interruptions (boundaries needed?)

• Things keep breaking (transformation coming?)

CLOSING

This week's invitation:

• Create your sacred business space

• Establish your success rituals

• Let your environment guide you

Next week, we're diving into manifesting your ideal clients and aligning your offers.

Remember: Your environment is your business oracle. What's yours telling you?

MAKE SURE TO SNAG MY STRATEGY DETOX COURSE to start bulding the aligned business of your dreams!!

Alignment Before Action : The Key to Effortless Business Decisions

Ever notice how some business decisions feel heavy while others flow effortlessly? That's not coincidence – that's your energetic alignment speaking. When you're aligned, decisions become crystal clear. When you're not, even simple choices feel overwhelming.

The Power of Aligned Decision-Making

Have you ever made a business decision that looked perfect on paper but felt off in your gut? Or maybe you've ignored that nagging feeling and pushed forward anyway, only to regret it later. That's what happens when we prioritize strategy over alignment.

Understanding Alignment vs. Force

Let's break down what business decisions look like in both states:

Forced Decisions:

• Feel heavy and draining

• Require endless pro/con lists

• Keep you up at night

• Leave you second-guessing

• Come from fear or scarcity

Aligned Decisions:

• Feel light and exciting

• Flow naturally

• Bring clarity and peace

• Feel right in your body

• Come from abundance and trust

Your Energetic Business Vision

Before any action, we need to get clear on your aligned vision. Take a moment to feel into:

• What does success feel like in your body?

• Who are you serving at your highest level?

• What energy do you want to embody?

• How do you want your business to flow?

The Three Gates of Aligned Decision-Making

Every business decision should pass through these gates:

1. Energy Alignment Check

• Does this light me up?

• Does it feel expansive?

• Is it energizing or draining?

1. Soul Purpose Filter

• Does this align with my mission?

• Does it serve my highest purpose?

• Does it feel authentic to me?

1. Abundance Alignment

• Am I choosing from abundance or fear?

• Does this honor my worth?

• Will this create sustainable growth?

Practical Manifestation in Business

Alignment isn't just theoretical – it's highly practical. Here's how to put it into action:

1. Ground Your Energy

• Start each day with an alignment practice

• Clear your energy before decisions

• Create sacred space for business planning

1. Connect to Vision

• Regularly visualize your aligned success

• Feel the energy of your next level

• Make decisions from that elevated state

1. Trust Your Guidance

• Honor your first intuitive hit

• Pay attention to body signals

• Notice signs and synchronicities

Signs You're Making Aligned Decisions

Watch for these indicators:

• Opportunities flow naturally

• The right resources appear

• Support shows up unexpectedly

• Everything feels easier

• Success becomes sustainable

Your Alignment Practice

Ready to make decisions from alignment? Start here:

1. Before any business decision, pause and ask:

• Does this feel light or heavy?

• Am I moving from inspiration or desperation?

• What would this look like if it were easy?

1. Create a daily alignment ritual:

• Morning energy clearing

• Intention setting

• Vision connection

• Gratitude practice

Moving Forward in Flow

Remember: Alignment before action, always. When you make decisions from an aligned state:

• Clarity replaces confusion

• Flow replaces force

• Success becomes natural

• Growth feels sustainable

Your business success isn't in pushing harder or doing more. It's in aligning your energy first and letting inspired action flow from there.

Ready to dive deeper into aligned business decisions? Listen to the full episode of "Business Beyond Strategy" wherever you get your podcasts.

From Scattered to Focused : Understanding your Business Energy

Have you ever noticed how some days in your business feel effortless while others feel like trudging through quicksand? The difference isn't in your time management strategy – it's in your energy.

The Time Management Myth

We've all been there: downloading the latest productivity app, color-coding our calendars, and trying to squeeze more into each hour. But here's the truth that nobody's talking about: Time management isn't your problem. Energy management is your solution.

Think about it. How many times have you accomplished more in two focused hours than in an entire scattered day? That's not about time. That's about energy.

Understanding Your Energy Blueprint

Every entrepreneur has a unique energy blueprint – a natural rhythm that, when honored, leads to effortless success. But most of us are too busy following someone else's schedule to notice our own.

Your energy blueprint includes:

• Peak creativity windows

• Natural decision-making times

• Intuitive working patterns

• Energy renewal needs

When you align your business with your energy blueprint, everything flows. Tasks that used to drain you become energizing. Decisions that used to paralyze you become clear.

Signs You're Working Against Your Energy

1. You feel exhausted after tasks that should be simple

2. Your best ideas come when you're "supposed" to be working on something else

3. You're most productive at "odd" hours

4. Your energy crashes at predictable times, but you push through anyway

Creating Your Aligned Daily Practice

The morning sets your energetic tone for the entire day. Here's how to start with alignment:

1. Energy Check-in

Start each day by asking:

• How am I feeling energetically?

• What's my intuition saying about today?

• Where do I need more alignment?

2. Intention Setting

Choose your energy by deciding:

• How do I want to feel today?

• What's my focused priority?

• What energy do I want to bring to my tasks?

3. Energy Protection

Protect your aligned state by:

• Setting energetic boundaries

• Creating sacred work space

• Honoring your natural rhythms

The Focus Formula

Transform scattered energy into focused flow with these practices:

1. Block your day by energy, not just time

   • Schedule creative work during your high-energy periods

   • Save administrative tasks for steady-energy times

   • Honor your natural rest and renewal needs

2. Create energetic boundaries

   • Set clear start and end times

   • Create transition rituals

   • Protect your peak energy windows

3. Practice energy renewal

   • Take breaks before you need them

   • Include movement in your day

   • Honor your natural rest cycles

Your Next Steps

Starting today:

1. Track your energy patterns for the next three days

2. Notice your natural peaks and valleys

3. Begin designing your business around your energy blueprint

4. Release guilt about working differently than others

Remember: Your energy is your biggest business asset. When you learn to work with it instead of against it, everything in your business transforms.

Are you ready to stop managing time and start flowing with your natural energy? Your aligned success awaits.

Want to dive deeper into understanding your business energy? Listen to the full episode of "Business Beyond Strategy" wherever you get your podcasts.

Breaking Free From Strategy Addiction

Breaking Free from Strategy Addiction: Why That Next Business Strategy Won't Save You

Let me ask you something: How many unopened courses are sitting in your digital library right now? How many strategy guides and marketing playbooks are collecting dust in your downloads folder? If you're feeling called out, keep reading.

The Strategy Trap

Here's a truth bomb: The next marketing strategy isn't going to save your business. I know, because I've been there. I used to be what I call a "strategy collector." Every time I felt stuck, I'd convince myself that the next course, the next framework, the next guru's method would be the one to finally unlock everything.

But here's what was really happening: I was avoiding the deeper work. The internal work. The energetic alignment that every successful business needs at its core.

Why We Get Addicted to Strategies

Think about what happens when you buy a new course or strategy:

• You get an immediate hit of hope

• You feel like you're taking action

• You temporarily relieve the pressure to figure things out

• You get a brief surge of motivation

But then what happens? The high wears off, and you're back to feeling stuck, looking for the next strategy fix.

The Real Cost of Strategy Addiction

This cycle isn't just costing you money. It's:

• Draining your energy

• Cluttering your business vision

• Blocking your intuitive wisdom

• Creating energetic chaos

• Keeping you in perpetual "learning" mode instead of action mode

Understanding the Energy of Strategy Addiction

When you're constantly chasing new tactics, what energy are you putting out into the universe? One of lack. One of "not enough." One of "I need more to succeed."

This energy creates a self-fulfilling prophecy: The more strategies you collect, the more you feel you need, and the further you get from your natural path to success.

The Strategy Detox

Ready to break free? Here's your first step: We need to clear the energy. It's time for what I call a "Strategy Detox."

1. Open your downloads folder

2. Look at your course library

3. Make a list of every business strategy you've collected

Now, here's the important part – we're not going to delete everything. Instead, we're going to choose ONE thing to focus on. One strategy that genuinely aligns with your energy.

Finding Your Aligned Strategy

Ask yourself:

• Which solution makes me feel light and excited?

• Which one feels like it came from inspiration rather than desperation?

• Which one aligns with my soul's purpose for my business?

The answer might surprise you. Often, the most aligned strategy isn't the newest or the most complex – it's the one that feels most natural to you.

Moving Forward with Alignment

Your next steps:

1. Complete the Strategy Detox

2. Choose your ONE aligned focus

3. Notice how it feels to release the weight of unused strategies

4. Trust that your inner wisdom knows the way

The Freedom of Less

Here's the beautiful paradox: When you stop collecting strategies and start trusting your alignment, you actually create more success. Why? Because your energy isn't scattered across dozens of half-implemented plans. It's focused, clear, and powerful.

Your Permission Slip

Consider this your permission slip to:

• Stop buying courses you won't complete

• Release strategies that don't feel aligned

• Trust your intuitive business wisdom

• Create success your way

Remember: Your business success isn't hiding in the next strategy. It's already within you, waiting to be unleashed through alignment.

Ready to dive deeper into creating business success through alignment? Listen to the full episode of "Business Beyond Strategy" wherever you get your podcasts.

Looking Forward

Remember this fundamental truth: your business success isn't hiding in the next strategy – it's already within you, waiting to be unleashed. Your journey to success begins with clearing these energetic blocks and aligning with your true purpose.

This post is part of the "Business Beyond Strategy" series, where manifestation meets marketing and transformation begins within. If you're ready to uncover and clear the blocks holding you back, I invite you to take my Business Energy Blocker assessment. Together, we can help you create the business you've always dreamed of.