Can Self-Care Be Selfish? Grace Doyle on Self-Compassion & Systems for Overwhelmed Founders

Operations consultant Grace Doyle joins Juliette to unpack the tension busy founders feel between serving their business and taking care of themselves. Drawing on her journey from COO to solo consultant, Grace explains how tiny, repeatable systems (in business and life) clear the mental clutter that leads to overwhelm, paralysis, and burnout. The conversation ranges from workflow audits and money mindsets to Grace’s 20-day “75-day” self-care experiment—showing that robust systems are really about self-compassion, not cold efficiency.“Women specifically feel the pressure to do it all and be it all.” — Grace DoyleTakeaways:Audit before you automate. Mapping every step of a recurring workflow almost always reveals extra clicks, duplicated tasks, or “legacy” steps no one can justify.Creatives feel overwhelm + paralysis first. Grace’s clients—photographers, designers, content creators—can envision the finish line but freeze on the how; filling that gap is her sweet spot.Boundaries fuel performance. When Grace prioritises sleep, movement, and connection she becomes a stronger partner, consultant, and “dog-mum”.Micro-saving still counts. Grace kept contributing as little as $50 while living off savings; the habit mattered more than the amount.Structure can be compassionate. Her gentler spin on the 75 Hard challenge (two workouts, no Uber Eats, 2 L of water) is a “follow-through” muscle, not a punishment.Enjoy the episode—and remember that the best “operations system” often starts with taking care of the operator (you)!Meet Grace DoyleGrace Doyle is an Ottawa-based operations strategist and former COO of an 80-person, multi-brand design company. Through her consultancy, Ops by Grace, she helps creative female founders replace overwhelm with streamlined systems, and actionable workflows so they can scale sustainably and still savour the life they’re building.ResourcesOps by Grace website – https://opsbygrace.comOps by Grace Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/opsbygraceWealthsimple robo-investing app → Get 25$ when you join → www.wealthsimple.com/invite/GLWGEGEverything Is Figureoutable book – https://www.marieforleo.com75 Hard challenge info – https://andyfrisella.com/pages/75hard-infoGood in Motion is supported by you, my community, and when you buy something I recommend, I may get an affiliate commission — but it never affects your price or what I pick.