🎙️ S2 E11: What A Very Good Dog Taught Us About Business And Life

Tilly was with us for 14 years and eight months, woven into our home, our working days, and the quiet background of so many calls. When she died, we had no interest in pretending everything was “fine” just because we run businesses. Grief doesn’t care about your calendar, and being self-employed doesn’t magically create extra emotional capacity. So we talk honestly about what it feels like to keep moving when your heart has taken a hit, and why it matters to build work that can bend without breaking.We share the practical side too: how we asked clients to shuffle things, why having a client-free week matters, and how planning ahead plus support from a VA can keep the basics running when life throws a curveball. We unpack the hidden mental load of caring for an ageing dependent, the slow creep of poor sleep and constant checking, and the way it can quietly shrink your energy for networking, exercise, and all the “boring” admin that still needs doing.Underneath it all is a bigger point about personal brand and client relationships. When you let people see your real values, you tend to attract clients who understand that life happens. That kind of community becomes part of your resilience. We also leave you with the simplest reminder Tilly kept giving us: take the break, look up, breathe, and remember your business exists to serve your life, not consume it.If this resonates, follow and subscribe, share it with a fellow business owner, and leave us a review so more people can find the podcast. What is one change you could make this month to add real flexibility to your work?Something you’d love us to know? Send us a message - we’d love to hear from you. Support the show✨ Unfiltered. Unedited. Awesomely Off-Topic. New episodes every Tuesday.Follow us on Instagram for more rants, rambles and random brilliance: 👋  @AwesomelyOffTopic, plus our co-hosts @thetazthornton + @ashaclearwater