When Success Stops Feeling Good: My Entrepreneurial Pivot

There’s a moment in every ambitious woman’s life when the path she’s been walking suddenly feels like it’s pointing in the wrong direction. It doesn’t come with an explosion or a dramatic fall—it sneaks in quietly. A lingering sense of “meh.” A whisper of dissatisfaction. A subtle tug toward… something else.

That’s where I’ve found myself recently. Ten years into this business, newly married, post-honeymoon, and surrounded by success—and yet, I was stuck in what can only be described as an entrepreneurial midlife crisis. This isn’t just a story about me; it’s a story for any woman who’s ever looked around at the life she’s built and asked, “Is this really it?”

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The Subtle Descent into Purgatory

It started around October. My wedding, my annual women’s conference, and chronic shoulder pain collided into a whirlwind of distraction. Come January, I returned to my business… and felt nothing. I wasn’t unhappy. But I also wasn’t happy. I was in that dangerous middle space: purgatory.

That limbo where things are fine—but fine is not the same as fulfilled.

And if you’re a visionary woman, you know: fine is a slippery slope toward burnout, resentment, and disconnection from your purpose.

Asking Bigger Questions

This weird limbo season forced me into reflection. I began interrogating everything:

• What do I love about my business?

• What am I doing just because I always have?

• What do I truly want?

And most importantly: If I repeated the last 42 years for the next 42, would I be satisfied?

Spoiler: The answer was a hard no.

So I chose something radically different. I left Tulsa. I house-sat solo in rural Arkansas. I cared for chickens (even though birds terrify me). I stepped directly into the unknown—and it changed everything.

The Power of Interrupting the Pattern

Why chickens and cabins? Because when your brain is stuck in repetition, you need to force a pattern interrupt. Everything about my Arkansas escape was new. No routine. No expectations. No autopilot.

Dr. Joe Dispenza says it best: you can’t solve a problem from the same consciousness that created it. So I left everything familiar to create space for the unknown.

And in the quiet, I found clarity.

The Unspoken Reality of Success

Here’s the truth: I’ve built a six-figure business that runs consistently. And yet, I’ve spent years silently beating myself up for not having built a seven-figure one.

Because somewhere along the way, I moved the goalpost.

What started as pride turned into pressure. What started as vision turned into self-judgment. I was overworking and underliving—and I finally had to ask: Why?

The answer was clear: I’d allowed old metrics of success to define me. Metrics that no longer aligned with my soul.

Redefining Success on My Terms

This is the part where I stopped chasing more and started cultivating meaning.

Instead of goals, I started asking how I want to feel every day. Instead of hustle, I began prioritizing rest, play, and support. Instead of doing it all myself, I doubled down on receiving help—from mentors, healers, community.

Because the truth is, even the most put-together among us are still figuring it out.

What I Want You to Know

If you’re in your own weird season—if you’re questioning everything or feeling disconnected—you are not alone. In fact, you might be on the edge of your most important evolution yet.

Big questions are not a problem. They are portals.

But the answers don’t come when we’re clinging to the question. They come when we create space. When we face our fears (hello, chickens). When we choose the unknown. When we stop pretending we’ve got it all together and start getting honest about what’s no longer working.

If any part of this resonated with you, know this: you don’t have to burn it all down to build something better. You just have to get honest, get quiet, and give yourself permission to evolve.

Here’s to your next chapter. May it be full of presence, purpose, and big goal energy.

The resources mentioned in this episode are:

🔥Visit https://briseeley.com/free to get free access to DEFY REALITY: The Female Entrepreneur’s Guide to Achieving Her Audaciously Ambitious Goals.

🔥Join the free entrepreneurial community at https://briseeley.com/community for opportunities to connect with powerful women aiming towards big dreams and visions.

🔥Subscribe to the Big Goal Energy podcast for more upcoming episodes and valuable wisdom.

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