Someone asked a really good question in a forum recently.
It’s the kind of question that’s practical on the surface, but underneath is an existential crisis. They said:
“I love the service I’ve built… but I’m already burned out from talking to people. Did I pick the wrong business model?”
And then:
“Should I switch to something like a paid newsletter instead?”
Am I doing the wrong thing?
If you’re a service-based entrepreneur, this question is going to come for you eventually. Usually right after the initial excitement wears off and reality sets in.
So let’s talk about it.
The thing no one tells you about “business models.”
I answered this question honestly.
I have never picked a business model. Not for one of my many businesses.
I try shit out. See how it feels. Modify.
Sometimes what looks like a “business model” emerges from the chaos. But it comes from doing what I feel compelled to do the way I actually want to do it, and changing what doesn’t work.
And it’s still evolving for me, quite dramatically, at present.
The real problem isn’t the business model you’ve chosen.
If a true problem can be said to exist, it’s the mismatch between how you naturally work and what your business requires of you.
This is what you’re actually feeling when you say:
“I’m not sure this is sustainable.”
And this is where the responses from others were really helpful.
Kate Burgener pointed out something practical most people overlook.
If your offer is low-ticket, you need more people.
If your offer is higher-ticket, you need fewer.
This one shift changes the required amount of time in conversations immediately.
She also shared something important:
- Sales to repeat clients are easier than new ones
- Referrals matter more than you think
- You don’t need to constantly meet new people forever
And one very tactical insight:
You can contain your energy.
She batches discovery calls into specific days so she’s not “on” all week.
That doesn’t require a new business model. It’s a better design of your current one.
Lex Roman of Revenue Rulebreaker added another angle about business models:
You can experiment with the model itself.
They run a subscription + sponsorship model, and said:
“It’s way less exhausting than client work… but it’s a ton of marketing and customer service.”
This is important to notice, because people think, “I’ll just switch to a newsletter and it’ll be easier.”
It’s not easier. It’s different.
Every business model is going to take time, energy and work. You’re not escaping effort.
You’re choosing the type of effort that’s most rewarding and enjoyable for you.
Jess Reid brought it back to energy which makes a business model sustainable (or not):
She makes choices to preserve her energy and use it intentionally.
- Asynchronous voice notes instead of calls
- Only one live call per day
- Scheduling based on energy and anticipating her menstrual cycle
This is someone designing their business around how they actually function as a human and want to live, not how they think they “should.”
So how do you choose a business model?
Here’s the part I would add that most people might be tempted to skip.
Don’t choose based on what sounds scaleable, what looks impressive, or what worked for someone else.
Choose based on what you can sustainably keep doing when no one is watching.
Because in the beginning, no one is.
A better question than, “What model should I choose?”
Ask this instead:
“What do I actually enjoy doing enough to keep doing…even when it’s not working yet?”
For the person who asked the question, they said:
“Running a paid newsletter feels really aligned with my skills and perspective.”
Good.
Then write. Publish. Create.
Make it a part of your ecosystem. Make doing what you love actually become your marketing.
This is what I do in my own business
I’ve made deep conversations, writing and leading community experiences the core of how I create clients.
It’s not the universal “best strategy,” but it feels natural and isn’t draining at all.
Which, ironically, makes it the best strategy. For me.
And here’s the deeper truth
You don’t build a business by picking the right model.
You build a business by:
- following what’s alive for you
- paying attention to what works
- adjusting what doesn’t
- and staying in the game long enough to find your art of doing business.
A “business model” is what we call the pattern that emerges from that.
One last thing
If you’re in that moment of questioning…
“I don’t know if this is sustainable.”
“I don’t know if I chose right.”
“I don’t know where this is going…”
Good. You’re paying attention.
You don’t need to figure it all out at once. You just need to notice..
What do you want right now?
What’s the next natural step?
If you want help with that, it’s exactly what we do in a DragonHeart Portal conversation.
We don’t try to force you into a business model. We’ll look at:
- What you think you want
- What’s actually true for you
- What’s yours to do next
If you’re in that “mini existential crisis” phase, you can book a DragonHeart Portal session here.
Yours in love and play,
Steph 🐲❤️
If you enjoyed this article, join my Daily Dragon emails list here for more playful and provocative musings on business, being gloriously human and changing the world.
