31/08/2026
Stop Chasing the Money. Start Building the Meaning. š¤
For a long time, I thought that if I could just get my business to a certain point, I would finally have the capacity to focus on everything else that mattered to me.
So I worked.
I built.
I learned.
I created.
And I poured almost everything I had into getting my business off the ground. But if I'm honest, there were times when the numbers became very loud.
How much am I making?
How many clients do I have?
Is this working?
Am I doing enough?
Will I ever get there?
Maybe you have asked yourself some of those questions too. But lately, life has been reminding me of something important.
Not everything meaningful can be measured in money.
Alongside my business, I have the privilege of being a Director of Mustard Seed Tree, an NPO that provides free counselling nationally and abroad, with a particular focus on supporting victims of abuse.
This work is separate from my business.
But it is deeply personal to me. The work we are doing is not easy. The process is long; sometimes it is uncomfortable.
Sometimes it requires difficult conversations.
And often, there are no immediate results.
But it matters.
This work is connected to the cycles of abuse I have seen broken in my own family. And now, I have the privilege of being part of something that is working towards helping break those cycles in our communities too.
Many of the people I work alongside are survivors themselves. And perhaps that is where the urgency comes from. There is something that happens when you have survived something and begin to realise that maybe your story can become part of creating a safer future for someone else.
Something inside you says: It stops with us.
Not perfectly.
Not overnight.
But intentionally.
Five years ago, a very dear friend asked me to become part of this work. I didn't even have to think about it.
My answer was yes.
For a long time, though, I wasn't able to give as much time and energy to this role as I wanted to. I was using almost everything I had to build my business and create a sustainable foundation for myself.
But something has shifted.
My capacity has grown.
And I believe the time has come. This season is teaching me that money has a place.
We need it.
We need it to support our families.
To build sustainable businesses.
To create opportunities.
And yes, to fund meaningful work.
There is absolutely nothing wrong with wanting to make money.
However, money is a result and a resource. It should never become the identity of what we are building. Because sometimes, when we chase the numbers too hard, we forget what matters.
We forget why we started. And we can overlook the things we are building that may never have a price tag attached to them.
So today, I am reminding myself of this: I am still building my business.
I still have financial goals.
I still believe in being paid well for meaningful work, but a meaningful life is bigger than one income stream.
Bigger than one business.
Bigger than a number in a bank account.
Sometimes the most important work we do is the work that comes from our hearts. The work connected to our stories.
The work that says: Because I survived, perhaps someone else can too. Because something changed in my family, perhaps something can change in my community. Because I have been given an opportunity, I will use it to help create something better for those coming after me.
That kind of work can be long.
It can be difficult.
It can ask us to have uncomfortable conversations.
It may not always bring immediate results, but it matters.
So no, I am not postponing or holding off on building wealth.
I am not sacrificing my business. And I am certainly not apologising for wanting to create financial sustainability. But I am learning not to chase money so relentlessly that I forget the meaning behind what I am building.
Because some things are priceless.
And sometimes the greatest measure of success is knowing that because you showed up, something became better.
A life.
A family.
A community.
A generation.š¤
So, before you chase another number this week, pause and ask yourself: What am I actually building?
And perhaps even more importantly: What will still matter when the numbers change?
With love,
Natalie š¤
