This Wasn’t the Business I Meant to Build
How I found my way back by making clarity my compass, not someone else’s blueprint.
You’re doing all the things they say you should—checking boxes, hitting milestones—and yet something feels off, like you're walking the path in someone else's shoes.
That has been me over the last few years - running my WordPress agency and then pivoting to Digital Navigator HQ.
I started all those years ago for a simple reason - flexibility.
To use my skills in a way that fits into my lifestyle - as mom, partner, community member, and more.
To earn enough without being burned out or boxed in.
And I did. I built something that worked—but it came at a cost.
Somewhere along the line, it stopped feeling like the business I envisioned.
I followed all the “right” paths - what the gurus and thought leaders said I should do.
Scaling teams, adding services, optimizing for growth.
But it didn’t feel like my version of success. Something changed.
The truth? I didn’t want an empire.
I wanted ease.
The Pivot Most Call Retirement
Most people think about stepping back or retiring at this season of life, but I am starting something new.
Not to hustle harder, but to build better with ease.
What I should have been leaning into:
Learning. Distilling. Testing. Clarifying. Sharing.
Finding clarity in chaos and making it useful for people who do things their way, too.
That was the idea behind the Digital Navigator HQ (DigiNav) - messy, experimental, and full of moments that didn’t work (until they did).
But I didn’t want another roadmap or signature system (and I still don’t).
Instead, I want to lean into my love for curiosity.
And that should be the compass.
I went back to the drawing board to quietly ask: What do I truly want? And that feels more like me and less like hustle (because there will always be work)
With my trusty chat assistant, I developed the SHIFT framework—five stages that reflect the solopreneur journey: Stuck, Hone, Identify, Focus, and Tailor. This framework turned into a compass map. Not a map with point A and B, but a guide to keep you focused on the good parts.
Why I’m Creating the Navigator Compass Map
I’ve spent a lot of years testing, tweaking, and questioning everything about how we are told to build and grow a business.
And I kept coming back to this question:
“Does this actually fit into the way you want to live and create?”
That question led to a different path - a change in direction.
One that doesn’t follow trends or blueprints.
It follows you—your clarity, your values, your needs.
That’s what the Navigator’s SHIFT Compass is for.
A simple guide to help you figure out:
Where are you now
What stage of the journey are you in
What tools, questions, and beliefs might support you next
I’ll be building and sharing each part publicly—warts and all.
Because no one needs another polished 50-page PDF.
We need something real.
Something usable.
Are you ready for a new type of journey?
Over the next few weeks, I’ll break down each section of the map, covering everything from my go-to tools to the questions I ask when I want to burn it all down— but don’t.
But today I’ll leave you with this:
You don’t have to build a business that impresses everyone.
You get to build one that fits you.
Where are you in your journey right now?