What It Means to Build a Business That Feeds You
In January 2024, I didn’t set out to build a business. I was laid off.
My confidence was low, my direction unclear. I had two young kids, no job, and no plan — just a small seed of an idea: maybe I’d try freelancing for a bit while I figured out what I really wanted to do next.
Spoiler: freelancing became the thing. But it didn’t happen overnight.
Almost two years later, pocket nibbles consulting has become something I never expected: not just a way to earn a living, but a business that energizes me, aligns with my values, and supports the kind of life I want to live.
Here’s what I’ve learned along the way.
I Started Freelancing Because I Needed Space
When I became self-employed, I was looking for two things:
- A new work environment
- Flexibility — to be there for my kids, to pick them up from school, to chaperone field trips, to not feel split between home and work.
Freelancing wasn’t the dream. It was the backup plan.
But little by little, it became the right path — because I let it evolve into something that could support me beyond my bank account.
It Took Time to Feel Like “This Is Real”
My first paid client work didn’t come until June 2024. Even then, I worked one client at a time. It wasn’t until January 2025, while juggling multiple clients, that it started to feel real.
That same month, I met a fellow expat in a Toulouse café. She was a brand photographer. I told her my dream for 2025: to build a real website and step into this business for real. She introduced me to Pia, a brand strategist in Mallorca.
I flew out in April for a two-day brand workshop and photoshoot.
That trip changed everything. It helped me define what pocket nibbles consulting could be — not just the work I do, but how I do it and why it matters.
That same season, I took on my first mentorship client. Something shifted.
I realized this could feed me.
How My Business Feeds Me Today
Yes, I am a marketing technology consultant. That’s what I get paid for.
But the part that really energizes me?
Connection.
I connect with women through my mentorship program, Lead with Intention.
I connect with peers through the European Marketing Ops community I’m helping build.
I connect with clients who care about doing things the right way — thoughtfully, efficiently, with heart.
The work I do now challenges me intellectually and feeds me emotionally. I didn’t plan for that. But I created space for it, and it found me.
What Success Looks Like Now
Success used to be:
- Big paychecks
- Internal recognition
- Campaign volume
- Bonus goals
Today, success looks more like:
- Feeling energized by my work
- Taking long lunch breaks
- Spending time in my garden
- Learning things just because I want to
- Saying no to things that don’t feed me
It looks like presence. Like agency. Like balance.
I Don’t Say Yes to Everything
One of the hardest (and most important) things I’ve learned is how to say no.
In late 2024, I was invited to be on a podcast with other women in community-building. It would’ve been great visibility. A year earlier, I would’ve said yes without blinking.
But I was tired. I had decided to take the last two weeks of the year off. So I said no, with respect, and without guilt.
The host actually congratulated me.
Not everything fuels you. That’s okay. Sometimes, the best decision for your business is to choose rest over recognition.
A Business That Honors What You Need
This is what I tell the women I mentor in Lead with Intention:
“Build your business in a way that feeds you.”
Not just financially — emotionally, creatively, and energetically, too.
You’re the boss. You get to shape your offers, your pace, your systems.
I’m lucky to have a setup that works: I bill enough hours a month to support me financially and gives me space to rest, connect, and build the things that matter — like this blog, my community, and new offers that light me up.
My business gives me joy, not just income.
That was never the original plan.
But I’m so glad it’s where I ended up.
Takeaways (Snack-Sized, of course)
- Let things take time. It may take months (or years) to feel real. That’s okay.
- Choose what feeds you. Joy, balance, meaning — those matter too.
- Redefine success. You don’t have to chase what no longer fits.
- Say no when you need to. That’s leadership too.
- Design your business around your life — not the other way around.
