Be The Best Boss You’ve Ever Had

By Louise Jenner, The Dream Job Coach (Platinum Member)

Be The Best Boss You’ve Ever Had

Many women go self-employed because, at some level, they’re fed up working for someone else.

They’re tired of long commutes, unrealistic expectations, office politics, rigid structures, poor management, feeling undervalued, or squeezing their lives around work instead of the other way round. They want more freedom, more flexibility, more autonomy, and more meaning in their working lives.

But here’s the irony.

Once we become self-employed, many of us end up becoming the kind of boss we would once have taken to a tribunal!

We overwork ourselves, skip breaks, work evenings and weekends, never really switch off, and rarely take proper holidays. We say yes to everything, over-deliver constantly, and to top it all off, many of us aren’t even paying ourselves the equivalent of minimum wage.

Sound familiar?

When “Being Good” Turns Into Over-Giving

I see this a lot with women who’ve come from caring, service-based, or high-pressure professions. Teachers, NHS staff, charity sector workers, corporate professionals, and women who have spent years being “the reliable one”.

We leave employment seeking freedom, but accidentally recreate burnout in self-employment.

The environment changes.
The patterns don’t.

Many of us carry employee habits into business ownership without even realising it. We continue proving ourselves constantly, people pleasing, over-functioning, rescuing everyone, feeling guilty for resting, charging too little, and believing we have to do everything ourselves.

I sometimes describe this as getting stuck in our “Maid energy”. (Her catchphrase is, “I have to do…. this, that, everything!”)

Not because women are weak, far from it, but because so many of us have been conditioned to believe that being good means being endlessly available, endlessly accommodating, and endlessly self-sacrificing.

But sustainable businesses are not built on self-sacrifice.

At some point, it’s good to shift into our “Queen energy”. Not cold, arrogant, or caught up in ‘girlboss’ hustle culture, but calmer, more strategic, and more boundary-led leadership. The Queen’s catchphrase is: “I choose… this direction/this decision”. The Queen doesn’t have to do, need to do or demand to do anything! Her choice is enough.

The Rules Are Written In Pencil

This is the kind of leadership that understands we can be kind without rescuing everyone. That we can have boundaries without being difficult. That we can charge properly for our expertise, rest without earning it first, and build businesses that support our lives instead of consuming them.

Because, being brilliant at what we do is not the same as building a sustainable business.

I see many talented women networking frantically, saying yes to every opportunity, trying to appeal to everyone, and exhausting themselves in the process. But…

❌ More networking is not always the answer. (Unless it’s more dwib events of course!)
❌ More hours are not always the answer.
❌ More hustle is definitely not always the answer.

Sometimes the answer is clarity, strategy, focus, boundaries, support, and permission to do business differently.

One of the most powerful things about self-employment is that you can write the rules in pencil, which means you can rub them out and rewrite them when you choose to!

You’re allowed to change direction, change your pricing, change your niche, simplify your offers, work differently, rest, grow slowly, and build a business that genuinely works for you.

Success does not have to come at the expense of your wellbeing.

One of the reasons communities like Devon Women in Business matter so much is because business shouldn’t feel lonely.

You’re Allowed to Build Your Business Differently

We all need support, encouragement, honest conversations, fresh perspectives, and people who remind us that we’re not supposed to have all the answers on our own. Sometimes we simply need somebody to help us step back and see what’s really going on.

That’s also where business coaching can be transformational.

Sometimes we’re simply too close to our own businesses to recognise the patterns that are keeping us stuck, overwhelmed, undercharging, or running on empty. Business coaching creates space to reconnect with our strengths, build confidence, develop strategy, and create businesses that feel sustainable as well as successful.

If you’re currently questioning how to move forward in your business, or feeling as though you’ve accidentally created another exhausting job for yourself, you’re very welcome to book a free Create Your Dream Business Clarity Session with me, Louise Jenner, The Dream Job Coach.

Together, we can explore where you are now, where you’d love to be, and what might need to change to help you build a business that genuinely supports your life and wellbeing.

You did not leave employment simply to create another version of burnout.

You can be the best boss you’ve ever had! 🤩