We are halfway through the year.
Way past the New Year’s Resolutions (if you made one).
I usually don’t.
Instead, I create a vision board.
Not just for goals, but for energy.
What I want to call in. How I want to feel.
What I want to start, build, or finally release.
And now, here we are in July….on the other side of the year’s momentum.
And I always find myself asking:
Is this unfolding the way I hoped it would?
CURRENT LANDSCAPE
In the business world, the buzz is still quiet right now.
Sales are slowing.
Spending is shifting.
People are working, but not rushing.
There’s a collective pause happening even among those who aren’t naming it.
People are wondering:
- Should I keep going the way I’ve been going?
- Is this business model still right?
- What needs to change before I burn out?
And they’re not wrong to ask. The truth is:
Things are moving fast in tech, AI, and consumer behavior.
But internally? Most entrepreneurs are craving slowness.
And if you zoom out, it actually makes sense.
We’ve been riding a wave since 2020.
A wave that started with panic, surged into opportunity, and now many of us are crashing into exhaustion.
THE ARC OF ENTREPRENEURSHIP
Here’s how I see the cycle we’ve collectively moved through:
- Nothing Urgent/ Business as Usual (pre-2020)
- COVID/ “The Shift” (2020)
- Boom/ Online Business Explosion/ Fast Money (2020–2022)
- Saturation (2022–2023)
- Burnout, Exhaustion, Decision Fatigue (2023-2024)
- Slowness, The Great Pivot, Pruning, Peace (2024–Current)
And it’s not just small businesses feeling this shift. Major retailers are too:
- Forever 21 filed for bankruptcy again and closed 350+ stores this spring.
- Joann Fabrics shut down all 800 U.S. locations.
- Big Lots closed nearly 1,000 stores amid restructuring.
- Kohl’s closed 27 stores in a quiet repositioning.
- Kroger is closing 60 stores following a failed merger and CEO exit.
- Red Lobster rolled out new food to try to stay afloat (Have you all been seeing all the seafood boils?!)
Are you peeping the pattern?
The era of “more” is giving way to an era of discernment.
We’re collectively learning to prune before we break.
WISDOM FOR THE ROAD
If you haven’t checked in with your money, your body, or your business lately….this is your invitation.
Let July be your mirror (P.S. If you haven’t read June’s Forecast- Smoky Mirrors, check it out!)
Let it show you what’s working, and what’s quietly draining you so you can pivot if needed.
Here are a few prompts I’m sitting with and maybe they’ll serve you too:
- Do I like the way my business feels right now?
- What’s my relationship to money in this season? Grasping? Easeful? Avoidant?
- What part of my work is profitable but energetically expensive?
- If I wasn’t trying to prove anything, what would I let go of?
You don’t have to fix everything.
But it helps to pause.
To pay attention to what’s working and what’s quietly wearing you down.
THE PRACTICE
Do a mid-year money review.
- Pull up your profit and loss ( if you don’t have one, work on this.)
- Look at your revenue streams. What’s working? What’s underperforming?
- Now Review your expenses next. What’s essential, and what’s just habit?
- Ask Yourself: Am I earning enough to support the life I actually want?
Don’t just check for income.
Check for alignment.
Check for peace.
THE MINDSET
I’ve looked at hundreds of financials over the years. And I’ll tell you this:
The numbers can be great and the entrepreneur can still be drowning.
So here’s the reframe:
Growth isn’t just about scaling. It’s about sustainability.
It’s about building a business that supports your life, not consumes it.
Ask yourself:
What kind of growth feels good in my body, not just my Stripe account?
You might still need to earn. You might even want to grow.
But you also deserve to do it in a way that doesn’t cost you your clarity, your health, or your joy.
You still have six months left in the year.
Let them be guided by wisdom, not urgency.
Much Love,
Nacondra