Creating a Life-Fuel Business for Women Who Want Freedom and Growth

What if your business could energize you, instead of drain you? In this episode, Shelagh explores what it really means to build a life-fuel business—one that aligns with your values, supports your lifestyle, and gives you the freedom and fulfillment you crave.

You’ll discover how to shift away from the hustle-driven model of success and build a sustainable business that supports your well-being, finances, and future. From team building to redefining what success looks like, this conversation is packed with inspiration and practical takeaways for women entrepreneurs ready to grow their business without giving up their life.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode:

• What a life-fuel business is (and isn’t)
• The biggest myths about success and hustle culture
• Why sustainability is essential to long-term growth
• Time flexibility and predictable income are possible.
• You get to define what success looks like—no one else.

Chapters:

00:00 – The Essence of a Life-Fuel Business
02:38 – Building a Sustainable Business Model
05:23 – The Importance of Team and Processes
08:42 – Debunking Myths About Success
11:29 – Defining a Life-Fuel Business
14:25 – Taking Action Towards Alignment

Episode Links

To learn more about the Collective click here.

To work with me and make your next power move, visit:
https://theroadtoseven.com 

Stay Connected

Like what you’re hearing? Click here to follow on Apple Podcasts for more episodes to boost your Road to Seven today! I have more episodes with great tips and conversations with women that are revolutionizing the way we do business – don’t miss it! 

I would be really grateful if you left a review on iTunes so that others can find and boost their business too! Just click here to review, select “Ratings and Reviews” and “Write a Review” I’d also love to hear what your favourite part of this episode is in the comments below. Thank you!

Follow me!  

Instagram: @shelaghcummins  

Twitter: @shelaghcummins  

https://facebook.com/ShelaghCummins

https://linkedin.com/in/shelaghcummins

Transcript

Shelagh Cummins (00:01.08)
This morning, I made my coffee slowly, like just slowly and meticulously and my mind wasn't racing. I wasn't double booked today. It was just me, my mug and I sat out in the sunshine to enjoy it. And there was a quiet knowing that my business was working for lack of a better word. Revenue is coming in, my clients are cared for, my team knows what to do. And I'm still here at the center of my life.

choosing when I work, being able to impact and influence a ton of women entrepreneurs so that they can do the same. And that is exactly what a life fuel business is. A life fuel business is one that doesn't run you and it doesn't demand your soul in exchange for however much money you want to make. It's one that funds your lifestyle. It fuels your purpose and your energy and it aligns completely.

with your time desires. And so today let's talk about a life-fuel business. So if you've been craving a company or a business that fuels your life financially, emotionally, and aligns with your time commitments that you can work when you want to work, then this is an episode that you don't want to miss.

Shelagh Cummins (01:24.258)
You know, I've built several kinds of businesses and I've built them and burnt them to the ground. Every two to three years, I kind of feel like I have this growth and evolution that happens and I let things go and I reignite some things. And I've made that kind of business before where I'm making really good money. I got a lot of revenue coming in, but I honestly can't remember the last time that I wasn't working. And it looks really successful on paper.

but it literally feels like a slow suffocation in real life. And you might know exactly what I mean where you're working more hours than you did when you were working in corporate, which is the exact opposite of why you went to start your own company. Or maybe you're making inconsistent income with zero predictability, or there's nothing left at the end of the month once you've taken money to pay into your family or for you.

so that you can have some financial independence. And maybe you feel guilty for hitting a certain level in your company, but still wanting more, but you're too exhausted to go after it. And here's the darn truth. That kind of business doesn't scale. It breaks. The business model breaks and it breaks you.

And what I realized and what my clients realize every single day is we don't necessarily need another tactic or tool. We need a business model that matches our values and our lives. We build a business that fuels our life, a life fuel business. And that's where this idea of the scale roadmap comes in. The scale roadmap is

the structure that I put behind all of my programs, whether it's private coaching or one of my group programs or something that I'm teaching, a workshop I'm leading. And I wanted to talk about the scale roadmap, but through the life fuel lens. So the very first thing we do is we look at the profit of your company. We focus on your offer to ensure that it's sustainable. It's not just sellable once, but

Shelagh Cummins (03:45.236)
It's sellable several, many times over, and it sells in a way that's quite simple and easy. We look at our pricing and ensure that we have profit at the end. We raise our prices without raising any stress. We raise our price if we need. We also get clear on where the money flows so that you can stop white-knuckling it every month. That's step one of making sure that your company

fuels the lifestyle that you want to live. You'll notice I haven't given you a revenue barometer. It's not about whether you make 10K a month or 30K a month or 100K a month. What matters is that you can answer the question, is this worth it? Is my company paying me what I want to be living on? Am I making more than enough in my company to support me?

to support the growth of my company, to pay all of my taxes, to not carry a huge credit card bill, and to have some profit left over at the end. Step two is about the process of your company. We want to be building a lean team that helps you amplify your vision, but doesn't add to your to-do list. Your team can be as big as you want or as small as you want.

What we want to do though is hire before we hit burnout, not after.

Shelagh Cummins (05:24.94)
The second piece of building a life fuel business is focusing in on the processes that are involved in running it. We want to systematize the parts of your business that drain you. automate what doesn't require your magic and we build workflows that allow you to step out without everything falling apart.

This is a continuous flow of revamping, refining, making more efficient. We blend between who and what, who can help run and what system or tool do I need in place to make this more efficient? It is continually evolving as your company evolves. And again, what matters is at the end of the day, you can say, is it worth it? Have I worked the number of hours that I wanted to work? Have I done the work?

that I wanted? Is my work sustainable and fueling the lifestyle that I want to live? Is my company fueling my life and my calendar? And if the answer is no, then we go back and refine and we make changes again. Step number three is looking at the people within your company. We build a team that amplifies your vision. We build a team that creates revenue for you. We build a team

who is innovative and delivers and doesn't require you to helicopter and micromanage. We're wanting to build a team that adds revenue, not add to your to-do list. We want to hire very strategically before you hit burnout, not after. And we do all of this in a way that aligns with your real life, not somebody else's formula or vision for your company.

We want the people in your company that you are serving, your clients and your team, to help feed that sense of fulfillment and satisfaction. We want you to have an impact because that's one of the reasons you started your company. And so again, we ask the question, is it worth it for me energetically to run this company? And if the answer's no, and it's not fueling your life, then we go back and we make changes. You know, this roadmap,

Shelagh Cummins (07:47.892)
isn't about growth just for growth's sake. It's not about hitting a certain revenue goal just because somebody said that that was the revenue goal that you need to make. It's about building a business that fuels you. And these are the kinds of businesses that women build. This is a business that gives you time, money, and space all at the same time. It's a life-fuel business. So let's bust a couple myths here.

These are things that I hear when I talk about this that really not just gets up my wick, but I think it's just completely false and untrue. One myth that I've heard is that if you want ease and calm in your life, then you're not serious about success. The only way you can get success is if you're working 24 seven and busting your butt all the time, every time. And the fact is that that's wrong.

If you want to run your company that way, then I honor it completely. Go for it. I'm not saying you're not going to work hard. What I'm saying is you work hard on your terms. You work hard focusing on the things that matter. You focus in on those moves that are going to bring you to your next level. And we're continually putting things on pause and we're dumping things that aren't working because we're always watching

that it is fueling your life. know, ease is a result of clarity and making really courageous moves. It's not about you being lazy. We're not being passive in the growth of your company. We're building the company in a way that works for you. Myth number two, hustle is the price of admission. And there are a lot of people that will tell you the only way you can hit success is by hustling.

And hustle is the tax that you pay when you don't have the system support or the boundaries in place to honor you. And so when we put the right profit and offers in place, when we put the right processes and system in place, and when we have the right people and supporting players in place, it does not have to be a hustle or bust. It can be a strategic and sustainable growth curve.

Shelagh Cummins (10:09.728)
You can hit whatever revenue level you want. And I'm not here to tell you you have to make over six figures or you have to make over seven figures or you're not being successful. I'm here to tell you that you can choose your revenue level. And the way to choose it is to say, does this work for me? Is this fueling my personal life in a way that's allowing me and enabling me to live the lifestyle that I want?

and if it's important to you, build wealth at the same time. Myth number three is you have to choose between family and financial growth. Now, I can tell you I am living proof that you can be the primary caregiver for your kids and build a successful company simultaneously. I'm still the main driver. I'm still the one who's class parent. I'm still the one who's heavily involved in my kids' lives. And I have been for 18 years.

My kids are starting to shift. They start needing me less, which means my role in my company is shifting, but I don't have, I've never had to sacrifice one for the other. You can have both. You can build your business like a business, a to-do list and be the person in your personal life that you want. You know, here's what a life fuel business actually looks like. A life

A life-fuel business pays you generously and predictably. This is not a hope and pray revenue strategy. We put We put in consistent scalable income that lets you breathe. A life-fuel business gives you time flexibility, but it's not just freedom on paper. You can take Tuesdays off. You can pick up your kid. You can book a massage and still be on track to hit all of your financial goals.

What matters is that when you choose to work, you're doing the focused actions that you need to do, whether it's showing up for your clients, whether it's creating strategic marketing, whether it's refining your programs, whether it's getting better at doing something, it's whatever you need to push your company to the next level. Time flexibility is yours to choose when you put the systems and strategies in place to make it a choice. A life fuel business aligns with who you are.

Shelagh Cummins (12:35.23)
not who you think you should be. This is not about pretending to be so-and-so from the internet. This is not about mimicking that girl who has it all. This is about you showing up as you, and it works. Listen, I am a middle-aged woman with three kids. I'm not gonna be parading around in a bikini holding balloons about how much revenue I made, carrying a fancy bag because that doesn't align with who I am.

If I was that person, I would do that. But your life fuel business needs to fuel you on a soul level. That for me is like the worst thing possible. Soul level for me is being able to go to hockey tournaments on a Friday with my kid and not having to worry about it. Soul aligning for me is being able to work with incredible women and knowing that...

Every woman I work with is having a massive impact on the world and leaving our world in a better place while building a life for herself that works for her. That's my barometer of success.

I've lived the life that my women want to live. I'm living the life. a life fuel business is yours and yours alone. You get to build it however you want. It can look like what you want. What matters is that at the end of the day, you can say, yes, it's worth it. It's fueling me financially and enabling me to live the lifestyle that I desire. And it's enabling me to build the wealth.

that I desire. I have the time flexibility that I desire and I'm able to work a schedule that aligns with all of the other obligations and commitments that I have in my life. And I'm able to work in a way that fuels me up energetically. I love the work that I do. That is a life-fueled business. And so here's your next step. If there's something in your business that's feeling

Shelagh Cummins (14:45.398)
out of alignment or isn't working. If it's not fueling you, if it's not feeling like it's worth it, then maybe this is the time for you to fix it or try something different. So if you want to build a business that feeds your life and doesn't consume it, just send me a DM with the word fuel or apply to join the collective. The collective is a coaching program for women.

who are ready to train burnout?

The Collective is a coaching program for women entrepreneurs who are ready to trade burnout for consistency. They no longer settle for chaos. They choose clarity and they're not in the business of overworking, but they're in the business of owning a great company. And we use the scale roadmap to turn your big, bold, beautiful business into something that works for you. And that lasts

for as long as you want it to. And that fills your bank account while filling your soul. You don't have to hustle to be worthy and you don't have to do it alone, but you do have to decide. Are you building a business that funds your life or one that is costing it? And if it's costing you, then let's choose differently together. Thank you for joining me this week on the Road to Seven. If today's episode sparked something in you,

Please hit subscribe, share it with a friend, and don't forget, DM me fuel or apply for the collective right now. You're not here to build a business that looks good and feels empty. You're here to build a life fuel one, and I can't wait to help you do it. I'll see you next week.